Cat Problems anybody?

[chicks4kids]

I think in a situation where it's a neighbors pet, and it's constantly causing problems, then you need to take care of it and quietly. If you have understanding neighbors, that's great, but eventually talking to him about his/her cats could cause a problem and the understanding will soon go away. Once their pet disappears, then they'll start to question what really happened and possibly start being nasty to you. If their pet simply ran home bleeding from a BB gunshot then that could cause problems too. It doesn't matter to most neighbors whether or not their pets are bothering your birds...most situations are one sided because most people are only concerned about themselves these days.

My suggestion is to get rid of once it has proved to be a problem on your property, with your birds, and do it quietly and never bring it up to them. We have a neighbor who takes in every stray possible. She has some cats that could care less about my birds and those cats get by just fine. They wander around our woods and property without concern. The others that stalk and kill, well, they don't last too long.

You'll have all kinds of opinions on what you should do but when it comes down to it, those birds are yours. You do what you have to do to protect them. And you will. The fact that your neighbors aren't expressing the same concerns for their pet is NOT your problem.....it's theirs.

Good luck!

 

[seanengler]

Quote:
MY PETS are in MY YARD. If someone else's cat comes into MY YARD where my chickens are SECURELY kept by 7 foot high cinderblock walls on all sides. (Yes I know a chicken can get over that) If my hens were to get out of my yard, then game on, but when they are in my yard and someone else's failure to control their animals is affecting me and my animals, I will do whatever I need to do to handle it. Simple as that. I would not be nearly as upset if a raccoon, hawk, coyote, mountain lion or a skunk harmed my pets seeing as how they are natural predators and I am living in their habitat. But my neighbor's "beloved pet" who roams the neighborhood is another story, control it. And If someone loved their cat sooo much that they would be upset about me shooting it after it attacked my birds, then maybe they should think twice before letting a cat live outside in a neighborhood where mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons and bobcats are seen on a weekly basis.

 

[seanengler]

And as far as everyone's concerns about the cat being maimed and dying a slow painful death from the BB....I have been shot and a closer range than I shot this cat with, with the same piece of crap spring loaded BB gun and it barely left a red mark. The intent was purely to scare it away. I don't shoot to injure, it's either irritate or kill. This time it was irritate. So that being said, the cat is fine everybody.

 

[barredrockgrl]

Quote:
Sooo out of site out of mind? Please don't relocate. Imagine the karma that comes from sticking someone else with your problem.

 

[seanengler]

Quote:
There is literally nothing in the laws regarding cats around here. No licensing fees, no microchips etc etc, so cats just roam free around here...and usually get eaten in about a week or two outside. Idiot owners.

 

[barredrockgrl]

Quote:
MY PETS are in MY YARD. If someone else's cat comes into MY YARD where my chickens are SECURELY kept by 7 foot high cinderblock walls on all sides. (Yes I know a chicken can get over that) If my hens were to get out of my yard, then game on, but when they are in my yard and someone else's failure to control their animals is affecting me and my animals, I will do whatever I need to do to handle it. Simple as that. I would not be nearly as upset if a raccoon, hawk, coyote, mountain lion or a skunk harmed my pets seeing as how they are natural predators and I am living in their habitat. But my neighbor's "beloved pet" who roams the neighborhood is another story, control it. And If someone loved their cat sooo much that they would be upset about me shooting it after it attacked my birds, then maybe they should think twice before letting a cat live outside in a neighborhood where mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons and bobcats are seen on a weekly basis.

 

[halo]

Quote:
Did you read what you wrote? Why does someones hens have to be secured on their own property, but a cat doesnt have to be? Yes, cats need to be secured. No one around here wants to see cats roaming around. I had one neighbor who put their cat out at night and brought it in the next morning. He didnt last long; he was found hanging up top of a live oak, skinned to the bones. Owls had a great meal that night.

The truth of the matter is, if people want to free range their hens, they do risk losing them. But they are also well within their rights to shoot anything coming after them on THEIR property.

Why is this so hard to understand?

 

[AndreaS]

Wow, the thought of a cat going after a chicken had never even occurred to me! A chick perhaps, but a cat would have to be pretty darn brave to go after my girls.....they're feisty! They will gang up and chase the one cat I have who goes outside occasionally in our fenced in yard. My other three cats are indoors only, but I have one who comes outside with us sometimes (only when we are around the house). She likes to hang around the coop and catch mice, its actually very helpful....but she is scared of the chickens!

She doesn't have any interest in our wild birds either. Maybe she's just a really good girl. Or maybe it's because she only gets supervised outside time.

As a pet owner, I understand both sides of this argument. But I have to say that I believe the other posters are correct. If someone else's animal came on your property causing problems.....well, its your call.

I would hope that if that were the case, my neighbor
would contact me first. So that I could try and remedy
the situation first (for example, if one of my dogs got out because I hadn't noticed a hole in our fence or something). But, ultimately I would not be able to hold it against them if they made the decision for themselves.

 

[Mattemma]

No one should ever let their cats roam freely.Either fence them in or build a cat run. These are options you can mention to the neighbor,but I think if a person is already of the mindset of *my cat needs to roam* they will ignore your suggestions.

Better to just catch or kill roaming cats just like any other animal. If my dogs got out I would haul ass to catch them,because I know by law anything they do is my responsibility.I don't understand why cat owners think they are exempt from this law of responsibility.If a cat ran in the road and caused an accident the owner should pay.If a cat gets into your yard and kills a pet the owner should pay.If the cat is shot the owner should learn from this and not allow future cats to roam.

Only law that will protect a cat is you can not poison or shoot causing a flesh wound.Shoot to kill only.

No cat has ever harmed my hens but they do use the area around my house as a toilet.They spray my foundation walls and with a breeze we get the most lovely scent...not. If cats keep away they are safe.Let them eat mice and rabbits..If they start causing problems for me their days are numbered. I do have cats and dogs.If they caused issues for neighbors....well actually they never do because I am very proactive about animals care and our neighbors.

Best wishes whatever you decide.Hopefully the owners will step up and make a cat run.Some are soooooo awesome with trees and waterfalls.I wish I could build a run like the ones I have seen posted online.

 

[Mattemma]

******I know it's been suggested that one should fence ones chickens in better than one does to protect them from predators, however if you were to take this to the extreme, would you put your children in a fenced area of your garden so they could play safe while feral dogs roamed your yard at will? Or would you get something done about the dogs so your children could roam your yard at will?*******


Lol,had to post on this one because I actually did fence in the ENTIRE yard to proptect my kids from stray dogs.Most dogs never caused problems other than peeing their scent all over.Only one time there was a neighbors husky that got loose,came into my yard,and attacked my dog causing over $400 in leg injuries.If it had been my mini pin or small child I shudder to think about it. I gave up a new driveway and house siding for the fence,but it feels good to see the kids and pets safely play in an enclosed area now.