That. Is. IT!!!!!!!!!

[Jayburd]

this is war.
if a patch of blood and a wing is all that's left of my painted, this cat is in for a nice time... in a dog pen at the pound!

[flap]

Sorry to hear about your painted Jay.

[Jayburd]

yeah he was always my favourite, ver proud of him... almost tame!

[flap]

[B CAMP]

Sorry for your loss

[GregH]

OK so what's the story? Sad as it is, it's hard to blame the cat for what comes naturally - I don't blame my sugargliders for eating pair of my double bars - I blame myself for not closing their door and not keeping them in a separate room. Murphys law rules else it's nature red in tooth and claw.

Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation’s final law–
Tho’ Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine, shriek’d against his creed–

From "In Memorium" by Alfred, Lord Tennysson

[Jayburd]

the story is, I go out this morning, I find a small tiny stain of blood in the cage near the corner. I then look down, and see a much bigger patch of blood and a wing, with several feathers scattered around. typical cat scene.
I thought back, and last night I THOUGHT I heard something out near the cages, but as it didn't happen again I thought it must be the dog.
turns out the dog must have been cowering in her kennel from the cat.
I discount mouse, as the mouse would have just eaten it on the spot, no need for pulling it out.
I also discount currawongs, because that sort of noise near the cages would have woken me up (light sleeper)
Actually I don't mean war on the cat, just on the owners who are out from 7.30am - 8.00pm every day all week, so they just let the cat roam.

[E Orix]

Jayburd
Sadly you have a massive management problem. You have blamed Currawongs,Butcherbirds, Mice and Cats so far from memory and possibly others.
Unfortunately the buck stops at you, either protect your pets better or wait until you have a better facility. You and your bird deaths are the common factor.
You must sit down and think out a defence plan.I am sure that us older avis will assist you,BUT not until you can get your act together.It is not right to just keep having so called accidents.
I guess there will be those on this site who will think I am being tough but it has to be said.Imagine how the blood lines of our rarer species would cope if we suffered the same losses.
No one likes losses by a preditor but you should learn from it.Many years ago I lost a Diamond Dove to a Butcher Bird, from then on the doves never were put in an aviary which had the old oyster wire(6 sided) and I always use sq mesh now.Why because the doves can't put their heads through to be sniped off. Preditors on top of the aviary are a disaster so I installed an electric cattle fence unit around my aviaries,now no cats etc running across the roof.
Keeping birds ,infact any pet you have the obligation to not just feed them but keep them in a safe enviorment
Your knowledge on avian species is far beyond what a person of your age should know,you have the potential to be a leader but you must cover all bases.

[Jayburd]

Orix.
I try. However, you really must realise by now that living in a family like mine, it's really not as easy as you make it sound! now I'm not going to try and deny that it's my fault, I've realised that for years. but I will say that to start with, the birds are every night covered on 3 sides by blankets and the front by pegged-down plastic sheeting (heavy duty).
I can't afford electric wires and their upkeep, I can't afford all those other safety things, so I do the best I can with what I have. and frankly, if our dog wasn't a coward there wouldn't even be a cat problem. as it is, this new house is much easier to protect from mice, and we already have baiting and poisons, and so far I haven't seen ANY evidence of a mouse anywhere here. Our only problem is the cat, as the dog keeps the currawongs/butcherbirds away mostly.

However, I can see it's not the cat's fault either as Greg has said. it's used to having free reign over this yard.But it's still not acceptable to have a cat and leave roaming the streets all day every day and the night as well with no bell. as it is, I found evidence hat it made another kill last night too, another magpie lark.

once the birds are in the aviary it'll be a lot less of a problem with mouse proof wire and brick footings, but for the next 5 weeks I'll have to make do with what I've got. I can understand from you're point of view why you are angry, it was your bird to start with, and frankly it was on my watch it was killed. so I'm very sorry.

I will be having mouse proof wire, plastic sheeting, non-electrified trip wires and square wire on my aviary.

But anyway, you can't deny that it IS something that isn't me DOING the killing, I just try my hardest to prevent it. My last aviary (because it was very temporary) was not protected in really any way, and this caused as you know a mouse plague, not something I'd expected never having seen one for years though my Grandparents did have chickens in that spot before.

[Jayburd]

and if I was to catch the cat and take it to the pound, maybe the owners would think twice about letting it roam, them having to pay to get it back and all.