Hi Tweets,

Eric Stahlfield writes:

>In the past 3-4 weeks two of my father-in-laws' cats have disappeared on Vashon
>Island, compared with none in the previous 20-plus years.

And, with all sympathy for the cats, I'm sure local wildlife applauds
whenever it happens and prays them on their way. Usually free-roaming cats
kill so much wildlife, *especially* where they're imported onto islands,
that when the situation's occasionally reversed, and indigenous wildlife
returns the predatory intent and makes a meal out of little Muffie, I can't
help but think that the result is not so much the loss of a couple of
free-roaming cats but a net gain for the local wildlife.

>Birds are being blamed, because one disappeared one night, last seen just
>before and in close proximity to where my father-in-law heard a large bird
>flopping around in tall fir or cedar.

Possible, but convicting on circumstantial evidence is risky: what if the
large bird had been a heron--equally nocturnal and anything but quiet when
landing or taking off--settling in to a preening/roosting tree (and such
trees don't have to be anywhere near the water)? or the noise had been made
by a couple of roosting crows made nervous by the presence of the father-in-law?

One way to establish that it was an owl is to find a pellet containing
indisputable cat bones; the other is to see it happen. Until someone
actually sees what's killing the cats actually in the act--and that includes
not jumping to conclusions from the sight of a natural predator scavenging a
cat carcass as an easy protein-source--it's not possible to say for sure.

>He suspects the bird grabbed the cat,
>took it into the trees and was struggling with the weight. Because it was
>dark, he could not see the bird, just heard it.

The phrasing of this suggests that he has already concluded that a bird, not
another predator, was responsible. There are other possibilities.

>Didn't notice the cat had
>disappeared at the time. When second cat disappeared about a week later, when
>that particular cat had survived the woods for eight years, suspicion
>hardened.
>My question: Does anyone know what kind of bird would/could kill cats? Both
>cats were fairly large. Suspect bird was hunting at night, suggesting an owl.

Well, cats hunt wildlife at night too, so that's a reasonable assumption, if
it were a bird.

>But are there any owls large enough to attack, kill, and eat an adult cat?

Yes, Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus. I saw one clatter a large tomcat
when I was a kid; cat died instantly. As striped skunk is a favorite Great
Horned prey, and cats are roughly same size and shape (sorta), an owner who
allows a cat to roam free where large predators are known to be--such as in
known Great Horned Owl territory--is taking chances with its life. Can't
blame an owl (or coyote, or cougar, or whatever) for taking advantage of the
offered prey, anymore than one could blame kids for grabbing up chocolate
bars someone's scattering in a schoolyard.

>Property is mostly wooded, with primarily cedar, also fir and hemlock, few
>madrona and alder mixed in. Occasionally grass clearings.

Perfect habitat for owls big and small.

>I've told him I don't think a bird is responsible, but would appreciate
>comments.

Given the circumstances, I'd offer that it's one possibility of several that
an owl snuffed little Muffie, but there's not enough firm data to reach a
conclusion.

Second, the phrase "Birds are being blamed" was used; in a situation in
which a person allows a pet cat to roam and hunt in an area where there are
predators large enough to take advantage of the offer, I'd think that word
'blame' may be incorrectly applied.

Comments: for four reasons, it always baffles me that people who love their
pets will allow them to roam, especially at night. The first, of course, is
the ethical issue that cats kill so much wildlife, particularly birds;
second is that free-roaming cats get run over and killed in traffic or
injured by equally free-roaming dogs; third, free-roaming cats are at much
greater risk of acquiring and dying from parasitical diseases; finally, cats
roaming an area at night attract coyotes or other predators to neighborhoods
where they may never have been before--then watch the number of 'Lost'
posters for cats and small dogs skyrocket--and one cannot 'blame' the
predator for taking advantage of such human irresponsibility. An owner can
help the cat *and* wildlife by keeping the first inside and protecting the
second outside; that way we can enjoy both, and for longer.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)