Uggh. How do you end the life of a small animal?

[scattymare]

DO NOT READ IF EATING OR IF DEATH OF POOR DEFENSLESS ANIMALS UPSETS YOU!!!!!!

My delightful cat has just bought back a baby bunny. We go through this every year at this time. Normally if they're alive and kicking and running round unmaimed I will attempt to save said bunny. If however they are maimed or overly shocked I will leave him to end it as quickly as possible which he normally does before being gruesome and eating the head . This poor baby though was maimed and couldn't move - kept trying but I think it's back was broken. And the horrible cat just left it and dissapeared back up the garden!!
So I was faced with the horror of what the hell to do with the poor thing. I would have broken it's neck but don't know the 'correct' method and was worried I would just hurt it further and have it suffer more. I could not bring myself to bash it over the head. Drowning was an option but again a horrible way to go I thought. I won't tell you what I did with it as it wasn't pleasent (but was instant for bunny) and I couldn't do that again.
Anybody know the correct tequnique to instantly kill by wringing it's neck?
sorry not a pleasent question, but I would do it if faced with this again. I can't bear to see something suffering slowly in pain.

[fleabitten]

I dont know. Mum has this prob with our cats bringing home a small rat and it was dying slowly and she brought them all back to do something with it but they just ignored it and one went up and sniffed it, licked it and then walked off. She couldnt bring herself to bash it either.

[Blonde Donkey]

Unfortunatley the quickest ways tend to be the most brutal - spade to the back of the head and suchlike and it is awful to do (darling doggy used to bring rabbits, mice and rats in half dead and only when i was at home, must have thought i needed the pressies). Though i think the nicest thing to do is take it to the vets where possible.

[fimacg]

fortunately for me the dog manages to kill the bunnies she catches pretty instantaneously, two or three shakes of her head and they are no more. Mice well those just get swallowed whole, and moles she digs up and kills but then obviously does not like the taste/ texture and abandons.

[bonnyben]

Our cat brings things to the door as well but fortunately they are always dead.

It is nature but I agree I wish animals, usually cats, wouldn't sometimes just leave an animal defencless and in pain.

My friend has a JR terrier and one day he attacked a baby squirrel but didn't kill it, just left it in a state of shock and pain. My friend who is even more squeamish than me didn't know wehat to do but knew he had to be dispatched.... I couldn't bring myself to hit it with a shovel, so I ran it over.

I have never forgiven myself, when I looked at his little body afterwards I felt awful, his little face looked so tortured even though I made sure he was placed in such a way that I definitely killed I him outright.

God do you know I have started to cry at the memory?

[kitcat]

My cats bring mice in at this time of year, normally in the middle of the night. It is fine if they are dead, a nappy bag works wonders for picking them up. However, they do like letting live ones go so we can all play chase in the middle of the night. (I now keep a fishing net in the bedroom as it is the easiest way to get them). I can't bring myself to kill the half dead ones, I know I should and that it is more cruel to leave them alive but I normally put them outside hidden in a large patch of ivy on my neighbour's wall.

[rainbow]

My YO has Some guinea pigs for her girls up the yard. Well her Terrier mangaged to lift the lid to the hutch and grabbed and mauled on of thems Head but not to the point of it being dead, parently (cause i wernt there thank god) She had to hit it on the wall to end its pain, but YO was sobbin her eyes out while doing it. Poor guinea had only just arrived the day before and was pregnant so now there is a huge brick on the top so he cant get in!

I really woukdnt be able to end a life i mean i trod on a snail that was still alive so had to get my friend to tread n it again to make sure it was dead! i have to rescue flies, spiders, ants. I rescued and lady bird yest at work Yeah im a big softie!

[scattymare]

Oh that must have been awful. I think I would be mortified if it was a pet and unable to do anything. Kitkat yes we get to play 'hunt the mousie' quite frequently. Thats Jemimahs area - she looks at me as if to say 'well I found it - now you catch it!'
Stretch on the other hand doesn't waste his time with the small mice and birds and goes staright for the big guns with the bunnies and pigeons. I'm half expecting him to come home dragging a lamb oneday......!

[kitcat]

God knows how but one of mine managed to get a live pidgeon through the cat flap. That was a fun game of 'chase the bird'

[Blonde Donkey]

My nana's cat once brought in a parrot unscathed. We had a great time trying to catch it over two days, even it's owner had problems getting it back into its cage. I love cats but I would hate having to finish off what they started

[FirenLady]

My OH says best thing to do is to hold it by the back legs and hit it across the back of the head hard. If you try to wring its neck and do it wrong it can cause a lot of pain. Our cat has the tendancy to bring us half maimed things home too. She brought one into the house at 2am one morning! and released it. I've never done any of it before I always leave that sort of stuff to him. We have sooo many mixis round here you wouldn't believe. I always walk off ahead when the dead needs to be done and he comes and catches me up. Better then suffering though I spouse.