A marten and a cat

[Hathor]

Morning all,

My wife and I have been clearing out an old stone cottage in recent months. It seems that the former owner's cat has been living in the hay loft for the last four years. There is also evidence (droppings, remains) that a marten is also a regular visitor or living very close by,

As both of these anilmals are predators, I was a bit surprised that they could live so close to each other.

Does anyone have any views on this or on any other near co-habitations?

 

[Chinkapin]

Like you say, they are both predators. In addition, the marten is also a solitary animal that doesn't even want to be around its own kind unless its breeding season.

A cat and a marten will both kill animals up to about the size of a rabbit. The only thing I can think of is that they realize that they are more or less evenly matched and have made it a point to avoid one another. However, in a fight between the two, my money would be on the marten.

It is odd that one of them hasn't run off the other one.

 

[Siberianfury]

in regards to which is a superior perdator, i have a skull from both fels sylverstiris ( wild cat) and martes martes (pine marten), the marten has both longer canines, sharper carnasials and a more developed saggita crest. ths means the marten has a stronger bite.
also mustelids are notorious for there attitude, i very much dout a cat could beat a wild pine marten.

 

[Bothwell_Craig]

I know of an area where both a pine marten and a wild cat are in very close proximity to each other.

 

[Siberianfury]

I know of an area where both a pine marten and a wild cat are in very close proximity to each other.

im sure the two species have the occasional conflicts, the problem is the two are so elusive that it would be hard to monitor such behaviour.
ive always wanted to track pine martens, for me they are the ultimate british mammal,
i got in contact a few years ago with david balharry, he sent me a skull and a skin of a wild pine marten to add to my skull collection, i realy should post some photos some time.

 

[Hathor]

Thanks for all of your replies folks. After a year of being unable to access the web-site, I have found a PC which allows me acess.

To update this story, after a long and severe winter in central Europe, the pine marten is back and happily defecating in the wood shed. Of the cat, there is no sign. Perhaps she did not survive the winter.

 

[Bushwhacker]

One of my ferrets met a cat at the weekend whilst I was running a ferret racing show, the cat didn't want to know and scarpered off quick.

 

[pango]

I remember my dad telling me to look out for cats when the ferrets were out, "The ferret won't even see it coming, son!" I don't think I'd bet on the pet moggie against a pine marten, though!

I came across a pine marten a few weeks ago. He was at a dead hare lying on an estate road in a forest near Corpach. I spotted him 20 yards away as I came to the top of a rise in the road. He was alerted by my boot crunching gravel as I stopped dead and he turned away, retreating to the edge of the wood. The hare was too good for him to leave though and he came nosing out, looking in my direction before darting back out and dragging the hare into cover. I walked on and caught sight of him in the woods, minus the hare, hesitant at first before loping off through the trees and out of sight. I didn't steal his hare!

They are just so incredibly beautiful, though.

Last year I had the honour of seeing a winter stoat killing a rabbit and dragging it through the snow. I remember thinking, it's as well that they're wee.
A stoat, weazel or marten the size of a medium dog? Now that would be a killing machine!