Can I shoot all these cats?

[stumble_n_mumble]

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Lol you are pretty funny.

 

[mangled]

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Sadly, there is no local rescue organization that will come out and deal with our ferals. I've called the humane society and the local rescues. I was advised to trap or shoot them. BY THE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS.
Yes, I'm a cat lover. We have a couple dozen barn cats that have been dumped. I've lived here for 3 years and have never brought a cat home. They've found us either as strays or dump-offs.
We spay the females through the low cost spay program at our humane society. I buy the biggest bag of cat food the feed store provides and we feed them trough-style in an old gutter.
Friendly strays are named and cared for, the best we can. Ferals, who attack our strays, have cost us hundreds of dollars in vet costs for the damage they do to our friendlies. Ferals are dealt with as humanely as we can. Sadly, the 30.06 is our most humane dispersal. It's quick, and in the absence of ANY willing rescue organization in our extremely rural area, what am I, the land owner, supposed to do?

Just our situation here. Thought I'd put another point of view out there.
Em

 

[Tylt33]

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Lol you are pretty funny.

I think you're missing Kelar's logic, which is valid. The line of reasoning that confused Kelar (probably because it's not logical) was:

1. Penning an animal (chickens) is cruel.

followed by

2. Cats should be penned.

 

[Tylt33]

Quote:
Sadly, there is no local rescue organization that will come out and deal with our ferals. I've called the humane society and the local rescues. I was advised to trap or shoot them. BY THE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS.
Yes, I'm a cat lover. We have a couple dozen barn cats that have been dumped. I've lived here for 3 years and have never brought a cat home. They've found us either as strays or dump-offs.
We spay the females through the low cost spay program at our humane society. I buy the biggest bag of cat food the feed store provides and we feed them trough-style in an old gutter.
Friendly strays are named and cared for, the best we can. Ferals, who attack our strays, have cost us hundreds of dollars in vet costs for the damage they do to our friendlies. Ferals are dealt with as humanely as we can. Sadly, the 30.06 is our most humane dispersal. It's quick, and in the absence of ANY willing rescue organization in our extremely rural area, what am I, the land owner, supposed to do?

Just our situation here. Thought I'd put another point of view out there.
Em

Mangled, I appreciate what you've done and the extent that you go for these animals. Please realize, however, that your situation is different than what we are taking issue with for a variety of reasons:

1. You've made the calls, explored your options.
2. You obviously care about ALL animals.
3. Ferals are doing damage to your animals.

If you read the OP's post he says, "I feel as if they're going to become a nuisance and a threat to my ducklings, pullets and hens." in regards to a pack of cats looking at his chickens. No damage has been done, and they apparently haven't even become a nuisance. I think what people are having issues with is leaping right for the 30.06 for a cat looking at your chickens funny, and not exploring other options first.

 

[nzpouter]

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here's the thing... if my chikens roam into your property and started eating your kittens, I will probably understand why I need to pen them..... get the difference? One is a predator, the other is not.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

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here's the thing... if my chikens roam into your property and started eating your kittens, I will probably understand why I need to pen them..... get the difference? One is a predator, the other is not.

Thank you!!!!! Lol well said.

 

[St-Hubert]

We've got a wee bit of a feral adn un-collared cat problem as well. No losses or anything in the area of chickens, but the "pack" wiped out squirrles, birds, and all manner of other furry and feathered thing on our and surrounding property. The neighbors (who are quite nice otherwise) brought four or five with them that are 100% outside cats. There were already two or three ferals on the property, so they are now being fed by the neighbors. Talks with them yielded "Well, we can't really do anything about cats...they'll go where they want". I was less than pleased with that response. We kept an eye on the cats wandering through the property, and if they weren't causing any problems we left them alone. However, they seem to like the gardens...and leave nice little surprises every now and then. This is especially the case with the newest garden we put in last weekend.
Ok....we've tried the mothballs in jars things...that has eliminated some of the problem. Chasing them off with harsh words worked until they got used to the yelling. We don't have the extra cash to invest in the Scarecrow-type electronic deterrents, so that's not an option at the moment. Our local animal control office is swamped with feral cat calls, so there's a waiting list for the few cages they have. Buying a trap or two is an option, but we again get into the money issue.
I have an old BB gun that I have used in the past to dispatch squirrels that infested a past house. I know it will hit hard, but not hard enough to kill a cat in one shot. I am not cruel, so I have not been aiming to kill. A few pumps and a pop in the rear sends them running. That method has worked to keep a few more permanently away.
I do have an adequate number of high-power weaponry that would guarantee one-shot kills, but we live inside city limits. Granted, there is plenty of space between us and our neighbors, but I'd rather not run the risk of puncturing the goodwill we have developed over the past year and a bit.
The persistent cats are the ferals, and I know that a large Tom is living under the house on the second property (run-down house that I need to tear down). The others....I am not sure where they come from, but they are there.
While the cats are not a direct threat to our chickens yet, they do cause damage to our gardens and are a threat to the other wild animals that both my wife and I enjoy. Killing is a last option for me, but it's getting to that point. I have my shovel at the ready and a perfect final resting place for a few of these cats.

 

[Miltonchix]

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Its so much easier if the hole is dug in advance. As hot as its been the flies will be swarming is seconds.

 

[St-Hubert]

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Thank you for that. Excellent point.

 

[aprophet]

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Its so much easier if the hole is dug in advance. As hot as its been the flies will be swarming is seconds.

this is why the farmers near me just run over them they do not have to shovel or shut up. unfortunately we have gotten coyotes the last coupla years the only good part about them is ferals are rapidly disappearing that and red fox seem to like cats too. I just wish we had more reds and less yotes the red fox do not seem to kill near as much as coyotes do .