Jump to content

Pine martens. Dangerous to cats?


Ssc
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi all, In reality how much of a danger do martens (fouine) pose to adult cats.

MOH was gardening about 7.30pm this evening (by the more overgrown section) and noticed three of our cats staring at one spot in the long grass a few metres away. When she investigated she saw a weasel like creature stalking one of the cats only two metres away. As she moved nearer it ran off but she got a good look at it and believes it was a pine marten. She then went inside for about 10 minutes. Two cats had followed her inside and the other is missing. So far she has not turned up which is very unusual as all the cats know they are shut in at night and come in of their own accord. We have been out looking and calling but no sign of our cat. We did however see the marten again some distance away from the first sighting.  She is 11 and not really a hunter so I can't imagine she would have chased it and cornered it for a fight. If she didn't provoke it would a pine marten take and kill a cat. We have been living in France for 2 years and this is the first marten we have seen.

Edit - forgot to add that we live on the edge of a hamlet in quite a forested area

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as I am aware there is no evidence to suggest that either a pine marten or stone marten would attack a cat for food, but a stone marten, which is more likely to be near your house, will fight with cats to defend either itself or territory if it has young. Usually when this happens the cat backs down and runs away.

Chris

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Chris, My wife got a good close look at it and we believe it was a pine marten as its 'bib' was dirty beige rather that the white of a stone marten. Glad to know that the cats should be safe but I will keep my eye out for it for a while, in case its living nearby.

Tony

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Ssc"]

Happy ending - I clicked submit and the cat flap went. One safe unharmed cat !!!! [/quote]

Yes, cats do seem to have the knack of turning up just when you've convinced yourself the worst has happened.

Very pleased to hear about the safe return.

Sue

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to hear that your cat has returned.

One of mine has been missing for 3 weeks now and his sisters are still pining for him.  Although OH says I'm wasting my time, I still call him every day.  I think he's either doing what boy ferral cats do (even though he is neutered) and may come back one day, or the other alternative is a fox.  We saw one not long after he went missing.  My other two ferral cats are now both sleeping indoors at night, so I think something has spooked them.

Getting back to pine martens though - my friend recently lost all her chickens and chicks - all 20 of them and the cockerel.  Something got into the henhouse through a very small hole and killed and lined up all the chickens by the hole, so it looked like it might come back for them.  The bodies were left in the henhouse for a day with a humane trap set up, but the culprit never came back, so all the bodies had to be disposed of.

Could this be the action of a fox or a pine marten?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...