do hawks really prey on adult domestic cats? Tired of this!

Someone has started training their hawk near my house and I am now officially terrified to let my cat outdoors. She's a mink coloured 7 yr old, small but fairly feral female. My parents told me I was stupid to worry about a bird carrying my beloved baby off but I googled it and am now scared to death for her. Because she's a bit wild she understandably spends a lot of time outside rather than in. I have no doubt she can defend herself, even though she's tiny (she scares my German Shepherd) and has protected herself living for 7 yrs in a woodland area with all the risks that involves, (including some hawks that used to be in the area) but should I now keep her indoors forever? She would be utterly miserble and probably wouldn't talk to me for months. Would the hawk being trained be focused on his owners and the meat they're throwing for him or would the hawk randomly fly off? If its an owned bird, I presume it would be well-fed and so wouldn't need to risk flying after a cat? And would the hawk be able to see my little rabbit coloured cat was a cat and definitely NOT a rabbit/prey? Would the bird know instinctivly that a cat would be a bad option?

Please help!

There has been a full grown red tailed hawk perched on the 1/4 mile pivot line in the pasture behind my house for several months running. It hunts the mice and voles in the field and sits and watches the many cats of all sizes hunting in the field below it. It has never once made an attempt to attack any of the cats even though they are in plain view and would be easy targets. They must either be too big or maybe able to put up too much of a fight. I have seen my own cat (only 6 lbs) hunting in the field below the hawk and the hawk is completely uninterested. I was very worried at first but seeing the hawk's disinterest first-hand has put my mind at ease.

Thanks, that makes me feel better! I decided to be cheeky and just ask the trainer guy if his hawk would be intertested in my cat and he assured me there was no chance that particular hawk would and unlikely that others would be. I guess cats look like they can handle themselves to big birds.

Okay so hawks can prey on adult cats but how can you protect your cat?
You see my cat is indoors from the night to moring, but from 7am to around 3pm she is outside. Any precautions i can do to protect my cat?

Don't be stupid PLEASE! I just lost my 10 year old 8 1/2 pound female cat to a Red Tailed Hawk. My cat was out in a fenced in yard (Arizona desert environment). I left her out there for probably half an hour and she has vanished without a trace (carried off). No sign of mayhem anyplace and I have scoured the area around here, probably about 10 acres, calling and looking for signs of her. Other feral cats roam around without being hurt. I know this doesn't make sense, but please be careful. It is so painful to lose a pet. All this mythology about hawk’s not taking cats had made me incautious. I had a sense that my cats should not be outside without supervision, but I temporarily ignored it. I did not see the incident but here were three indicators: 1. She vanished without a trace. 2. My other cat was looking skyward. I was so convinced that nothing could hurt her from the air that I didn't even try to see what he was looking at. 3. A Red Tailed Hawk was sitting in a tree looking into my yard when I got back from an outing at 4 PM that day and hawks never hang around my property. THIS OCCURRED AT 9:30 IN THE MORNING. YES, YOUR PETS CAN BE TAKEN OR INJURED FROM THE SKY, ESPECIALLY DURING HAWK MIGRATION


THIS OCCURRED AT 9:30 IN THE MORNING. YES, YOUR PETS CAN BE TAKEN OR INJURED FROM THE SKY, ESPECIALLY DURING HAWK MIGRATION. See this article:
http://www.gf.state.az.us/w_c/urban_raptors.shtml

I grew up in the country - mountains of eastern KY. I have killed coons and possums while they had our chickens in their mouths. Hawks will kill chickens which average 5-7 lbs. They don't pick them up and carry them off. They get the first good attack in and then keep at them if the animal is wounded enough. The animal could be wounded and get away and still die. Great horned owls will prey on cats as well. Perhaps not as likely as a hawk killing mice or rabbits, but during the winter they are more likely to do this. I've seen hawks do some awesome stuff. We even caught several owls in ground traps around the chickens. We released them. Don't underestimate the driving force of hunger in animals.

Obviously you know nothing about raptors (birds who hunt for live food). I walked out my door yesterday morning and (to my horror) found a huge bald eagle in the pasture right in front of my house just starting to tear the hair off of my beautiful "Garfield" cat. Thank God he was dead and hopefully it was quick. My vet was so surprised. I've lived in the country most of my life and have had dogs, cats and horses. I've lived at my current address for 11 years now and have lost 4 of my cats......we also have coyotes, raccoons, red tails and eagles. I was just so stunned to see that eagle, especially getting ready to eat my cat. I do have to remark about red tailed hawks though....I was living at my parents place in eastern Washington and with about 3-4 ft. of snow. My dad was out feeding the wild turkeys corn. I actually saw a red tail dive right into the middle of the turkeys and was seriously attacking one. Of course his eyes were bigger than his stomach! He didn't get his lunch there on that day. But in conclusion....eagles will and do attack cats! My inside cats will never be allowed outside, and I hope never to see such a horrible sight again.

As I stated earlier, I've seen an adult red tail hawk attack a full grown wild turkey. I've seen one land in the field and go after ravens. Our red tail hawks here (western WA) are huge, and I think one could attack a cat. While it could maybe win the fight, I don't think it could carry one off. I've never had a raccoon bother my cats, and there are a lot of coyotes here and they possibly may have been responsible for a couple of my 'gone missing' cats, but I was shocked to see the bald eagle casually pulling out chunks of hair off my cat. I will never forget it. AND my kitties inside will stay inside. Please people, keep your cats inside. Why take the chance?

We just sent our 1 1/2 yr old male cat to the E.R. again....He keeps being attacked by or fighting with some animal. He gets puncture wounds, cuts and scratches. He bleeds a lot and is exhausted after each one. The puncture wounds look like they could be made by a beak. Could he be climbing a tree to a hawks nest and just fighting with the mother all the time? Could she be swooping down to pick on him? His buddy brought home a baby hawk tonight almost as it to say, "Don't worry Gabe, I gave her hell".

Wow...I am so sorry for your cat. I am retired from the US and live on the island of St. Vincent and am a farmer. I am out and about on a acre of land most of the day doing one thing or the other. To my horror...I got smacked VERY hard on the back of the head one day bending over the beds of lettuce. It took me to my knees. I had no idea what it was. It happened three more times leaving abrasion cuts on my scalp. BUT then I was sitting on my patio that has three open arches and is about 18 feet off the ground. I watched in amazement as this huge Red Tailed Hawk flew through one arch and headed straight at me! I waved my arms about and it swooped up just making it under the top of the last arch. This hawk has attacked my husband and tried to hit my gardener but missed. Here they are not protected. I went to the Police and to our Forestry Division of Agriculture and they have all advised that I get a bird gun and kill the hawks. They seem to want to take over my property as they are very territorial. I too have cats...mostly large cats about 15 to 18 lbs. So far they have not been targets to the best of my knowledge. But in a few days I have two men that are rifle experts coming to sit on my patio to attempt to kill them. The police told me of one man blinded by a hawk...they are not sure if he was pecked in one eye or it was the talons. I am a real lover of all animals and this decision to kill these birds has come hard. I have placed shiny CDs along the arches of the patio....they just turn slightly sideways and fly through. I have put colored cloth on sticks ALL over my garden. I saw one sitting on top of the tallest stick. I have yelled, banged pots and put some marbles in a good size can and rattled that. They are getting bolder and bolder and I am afraid my health and the health of my family and worker and friends are more important than this bloody bird...no! there is a pair. And I have one request of these men...to kill both as I believe both are attacking us and I think it would be cruel to leave a mate alone. I am so sad about my decision. Anyone have any better ideas. I cannot cut down the tall trees where they live and nest as they are not on my property.

Nanny B...
It appears you have a nesting pair of hawks. You must be getting too close to the nest.
They are swooping down on you because they are protecting their young that are still in the nest.....as any good, loving and protective parent would do.
Most birds act like this when they nest in areas where there are people. I've seen swallows, mockingbirds, magpies and even robins act this way!
Unfortunately their nesting areas are being taken over by people...they are running out of good places to nest...hence they sometimes end up nesting near people...
If you kill them, the babies will starve to death. Stay away from the trees where the nest is and wait a bit (a few weeks at most), the young hawks will learn to fly, and the hawks will leave.
Please don't kill them. Just because they aren't "protected" doesn't mean you should kill them when you find them annoying.
We need to learn to coexist peacefully with the other creatures we share the earth with!

I have 11 cats that are not ferral. They are sweet and loving. I feed the birds and particular hubbing birds. Their feeder are up high in open spaces so the cats can't even leap and get them. I also have dogs. I live on 3 acres, and there's room for all creatures. Nature balances itself. However, I try to enjoy and protect them all.

My sons cat (a 11 year old bengal) just plain disappeared at at 9 am in plain daylight! He is so upset, lives in the hills in southern california. Could an animal have picked him up, an eagle or owl ? He weighs about 9 lbs. My son heard what sounded like a cat fight and has not seen him since, so sad...

Ok guys, enough of this infantile bull. I want to know if there is a method to
stop this red tail from diving at my 14 year old Bengal cat. The cat wears a walking jacket outside when she goes for a walk with her 90 pound retriever and my husband. She also wears the jacket and leash when she is in the back yard. The leash is out two feet and prevents her from jumping fences etc. The first time this hawk dove at my cat, the dog gave chase and restricted the hawk to a bush, she did not get the cat. Yesterday the cat turned her head and jumped at the hawk and it missed her. This was within 10 feet of my husband. I need a method of preventing this hawk from attacking. And please don't tell me I'm full of it, I am 65 and have seen and loved much of wildlife, I would love a preventative measure rather that a deadly one. Thanks

I just grabbed our grey and white 12 lb tabby just minutes ago (almost noon) after by chance looking out the kitchen window and seeing a huge hawk dive at him from an apple tree in the back yard. I ran out and grabbed my cat and the hawk acted like he was considering diving after the cat in my arms. His focus was on his prey our cat and he did not seem intimidated by me at all. . He flew within maybe 20 feet of us while my cats was growling and his fur puffed twice its normal length. The hawk flew to the top of a utility line pole in the adjoining yard and just observed. I was raised on a farm and know abouts hawks, owls , wolves and the carnage they can do to chickens or rabbits and other small farm animals . I am shocked though living in a large city the hawks are still a real threat to our cats. Our cats are about 10 to 12 lbs and I do not think they could carry them away but could definitely kill them. I am a peace loving person and do not believe in killing or violence except if my family or pet is being threatened whatever means necessary will be used to protect them. It is illegal to kill a hawk and to shoot a gun in town but I have also determined it is illegal for wildlife to possibly kill my pets.
I also love all kind of wildlife . A good shotgun and some buckshot and noise will scare them away but that is illegal in town. There are all kinds of risks letting your cats run outside but in my opinion it is a necessary one to allow them some natural life that was intended for them . I believe a possible shorter life with some outdoors time is better than a long life with no ever possible experience cats are supposed to be able to have as an animal.
An only exception is if you are not fortunate enough to have an area they can run without being in danger of the freeway or heavy traffic. Just enjoy and love them as long as possible but make sure they have some freedom to run and play in the wild some.

I saw a red tail hawk kill a full grown rabbit in the middle of town. It didn't carry off the rabbit but feasted on it right there. I could walk within a few feet of it and it wouldn't budge. I assume, because of the element of surprise, and because of the ability to kill with the sharp talons, a hawk could kill a cat if it caught it by surprise, but there is easier prey.

I just have to put my two cents on this thread because I have six cats....all of them stay indoors! Someone mentioned "shooting the raccoons"....they are wild and belong outdoors....Keep your cats inside...they are domestic and do not belong in the wild...for many reasons. If the person who's kitty disappeared has eagles in the area....yes, they will take pretty good sized cat. I live in Minnesota, and this has happened here. Doubts about the Red Tail Hawk taking a cat, and raccoons and possums are nocturnal, unless they are sick.

just a side note, around here we have ravens and hawks, and hawks are no small birds. ravens are big but hawks are much bigger, and i have actually held a hawk at an animal show. trust me, they weigh far more than 2lbs...

My apartment manager built a fence for my apartment last week. This week I installed the Purr...fect Fence to keep my cats and 10 lb. dog in the yard.

We have Great Horned owls in big oak trees in our apartment complex. The Purr...fect Fence company recommended running fishing line crisscrossed above the yard, from one side of the fence to the other. My small yard is 12 ft wide so it was easy to do. I hung some pretty crystals from the fishing line to make it prettyand to ensure owls and hawks can see the fishing line. It should keep the owls out.

That sounds like a coyote attack. Southern California... actually most of California has a big coyote problem. Coyotes roam streets in broad daylight and attack pets in front of their owners.

Wildcare told me the raptors dive straight down, wings close to body and break the spine of their prey, killing it instantly.

I hope your cat got away and hope that you find the cat real soon. I would never allow a cat or dog that I love roam outside a fenced yard. It is just too risky.