A cat killed The Duchess of Yolk :(

[chrys64moore]

I don't know where you are located, but here (Maine) we have several shelters that provide property owners with live traps to catch nuisance cats so they can take them and legally re-home them...I actually think you made the best decision you could, under the circumstances and with the information you had at the time. As much as I love my chickens (and I love them VERY much), there would be some serious problems if I ever caught my husband shooting anything on our property. So maybe taking the extra step to figure out a non-lethal alternative is worth the effort. I believe that it's my responsibility to do whatever I can to keep predators away from my chickens...but there's always going to be that hawk/fox/neighborhood dog/bear that figures out a weakness in my defenses that I never even saw. It happens to pretty much everybody at one time or another. Although I have to say, cats are pretty hard to deter...I had a neighbor swear by coyote pee (I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you can actually buy a bottle of coyote pee!). I know I'm going to get flamed for this, so carry on...

 

[GreenDragon]

I don't know where you are located, but here (Maine) we have several shelters that provide property owners with live traps to catch nuisance cats so they can take them and legally re-home them...I actually think you made the best decision you could, under the circumstances and with the information you had at the time. As much as I love my chickens (and I love them VERY much), there would be some serious problems if I ever caught my husband shooting anything on our property. So maybe taking the extra step to figure out a non-lethal alternative is worth the effort. I believe that it's my responsibility to do whatever I can to keep predators away from my chickens...but there's always going to be that hawk/fox/neighborhood dog/bear that figures out a weakness in my defenses that I never even saw. It happens to pretty much everybody at one time or another. Although I have to say, cats are pretty hard to deter...I had a neighbor swear by coyote pee (I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you can actually buy a bottle of coyote pee!). I know I'm going to get flamed for this, so carry on...

sadly around here SE Iowa animal shelters are not in every county and they turn people away all the time. we had a kitten from a stray mom cat just leave her kittens in our garage and never come back, we tried saving the kittens, bottle feeding and all but they all died except for the last one and we had to bag on our knees for them to take him. they were not very friendly but we had done all we could for the kitten over the weekend it was a long weekend for my wife she felt way bad about the ones we couldn't save.

 

[chrys64moore]

I totally understand about the animal shelter-thing---I lived in Texas for 10 years, and shelters there were very similar...you had to pretty much beg and pay an arm and a leg to get them to take in an animal, mainly because there are just too many strays and not enough resources to care for them. Your wife and I sound like we're very much the same, and I know she appreciated the fact that you tried to find a way to relocate the cat rather than shoot it. I'm also sorry that the you lost your chicken...that's always really hard. Hopefully you won't have to deal with that cat again, wish I had more information on how to keep cats out of your yard. I'll be watching this thread to see if something come up.

 

[iwiw60]

Quote: Agreed.....

 

[ChicknCommander]

.22 is the solution quick easy and problem solved. If you have chickens you have the responsibility to protect them from every predator anything less is a failure and might as well be animal cruelty

 

[Pdxile]

Thank you all for being pretty understanding about my mistake.

I have another trap out, I think possibly a raccon. About 1/2 hour before "chicken bedtime" I heard a ruckus and ran out just in time to see a black flash run into the brambles. Too fast and big for a cat...I lost count of a hen, but later found her,she had flown over the fence in panic. A cat would not have scared the dominant hen over a fence. All is well for now and the coop is like a bomb shelter.

So, this second critter, should I catch it and it is a raccoon, and I can't shoot it, what do I do?

 

[ChaoSS]

If it's a raccoon it may be possible that your local wildlife department will deal with it. If not, and you are unwilling to put the animal down, forget the trap.

Maybe some electric wire at the top of the fence on your side might keep predators out.

I keep a trap baited, dispose of problem animals as needed.

 

[Berner Mom]

Yes!!!!!
This morning the cat was in the trap!!!!!
I drove him to a big farm about 5 miles out of town. They had lots of barns so I imagine they will have a lot of mice to eat!
Thanks everyone.

As someone with a large barn we do NOT appreciate the arrival of someone else's problem. A trip to the humane society would have been better. I hate seeing the scared, usually starved cats along with the litter of kittens if it is a girl since you can't get that close to them and how do you know that they don't have chicken's too?

 

[ChaoSS]

Oh, btw, most cats have no problems making it 5 miles back home. No idea how they do it but I've seen cats show up back home after the neighbors gave him away to a friend over 50 miles away.

 

[iwiw60]

Thank you all for being pretty understanding about my mistake.

I have another trap out, I think possibly a raccon. About 1/2 hour before "chicken bedtime" I heard a ruckus and ran out just in time to see a black flash run into the brambles. Too fast and big for a cat...I lost count of a hen, but later found her,she had flown over the fence in panic. A cat would not have scared the dominant hen over a fence. All is well for now and the coop is like a bomb shelter.

So, this second critter, should I catch it and it is a raccoon, and I can't shoot it, what do I do?

Don't even think twice...that raccoon won't when it tears one of your flock to pieces....shoot it! I would in a heartbeat. Best of luck and keep us updated!