Wait till you get the summons  

Are the cages not cat proof? - you can't stop cats going against their natural instincts but - if you keep birds in a cage outside whereby they can't take flight they should at least be constructed to keep predators out.

Not nice Col but - it's not really your fault.

I suppose it is not, but he made me feel really bad, telling me that he had to kill it, when it didn't have an injury, plus he brought his dog with him, which my two obviously did not appreciate.

I hate the killing spree, but I have no idea what to do about it. I take birds and mice off them, but it gets me badly out of breath. Still I can save some.

Has he heard of foxes col if they're not fully caged?

Hope his dog was on a lead.

Cats roam fact - and there's nout he can do about it.

So the cats are killing the neighbour's chicks? Sounds like he should secure their cages and run a bit better.

Have the cats got bells on their collars? Might not help the chicks but might save a couple of flying birds. Mine used to catch birds even with that hindrance though. If they want to hunt, they'll succeed in a few kills, especially if they're young cats.

A neighbour's cat has left me a present outside today, a tiny shrew

Do you know VD, I haven't thought about the chicken coop. No, his dog wasn't on the lead. He was going to shout the odds and then he saw my oxygen doofer, so he just said that the chick had to die. (It didn't). He just went off after that.

I agree with The Sooz  

All I can suggest that you do is  put a bell on the cats' collars if you haven't already, that way at least birds , mice etc will hear them coming and have a chance to get out of the way .. would also show the neighbour you're trying to prevent your cats getting hold of any of his birds.

Confused though - you said they weren't dead but he said he had to kill one even though it wasn't injured? Or did you mean he was trying to guilt trip you by saying he had to kill one when he hadn't ?

I got one of them yesterday , right on the doorstep  Think it's next door's cat trying to sook in with oors! 

You may be right Katerina, he should secure his chicks, but i do feel bad for them. It breaks my heart listening to birds stuck between the two of them. I try very hard to rescue them, but I get out of breath and can't always do it.

Hugo is a house cat,he doesn't get out at all...well £400 pedigree cat would soon disappear if he did,however even if I had a common moggie I would make it a house cat too.I hate their hunting ways against wildlife etc.

isn't that a bit cruel though katty. My two go bananas if they can't get out and I know that I don't do them any fa vours if I force them to be inside. They've been done, had the jabs, flee and worm repellent and they love being outside.

I think if a cat's used to going out it would be difficult to change that, but housecats can be perfectly happy as long as their main needs are met.. Minka's hunting instinct is met through toys ( she's a dab hand at killing ribbons) , she gets to climb, she gets to exercise, she can watch the world go by at the window etc. She doesn't have to dodge traffic, dogs and cruel humans , doesn't incur the wrath of neighbours or her owner by killing birds, crapping on prize lawns etc , isn't at risk of wounds or infection through fighting with other cats , isn't going to contract FIV .. think there's pros and cons on both sides, for me the "cons" of being a freerange moggy in the area I live in  outweigh the pros .

Nope not cruel in the least he has the run of the house(on his shift) !  he runs about, plays,sleeps etc and is a content cat.The Budgie and the hammies get their shifts too.Now my poor bunnies are gone  it's two or three hours each they get.We also have a road on three sides of the house(end house) so traffic would be a problem too.So many cats get run over.

Oh.. my next door neighbour has a water pistol she keeps " loaded" to scoosh her cat with if she catches him stalking birds , that might be easier for you ?

As someone who looks after & loves chickens, and who has lost 7 chicks this year to a possible variety of predators (rats, cats, mink, hawks, magpies, crows & possibly a jellus cockerel) and been gutted...     but who also has a lovely kitty cat who likes to go out in the garden (though thankfully at the moment the biggest thing she hunts is butterflies, for now,  though she does eye up fat pigeon & make clicky noises)...  

I have decided to sit firmly on the fence in this thread....  cos I am on both sides 

I think both sides have to do all they can...   chicken man should ensure his coop is secure (though they should be let out to roam...  unfortunately you are always going to lose some chicks...  its a jungle out there)     and us cat owners should ensure our cats have bells on their collars or whatever we think we can do to reduce their murdering ways.

Tis a tough one!

The dog is just as bad...   he murdered a baby hedgehog & has had a frog or two.

Actually..   add MrD to the murderer list..    he ran over a frog with a lawnmower last month... 

But I love em all 

. Huge risks for outdoor cats .

that's not a bad idea...  

I used to super-squirter the neighbours cats when they used to come & crap in my flowerbed  

(for their own good..   if the dog had got to them they'd have been goners)

Get a bell and collar on Mr D!

I wish she would use it when her cat craps on my windowsill! (ASBO cat! ) 

I use water on hugo when he has a go at the wallpaper at times.Bengals are very vocal, he yowls and chitters back at you when you "row" him.

Hahahhh!! Cat sweary words! ! 

I throw water over mine if it happens out front or in the garden.

Sorry katty, I didn't mean to upset you, I've never had a cat staying in, so find it difficult to imagine, mine would go stir crazy.

...and slinki, yes he was just guilt tripping me, there wasn't an injury on the little thing.

Don't be daft Cologne you didn't upset me in the least.

he sounds like a right git!