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KITTEN TROPHYS

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Contributed by: Snookie Stoddard on 9/11/2006

Or how my baby cat is depleting my garden/yard of it's beneficial insects.

Sorry to lay it out like that, but I'm nearly hysterical about the way things are going!

I have a young cat, female, who is an indoor/outdoor pet. I love to give my animal friends their freedom, since nature has a head start on their instincts and man kind is hard pressed to change that behaviour.

My problem is, that cats being cats, they love to hunt. They revel in it, that's their job in life. While I appreciate their natures, and I sqeal just as loud as everyone else when a mouse or even a rat is displayed at my feet for approval, I understand that this is the way the world works.

My problem is that my baby cat has decided that her 'call' in life is to shred every swallowtail butterfly or praying mantis or beneficial insect she can find.

I do my best to make my backyard a place where ladybugs, and lacewings and praying mantises can call 'home'. I'm always planting butterfly attracting flowers beds for them AND the bees and the wasps and other pollinating things to sip on.

The problem, as stated, is that I've created this wonderful place where she goes for the 'easy' prey. Not that I'm sure that there is better prey, but I have to think that with a compost pile, I'd have other 'critters' to work with.

What do I do to get her to stop the killing fields of the little things? Hope for field mice? Hope for baby squirrels or even baby possums? I'm having trouble allowing her her achievements when they contradict my other agendas.

Is it because I keep her in at night? 'night' being a relative term as it's MY night and maybe not her 'night'. Should I let her out after dark to get the good stuff, in the hopes she'll forego the little ones who help my garden.

I'm baffled, don't quite know what to do. If you have ideas, let me know. All is welcome.

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