Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: becky555 on April 22, 2010, 11:12:26 AM

Title: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: becky555 on April 22, 2010, 11:12:26 AM
 :-[ I woke up this morning to find a dead rabbit in my dining room. It's head was missing. Does anybody else's cat do this? They have never done this before only mice and voles. I am really schocked and yelled at them. Can they catch anything from it?
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: blackcat on April 22, 2010, 11:27:22 AM
Perfectly normal behaviour if there are rabbits about, including the eating of the head I am afraid.

Unless you have some nasty diseases in your area it should not cause harm to your cats. But rousing at them after the event is futile I am afraid. They will have no clue about why they are in trouble.

I had a cat once who never realised he was supposed to kill his prey, so he would just bring it home and release it in the house. The baby rabbits I could cope with - the very indignant and aggressive bandicoot required a thick leather ugg boot to remove it :rofl:

Cats are natural hunters. They will do it no matter how well you feed them. If you don't want dead animals in your house i am afraid the only way to stop it is to keep your cats confined to the house (and even then you get the odd mouse).
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: Liz on April 22, 2010, 20:55:05 PM
This evening I came hopme to a 7 legged version of rabbit in the kitchen, hall and utility room - no heads though - so worming starts saturday!

Ours have always hunted rabbits, mice, rats and pheasants - they tried with the 2 peacocks but gave up - the peacocks are to noisy although we did get a couple of nice feathers :rofl:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: becky555 on April 22, 2010, 21:11:26 PM
I am used to them bringing mice, voles and birds but the rabbit has just repulsed me  :sick:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: JackSpratt on April 22, 2010, 21:36:21 PM
Yep, not abnormal at all....sorry to tell you.  :sick:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: becky555 on April 22, 2010, 21:37:48 PM
Im worried about them getting worms. I wormed them last week.
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on April 22, 2010, 21:40:00 PM
Luckily no rabbits here as far as I know but hunting season has started and Misa and Sasa will be bringing their toys into play any day now sadly, Just normal behavior and agree with bc, they will have no idea why you are cross with them.
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: madasacatter on April 22, 2010, 21:57:56 PM
Yes our Ellie had a baby one today, which my daughter saw on her way home from school.  We have managed to save them in the past, and have even taken them to a not so local wildlife sanctuary!

Charlie had one last week, and I went into the utility room and it was looking at me, but according to OH it was already dead.  :(
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: bunglycat on April 23, 2010, 00:07:03 AM
I went out the front door  a few years ago and found 1/2 a dead rabbit on my door mat and that made me feel  :sick: :sick: :sick:.
I know for a fact it wasn''t one of my cats -i think it was a thankyou from some cat i had been feeding -either the Tabby cat from a few years ago that my neighbours took in or dear old Baggins RIP who i regularly fed .

Not had any more thank goodness - luckily mine dont catch much really -the odd mouse a year maybe .

Also a few weeks ago there was a rather large dead rat on my patio - present from some cat i had been feeding no doubt  :sick: :sick: :sick:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: Mark on April 23, 2010, 07:41:42 AM
I know Sharon has caught her cats dragging rabbits through the catflap in the past. Luckily we don't get them here. We have a few seagulls that go sniffing round the garden for food but luckily Kylie has the sense to realise they are bigger than her and would defend themselves.
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: dabs on April 24, 2010, 14:10:54 PM
On the way back from the supermarket last week, I saw a black cat trotting happily towards home with e very large rabbit in his mouth, I bet there was one very chuffed owner somewhere.

Little Bertie that we rehomed to a stables brings his owner rabbits on a regualr basis along with whatever else he can find.

I also had a call from a potential owner asking for a cat that will hunt rabbits as he is partial to a bit of wild rabbit!
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: Daisymac on April 24, 2010, 17:15:47 PM
Perfectly normal,  we are always getting rabbits as gifts,   :sick:

You can imagine how many critters we get living in the middle of nowhere with Stables behind us  :(

Picalli Polka Pants has had many a rabbit,  most of which are bigger than her  :Crazy:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: becky555 on April 24, 2010, 17:55:13 PM
i also live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a farm and fields!
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: Daisymac on April 24, 2010, 18:52:20 PM
i also live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a farm and fields!

You will get quite a few more then me thinks  :hug:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: nekoxchan on July 27, 2010, 23:55:54 PM
It's always a shock when a cat brings you a rabbit - dead or alive !!

I was looking after my friends cats for the week and her 5 month old kitten Sox brought in a baby bunny. I think she must have brought it into the house alive as there was lots of fur in the kitchen :/ poor thing !

When I opened the front door and counted not three cats but a fourth thing, I sobbed lots when I realised it was a poor headless bunny :(
Body in the kitchen, head in the lounge with one ear missing, entrails and bits spread along the kitchen floor.

Just charming !
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: Kirst on July 28, 2010, 10:52:39 AM
Hallway rug was thrown today , as one of the furries had done a 'Freddy Kruegar' on a bunny on it! :tired:
Title: Re: dead rabbit, is this normal behaviour?
Post by: CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls on July 28, 2010, 13:22:37 PM
Mine dont go for rabbits, thankfully as I have 8  :evillaugh: