cats and hares

[MotherOfChickens]

I've had a leveret visiting my garden on and off all summer. Yesterday evening I found him headless very close to one of my coops. There's no way I missed him first thing. I know daylight doesn't preclude a fox but it was a very bright day, I was around doing stuff outside all day and all birds present and accounted for. Raptor wise we have a regular sparrow hawk and a young merlin-we also have a peregrine in the area but there wasn't a mark on him, head nowhere nearby.

I have a large cat who I am sure goes out and regularly fights badgers and I've no doubt he could take something like a smaller hare but the head off has thrown me-would a cat do that?

 

[Clodagh]

I think cats eat the head, don't they? My lurcher eats the head of rabbits so they must be quite tasty.
Such a shame for the leveret, he must have been quite well grown?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

yeah, well actually this cat eats the whole kill head first but thought a hare's head would have been a bit big, even for him! Leveret was pretty well grown, am bummed about it but the cat was got for a reason and a bit naive to think he'll only go for mice. I'll be having words though, hare's are one of my favourite animals! Carcass was completely gone this morning (I moved it away from pens) and both cats look as though they've swallowed footballs and weren't interested in breakfast much.