Comments on: Single-mindedness

By: myontz

myontz — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:15:48 +0000

Thank you for the information. I am going to pass this information along. She does have squirrels in her yard, but she does not feed them. They just live there.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:44:30 +0000

It is certainly startling to see a hawk catch a rabbit in front of you – especially when you have a pet that appears to be the same size. She need not worry about her cat, though. Here’s information on red-tailed hawks to help your friend:
1. As I mentioned above, red-tailed hawks look for an easy meal. They eat rabbits, squirrels, rodents and some birds (in the city they eat pigeons) and are careful to try for unwary animals that cannot fight back. The red-tail does not want to be injured by its food. A cat will fight the hawk and is well armed with claws and teeth so it is unusual – very unusual – for a red-tail to go for a cat.
2. Your friend’s yard apparently has prey that red-tails like to eat. Does she feed the birds? Feed the squirrels? If so, the red-tail will stay to hunt them. If your friend stops putting out food for prey species the red-tail will stop visiting when the prey is gone. It will take at least a week for the prey species to stop visiting, more if the food is deeply scattered on the ground.
3. If your friend is very, very worried she could stay outdoors when her cat’s out in the yard or she could stop letting her cat out. (I recommend she stop letting her cat out – but not because I’m worried about the hawk. See below.)
4. Many red-tailed hawks are migrating right now so this one might leave anyway.

Regarding keeping cats indoors, especially if you love birds: I have a cat. I keep it indoors! I know how hard it is (and annoying) to break a cat of wanting to go out. Here are two links on why cats should stay indoors: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/cats.htm and http://tinyurl.com/2986g7g
And finally, do not feed birds *and* let your cat out. Do one or the other, not both. If you feed birds and let your cat out you are luring birds to their deaths.

By: myontz

myontz — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:47:03 +0000

A red-tailed hawk has been perching in a tree in my friend’s yard. It swooped down and grabbed a full size rabbit last night. Now, she is afraid for her cat. It is an outside/inside cat. Do you know of any ways to make the hawk move-on? She does not want to harm it, just make it leave her yard. I have tried to find articles with this information, but all I seem to find is just general articles about the hawk.

By: gloria

gloria — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:18:29 +0000

Thanks Kate:) Hope it stays away, it really scared the doggies… Have a good day….

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:24:26 +0000

Sounds like a red-tailed hawk to me. Yes, they can be loud!

By: gloria

gloria — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:57:35 +0000

Hi Kate: This morning while outside with the dogs, I believe that the hawk that is pictured in this post came flying through my backyard making a very loud (never heard by me before sound)… actually scared the dogs. I live in Dormont and have never seen this variety of bird before — had a really large windspan. Could it have been a hawk? Or am I being delusional. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Regards,
Gloria

By: Libby Strizzi

Libby Strizzi — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:45:05 +0000

I love it! Looks just like my backyard and my feeders. I thought at first that you were going to write that the hawk wanted birdseed. Squirrels beware!