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Actually I don't think it is illegal here, we live right across the street from a lake and in the early mornings you hear the hunters shooting at the geese on the lake and again just before the sun goes down. Bobbi-j You didn't offend me at all. I don't want to have to shoot anything if I don't need to. I thought dog too but nobody around here owns a vicious dog, in fact there have been several dogs in my yard WITH the chickens and nothing bothers them. I usually grab the dog by the collar and escort it home. My cats are quick and the one is a hell of a fighter however neither cats have front claws. It amazed the vet that the second cat who passed away from her injuries even made it back to my door. The area of the puncture wounds on the first cat were obtained when he tried to run away, from there the yote thrashed him around sooo hard he ripped a huge hole in the back of his leg and he came home with grass stains all over his head. I was told by the federal trappers that we have a real problem with coyotes here lately and that their top choice in food is cats. We also live on the border of carlos avery wildlife sanctuary so there are woods surrounding us here and tons of critters in those woods in fact a few years ago a 2 yr old cub was sighted in my front yard taking a dump while scratching his back on the pine tree not even 2 ft away from my birds yet didn't bat an eye at them. I know everyone in the area and their dogs. When my cats are outside they don't go far at all BUT they do go across the street in the woods which is where both attacks happened as well as the 3rd cat I had found. I can't be 100% sure it is the coyote but I am pretty confident. Some kitties around the area (3 to be exact) just up and disappeared, haven't been seen for weeks now. I think those ones didn't get away. I do think and from the looks of this thing it is sick. it looks pretty mangey. I am waiting on a call back from the city to see what I can do about this. That could take forever considering I called them a few years ago when they changed the ordinance in the area for poultry to obtain a permit to keep them and they still haven't called me back on that!
Why would you DECLAW your cats and leave them out wandering the neighborhood? I understand the need to protect your animals from a predator, but don't you think you did your cats a disservice by taking away their means of defense? I grew up in a house full of animals (including cats) so I am not speaking without knowledge. I know it is much nicer for us to have kitty's declawed so they are easier to cuddle, but if that's the case, KEEP THEM INSIDE! We had cats that were declawed on front and back, but they were our pets and indoor cats.
Regarding the Coyote, we have tons of them here. I see them run through my property usually around the morning time. From what I've heard, our pee will deter them so I send the boys of the house out to do the deed out near the coop and the run. We occasionally have some coyote in the news but that's only when kids and people are the targets. I would be afraid though that the coyotes will become bold enough to be aggressive towards humans. We also have a horse farm around the corner and they have a problem with the coyotes going after the colts. I hear shots from that direction so I can only assume they are TCB.
I think that it is our responsibility to protect our flocks and other pets from predators. I know it is heartbreaking to loose a loved pet, but punishing the predator is like kicking the dog for eating the t-bone you left out within reach.
Actually I don't think it is illegal here, we live right across the street from a lake and in the early mornings you hear the hunters shooting at the geese on the lake and again just before the sun goes down. Bobbi-j You didn't offend me at all. I don't want to have to shoot anything if I don't need to. I thought dog too but nobody around here owns a vicious dog, in fact there have been several dogs in my yard WITH the chickens and nothing bothers them. I usually grab the dog by the collar and escort it home. My cats are quick and the one is a hell of a fighter however neither cats have front claws. It amazed the vet that the second cat who passed away from her injuries even made it back to my door. The area of the puncture wounds on the first cat were obtained when he tried to run away, from there the yote thrashed him around sooo hard he ripped a huge hole in the back of his leg and he came home with grass stains all over his head. I was told by the federal trappers that we have a real problem with coyotes here lately and that their top choice in food is cats. We also live on the border of carlos avery wildlife sanctuary so there are woods surrounding us here and tons of critters in those woods in fact a few years ago a 2 yr old cub was sighted in my front yard taking a dump while scratching his back on the pine tree not even 2 ft away from my birds yet didn't bat an eye at them. I know everyone in the area and their dogs. When my cats are outside they don't go far at all BUT they do go across the street in the woods which is where both attacks happened as well as the 3rd cat I had found. I can't be 100% sure it is the coyote but I am pretty confident. Some kitties around the area (3 to be exact) just up and disappeared, haven't been seen for weeks now. I think those ones didn't get away. I do think and from the looks of this thing it is sick. it looks pretty mangey. I am waiting on a call back from the city to see what I can do about this. That could take forever considering I called them a few years ago when they changed the ordinance in the area for poultry to obtain a permit to keep them and they still haven't called me back on that!
Why would you DECLAW your cats and leave them out wandering the neighborhood? I understand the need to protect your animals from a predator, but don't you think you did your cats a disservice by taking away their means of defense? I grew up in a house full of animals (including cats) so I am not speaking without knowledge. I know it is much nicer for us to have kitty's declawed so they are easier to cuddle, but if that's the case, KEEP THEM INSIDE! We had cats that were declawed on front and back, but they were our pets and indoor cats.
Regarding the Coyote, we have tons of them here. I see them run through my property usually around the morning time. From what I've heard, our pee will deter them so I send the boys of the house out to do the deed out near the coop and the run. We occasionally have some coyote in the news but that's only when kids and people are the targets. I would be afraid though that the coyotes will become bold enough to be aggressive towards humans. We also have a horse farm around the corner and they have a problem with the coyotes going after the colts. I hear shots from that direction so I can only assume they are TCB.
I think that it is our responsibility to protect our flocks and other pets from predators. I know it is heartbreaking to loose a loved pet, but punishing the predator is like kicking the dog for eating the t-bone you left out within reach.
