Re: [Leica] Dearest of companions

["Jack McLain" <jmclainaz@comcast.net>]

To add further to this; It is believed that bells are not effective anyway.
Prey are not hardwired to react to the sound of a bell, but rather by
motion.  Nothing in the evolution of prey animals has prepared them for bell
ringing as an indicator of danger.

cheers
Jack McLain
Tucson

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "frank theriault" <knarf.theriault@sympatico.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Dearest of companions


> Hi, Jim,
>
> The cat, as you likely know, is acting instinctively.
>
> I read a book on cat behaviors by (I'm pretty sure it was) Desmond Morris.
Basically,
> cats have very ambiguous views of us masters.  Sometimes they view us as
their cat
> parents, and are completely subservient to us (like at feeding time).
Other times,
> they view us as incredibly large, stupid kittens, and their parenting
instincts kick
> in, and they try to teach us to be cats.  They can't figure out why we
can't hunt on
> our own, and, as if we were kittens, are beginning to teach us to hunt.
>
> That's what a cat is doing when it catches prey, and brings it to us live.
It wants
> us to play with that live prey, so we too can learn to hunt.
>
> It has little to do with whether we scold them, or quietly take the poor
little
> animals away, or make a big fuss about it.  The cats are going to continue
their
> instinctive behavior until either the supply of prey is cut off (ie:  stop
letting
> them go outside), or until we as the giant stupid kittens, joyfully play
with the
> prey, kill it and eat it, thus showing the cat that we're ready for the
next step,
> which would presumably be going on an actual hunting expedition, where we
will be
> expected to catch and eat our own prey.
>
> Problem is that cats are such expert hunters that solutions such as bells
and other
> warning devices may cut down on their hunting success a bit, but it won't
do so
> completely.  So, if a cat can catch 10 birds a day (which they easily
could if they
> wanted to), and you've cut that by even 90%, they'll still catch one, and
bring it
> back home.
>
> One of our cats was declawed (to protect furniture, not to prevent
hunting), and the
> darn thing still cauthg all sorts of birds.  She was fat and lazy (so we
thought), and
> we used to joke that the birds used to fly into her mouth as she yawned.
>
> I know that's not a solution, but rather an explanation...
>
> cheers,
> frank
>
> Jim Hemenway wrote:
>
> > Well, and since we're a bit off topic here, perhaps you cat people can
> > help me.
> >
> > Our cat, Snowshoes, (I wanted to name her Bigfoot but was outvoted)
> > http://www.hemenway.com/Snowshoes.jpg
> >
> > ...brings at least one live mouse into our home every week and presents
> > them to us as some sort of offering. She drops the mouse and then sits
> > at our feet meowing and seemingly expecting one of us to catch, (and
> > eat?) the mouse.... we can't.
> >
> > Bells don't work as she manages to destroy them all... and I've fastened
> > them quite securely.  Her collar and rabies/leukemia tag always remain
> > but she somehow manages to remove either the clapper or other needed
parts.
> >
> > Any new ideas?
> >
>
> --
> "Jazz is about capturing the moment"
> -Herbie Hancock
>
>
> --
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