Cat and squirrel

[Ashmead]

do cats eat squirrels

[New Forester]

Yes, if they can catch them. When our late cat was young he used to line up their tails outside the door -- sometimes half a dozen in a couple of weeks. He used to sit under the post-and-rail fence and wait for them to run along the top. Then he'd reach up and hook them off, poor things. On several occasions before he ate them I took advantage of his generosity and put them in a pie -- and they really were excellent. Like rabbit, but sweeter. Note to non-UK people: these were the grey squirrel, introduced from America and a pest in England, replacing our native red squirrel. Red squirrels are protected, and are now restricted to remoter parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cumbria, the Isle of Wight and a scattered few in other places (bet they taste good too though...).

[saffstar]

On the other hand, my Aunt's cat was killed by a squirrel - they're quite hard!

[New Forester]

After all that squirrel hunting (also rabbits, pheasants, weasels etc) we thought our cat was pretty tough. Then one day he went in the stable after an unusually large rat. He came out sharpish and would not go back in, so even he had his limits. On a related point, in Britain if your cat brings in a live grey squirrel, it's illegal to allow it to escape -- you are supposed to kill it or keep it forever. They have teeth like a sewing machine, so I'd not pick up a live one. I heard a story on the radio saying that you can fish for tame ones in the park using biscuits. You tie a biscuit to a string, then let the squirrel take firm hold. Then very gently you lift the biscuit up. The squirrel does not want to lose its prize, and will hang by its teeth from the biscuit.

[blanx]

I've seen my geriatric tom cat have a serious stand off with the fat grey squirrel in our garden. Seemed to be an equal match with neither backing down until reinforcements came along in the shape of the neighbours cat, then the squirrel realised he'd met his match.