Help for cat who has suddenly turned into a panther/murderer

[sereneimago]

I am almost 39 weeks pregnant and we recently moved to a new house that has quite a big property with lots of hedges, trees etc. and it is very close to the water in a rural/suburban community... an island, in fact.

We were living in a nearby town in the countryside before, but for some reason the new house has brought out a new side of our cat's personality:

SHE'S AN INCREDIBLY ACTIVE HUNTER.

In the past week, she has killed three rats, three mice and eaten two birds (this is all just that we know of.)

Unfortunately she has been bringing the rats inside to eat and the first time she did this very cleanly without much mess but this morning my husband has informed me there are rat guts in the hallway!

I FIND THIS SO DISGUSTING and I am wondering if I should be concerned about disease with the newborn coming IMMINENTLY.

The rats are not like city rats-- they live in the juniper hedge and probably eat seeds and berries and snails and such, and probably our compost.

I read a warning recently about West Nile Virus being carried by local birds... but I have to admit I am more instinctively concerned about the rats.

Please help!

We need to find a solution, SOON!

[talia rose]

Can you make her an outdoor cat? We want our cats to kill mice and rats and unfortunately they do birds as well. But they are outdoor cats so we don't see it that often....

[mommariffic]

My cats the same way - she's super huntress. If you're concerned you could get her a collar (that snaps off) with a bell to decrease the dead birds flying your way. Otherwise I wouldn't worry too much. 

[FarmerBeth]

We have a duper huntress that actually adjusted fine to staying indoors (although she still has mice to hunt as it's an old farmhouse we live in, and she does her job well).  If there's no way your cat can be an indoor cat, maybe a good bell like the above poster mentioned to reduce killing birds.
 

[justmama]

I'm not off-grid(just lurking in jealousy) but this is my cat.  He just turned one and his kill count is crazy high.  I cannot keep him indoors.  He sneaks out, breaks through screens, etc to get outside and would stay out there all day long if you let him, coming only for food.  He's killed snakes, birds, baby squirrels, etc.  The only thing that helped was a collar with a loud bell.  And it didn't stop the killing but it decreased it.  I added an extra bell just so the birds would be sure to hear him coming and they'd at least have a fighting chance.  He thinks nothing of scaling 40ft trees to raid nests and chase the birds and squirrels.  

Just make sure whatever collar you get is a breakaway for safety reasons.

[grahamsmom98]

Yes, your cat is at-risk for parasites carried by wild animals (mice, voles, etc).  If you plan on working in the garden, your cat probably poops there and you are at-risk for parasites, as well.

Be a responsible pet owner and keep your cat inside (or, in a safe, outdoor enclosure) and spare the native wildlife. 

[justmama]

I disagree.  I don't think letting your cats go outside is being an irresponsible pet owner.  I used to be a vet technician.  I've worked with animals for a LONG time.  I know quite a bit.  My cats are completely vaccinated, fed a healthy diet enough to maintain healthy body weights, brushed at LEAST weekly, exercised, played with, treated with frontline to keep them free of ticks and fleas, and see their vet yearly or as needed.  I never leave my cats outside when we aren't home, even for 10minutes to go pick up the kids at the bus stop down the road.  I never leave them outside overnight.  And I schedule their feedings so they come home and STAY IN after dinner when I know they won't come when they are called back in at night again.  But just because I let my cats outside(and if I don't, they start sneaking out and rushing the door everytime it's opened) does not make me irresponsible.  

[*LoveBugMama*]

Letting a cat be outside is not being irrespnsible.  The "trend" about indoor cats is a very American thing, as far as I know. I`m Norwegian, and 99% of all cats here are free to be outside as much as they want. Cats are made to be hunters. It`s what is natural for them. And having an indoor cat is in no way sheilding you from bacteria. Indoor cats poop indoors, and the poop is just as likely (maybe even more) to have bacterias in them...

For a cat, hunting is instinct. When he/she comes and shows you the catch, she/he does it because they think they did a good thing. For years and years, hunting was the cats job. My cat does the same thing. Kills a mouse/bird and leaves it for me to find.