I know I m going to get my head bitten off but here goes anyway

Awful....

I agree Annie but so often cats are criticised for doing what comes naturally and their owners for keeping them in the first place.

Our cat watches the birds, prowls and makes what we call his 'killer cry' just doesn't get the opportunity to catch anything.

And its not just protected species that are killed to protect grouse -Chris Pakham quoted in The Independent - “On top of this, snares and traps litter the moors targeting foxes, stoats, weasels, crows and other birds. These devices are indiscriminate and commonly kill non-target species such as badgers and hedgehogs. Animals such as weasels and stoats are caught in spring traps. Crows are caught in cage traps and then must endure stressful confinement until somebody comes to shoot or beat them to death. Foxes are caught in snares and can spend hours struggling before being found and killed, or succumbing to their injuries.”
One of the most shocking issues for me is that there is very little information for the public to scrutinise how many foxes, stoats, weasels, crows are killed on grouse moors each year. It’s a free-for-all with no requirement to have proven other [control] methods have been tried first, nor any real requirement by gamekeepers or land managers to report anything to the authorities or the interested public – most of these species have no real protection in law at all.” So its not just those pesky furriners killing small creatures. This is the UK.

Cats want to stalk , Smileless , lets kill all magpies because they eat small mammals ? No, it’s what they do

Gamekeepers killing hen harriers and eagles to protect grouse illegally - no prosecutions- so much for UK law then.

Not just in France lemogrove this also happens in Italy, Crete and Malta.

I'm a vegetarian mostly because I used to live on a small holding and ate the meat we raised. It never ceases to amaze me that meat eaters think factory farmed meat is more humane to eat than someone out shooting. I suggest people
watch some videos on how their meat gets to their plates
and then re think the issue.

PS we can enjoy being cat owners in the knowledge that they are not killing birds or annoying neighbours by using their gardens as toilets.

catladyuk

I totally agree BlueBelle, I was horrified when I saw the photos and amazed that there has not been any media outcry

What photos?

There's a photo of Prince William with a gun in his hand and that's all.

I had heard of this before MawB2 trapping wild song birds in France, so much for EU laws then.

It isn't cruel to have house cats. We've had them for years when we started owing sphynx's. Being hairless they need extra care when it comes to being kept warm and protection from too much sun light.

They have always had access to the outside. Where we live now doesn't have a garden but a fabulous roof terrace which we added a glass balconette too at great expense so our last remaining cat can go out whenever he wants too, in complete safety.

The last 'outside' cat we had years ago went out one day and never came back. That afternoon we heard shooting in the fields behind where we used to live and are pretty certain that he was shot.

I hate hunting animals /birds. I see no reason to do it. Sorry all those country living members but I lived in the country for some years too & I still never saw why it had to be done. It sickened me that all those local farmers getting together for a mass 'cull'. Just an excuse for a day killing & drinking.

I totally agree BlueBelle, I was horrified when I saw the photos and amazed that there has not been any media outcry

Donna fo

Rural land should be used for sustainable agriculture leisure for the many not the few, and wild life conservation.

Game birds are not wild but are specially bred for this leisure activity for those who can afford to shoot. The grouse shooting industry use far too much land and excludes wild life, walkers, and riders from most of Britain, especially England.

That's very rude Donna1964
and not true.

"I know I am going to get my head bitten off, but here goes anyway" Your quote Bluebell...maybe it is because you are good at biting other peoples heads off on too many occasions! You know your own tricks best!!

Incidentally, I’ve had three cats during my married life, but all three have now died. I miss them sooo much and would love another cat. They all had access to the garden and the area we live in and all three were rescue cats. We go away a lot since retirement (pre Covid) and so after our last cat sadly died, we decided to leave cat ownership till when we are at home more.

As I said up thread, I don’t like blood sports at all. However, as far as I know, William and Kate, and indeed any others who engage in blood sports, are not doing anything illegal, and so it would appear that any disgust that any of us feel about it is completely irrelevant. Fox hunting however is illegal, thankfully. I particularly dislike the idea of killing magnificent stags, but there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. I eat very little meat, a bit of chicken or pork, beef occasionally, and lamb at Easter. I eat no other meat. But given that I do eat meat, although not much, I don’t think I’m in a position to complain.

Prince William is a lot better looking sporting a beard and wearing a flat cap.

Just saying.

And I still don’t understand what keeping a House cat haS to do with grouse shooting
It's cruel to keep a cat indoors for all its life.

In fact, I was chatting to someone the other week who believed that no animal should be domesticated purely for our selfish pleasure.

They have proved they are as much silly aristocrats as any other landowners
They are not aristrocrats.

Kate wan't there.

Anniebach, anyone who shoots animals for fun is no friend of mine and gets no support from me. I prefer intelligent moral people.

I agree with the OP. it is sufficent to put me off Kate and William. They have proved they are as much silly aristocrats as any other landowners, and the royal family thereby loses all its mystique.

I am personally disappointed, because I believed I was a royalist. Now I am not.

Anniebach

Not all who take part in shoots are wealthy, royalty , land owners etc

But many are. And I still don’t understand what keeping a House cat haS to do with grouse shooting