Is it normal for cats to catch bats?

[madamv]

It is a difficult one because by their very nature they will, as Louloubelle says, instinctively chase and kill smaller animals and birds. But, as the beginning of this thread says, the cat in question didnt catch the bat, merely was chomping on it. As garden animals do.........

I agree with Oddworld. Cats of certain breeds cant be kept in a night. They help keep the mice and rats under control and this has its draw backs as FreddyB says. Its all perfectly acceptable IMO. Sparklefish and Nathansears dont seem to be neglectful pet owners. Nathansears even checked out what kind of bat it was FFS!

Good luck guys x

 

[pogofish]

ONE bat has become deceased in an unknown manner and has ended up between the paws of my cat.

Given the speed, agility & echolocation abilities of the average Pip, I'd hazzard a guess that it would probably have been sick, exhausted or even dead before your cat got its paws on it.

Really?
I hear meteorites fall quite regularly too,

Licenced bat handlers (which that guy was) do tend to get bitten, quite often!

Most get vaccinated but IIRC, despite being aware of the risk, this guy declined the shot. Nor did he use gloves.

It might be worth reporting it to your local bat group. It could be an indication of a disturbed roost in your area. Bats don't tend to drop out of the sky without reason & being disturbed at roost (often illegally) is a big killer.

http://www.bats.org.uk/batgroups/batgroups_list.asp

 

[pogofish]

Cats on the other hand, lovely though they are, are an introduced, non native species and are extremely common, growing in numbers all the time

Even though they are introduced, cats have been part of the ecosystem here for many centuries & trying to blame them for the decline in bird & small mammal numbers without recognising the huge & recent loss of habitat caused by industrial farming etc & for migratory species, the damage being done in/to & from the traditional breeding grounds elsewhere is IMO stretching it a little.

 

[reallyoldhippy]

....cats have been part of the ecosystem here for many centuries..........

Why spend millions feeding the little fuckers, then?

 

[T & P]

Even though they are introduced, cats have been part of the ecosystem here for many centuries & trying to blame them for the decline in bird & small mammal numbers without recognising the huge & recent loss of habitat caused by industrial farming etc & for migratory species, the damage being done in/to & from the traditional breeding grounds elsewhere is IMO stretching it a little.

Word.

 

[pogofish]

Why spend millions feeding the little fuckers, then?

The insidious nature of commerce perhaps & maybe the traditional cat-human relationship being skewed by the nature & restrictions of modern living?

 

[reallyoldhippy]

The insidious nature of commerce perhaps & maybe the traditional cat-human relationship being skewed by the nature & restrictions of modern living?

Fuck-all to do with being part of the eco-system, then. Thought not.

 

[Badger Kitten]

Miff is fat and lazy and prefers to sleep on all my bed all night snoring her greedy pig head off.

She is incapable of catching anything, though she enjoys pouncing at lethargic spiders.

No, I lie. Once, she caught a mouse.

Rubbish. Not snuggly as a hot water bottle.

 

[WasGeri]

I've tried putting collars with bells onto my cats, without success. The bells make hardly any noise, and they manage to get rid of the collars within a few days. My black cat goes into someone else's house and they keep taking it off her for some reason, then putting it back on.

They rarely catch birds and mice anyway, it's usually moths and as far as I'm concerned, the fewer moths in the world the better.

 

[pogofish]

Fuck-all to do with being part of the eco-system, then. Thought not.

Rabbit & rodent control? Polination? Indeed, in some areas, cats have now become the primary rodent predator. The near extinction of cats for religious reasons in C4 Europe is pretty-well accepted as a major contributary factor in the spread of the black plague. The little furry critters are also on the rise again, especially in urban areas.

Feeding, or more probably, overfeeding them is just a part of the ongoing bonding relationship between cats & man.

A pretty important role then.

 

[Looby]

Given the speed, agility & echolocation abilities of the average Pip, I'd hazzard a guess that it would probably have been sick, exhausted or even dead before your cat got its paws on it.



Licenced bat handlers (which that guy was) do tend to get bitten, quite often!

Most get vaccinated but IIRC, despite being aware of the risk, this guy declined the shot. Nor did he use gloves.

It might be worth reporting it to your local bat group. It could be an indication of a disturbed roost in your area. Bats don't tend to drop out of the sky without reason & being disturbed at roost (often illegally) is a big killer.

http://www.bats.org.uk/batgroups/batgroups_list.asp

Good idea, I think we will. I found another one on the pavement near my house (and it wasn't my boys because they were in all night.)