Cat Problems anybody?

[seanengler]

Has anybody ever had cat problems? How did you deal with them? Today all my hens and quail were going nuts in their run, which is open to the whole yard during the day, because of my neighbors cat stalking them all. I grabbed the BB gun and shot it in the butt and off it went and I haven't seen it again yet today/tonight. Think it got the message?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

BB's won't do any good. It will be back. Either trap it and take it some place to be put down or into a rescue or something. Or do "the deed" completely. Shooting it with a BB may cause an infection that will cause a slow painful death if it doesn't have an owner that will treat it.

I've had 2 different ones kill chickens. 1 went to a vet to be put down because the thing was crazy wild and had been running loose for a few years. The other I couldn't catch in a trap and took care of with a single shot 22

 

[aubreynoramarie]

maybe instead of killing someones beloved pet you should figure out how to secure your pets better! i would never blame a neighbor if their outdoor cat killed one of my hens because i knew before i got them that if i didnt secure my chickens well enough, id loose them. it could be to someone elses pets, i.e. cats, dogs, snakes...but it could also be to wild animals like racooons, skunks, falcons, etc...then who do i blame? MYSELF.



im sorry. i own pets from all ends of the spectrum. indoor/ outdoor cats, and english bull terrier, and two chickens. each pet is cared for properly and housed properly. i hate when people blame other animals for killing their hens when they shoulda known from the beginning that there are many risks to owning hens in the first place! its all natural order of things and only us as the humans who choose to keep them can disrupt that natural order and keep our hens safe!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

btw coyote,

i see you are "aussie obsessed"

what if your precious dog got out and naturally killed a chicken? wouldnt you be outraged if the chickens owner shot and killed your dog? or even worse, took it omewhere to be "put down" ? wouldnt you be extremely upset?

 

[cochin123]

oh yea , the hunting BB work wonders with the right shot placement

 

[nzpouter]

shoot it... if they care so much about their pet, keep it in their property like the rest of us... the safety and freedom of my pets in my property trumps the well being of any wandering predators, all will be dispatched in the quickest cheapest manner. I'd rather spent my hard earn money buying treats for my pets than trying to keep irresponsible owners animals out.

 

[Oven Ready]

We free range so have problems with predators on a regular basis including cats.

I find a BB gun to be effective on cats, it doesn't kill them (usually) and doesn't damage/kill like a stone or a 22 ball bearing from a slingshot. It doesn't stop them coming back though. They take time to learn that if they come here they'll get 'pinged'. They do eventually learn. Gun ownership and discharging firearms in these parts has virtually no restrictions. We do have other, more fatal, options available to us but pinging with a BB or slingshot for dogs and cats can often teach them to keep away - persistant offenders who do not respond don't get another chance to learn.

As for shooting someones beloved pet then I'm afraid my view is that if their owners really worried about them that much then they'd keep them in their own property. We have the same rule for our chickens, if they cross the boundary fence they are fair game for anything that wants to get them. We never shoot any weapons 'over the fence'. If a dog is walking along the other side of the fence, in clear view and an easy shot we don't take the shot, no matter how tempting it is - why? because it's not on our property. If it comes through the fence it gets shot - it's that simple.

We keep our chickens in and around the coop at night, we lose some to dogs, cats and natural predators. It's a fact of life, but we don't allow our chickens to become a free meal for any predators that feel like it. Wild predators usually get softer treatment than domesticated ones, after all it's their job to survive and no-one is looking after them and training them to stay within their boundaries.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
If everyone kept their so called "beloved" pet locked up I wouldn't have to shoot the dang thing!
So, what your'e saying is its okay for your wandering animal to kill MINE on MY property? AND I should try and find owner of said chicken killer and return their "beloved" nuisance chicken killing pet and then...............what? Hold hands and sing songs? Tell them their POOR fluffy is just misunderstood? PLEEEAAASSSEE keep him home, PLEEEEAAAAASSE.

In the meantime my chickens are being slaughtered on MY land and it ok because its just a (fill in pet here) and sooooooooooooo misunderstood.

EVIL CHICKEN OWNERS!! HOW DARE YOU!!!

Someone must have forgot to give me that list of which animals are more important than mine. Does anyone have it? I wouldn't want to shoot any more of your useless cats. I know my chickens only provide food for 4 families. I sure wish someone would have told me cats were more important.

 

[theoldchick]

First, check your local laws and make sure you are within your rights. Then present the owner with a copy of these laws and let them know their cat is pestering your flock. The cat is being just a cat and I don't know how many times I've lectured gunshot cat/dog owners about keeping their animals in the house/fenced yard. These folks think their animals have the God-given right to roam free since they are in the 'country'. I don't like dogs chasing my pastured horses or do I like cats stalking my fenced birds.

My preferred method after notifying the owner is to notify the local animal control see if they will set traps. If they don't have traps I will buy/rent/borrow them and take the animals to the animal shelter myself. You have to be careful using a firearm for two reasons I can think of right now: 1) might be against the law. 2) might shoot an unintended target ie your own pet or granny reading the bible in the next house.

If I do aim my rifle at animal it is to kill it. I'm certified in certain weapons and I make sure have a clear shot and am very aware of surrounding flora and fauna. Wounding an animal to an unknown fate goes against my beliefs. Always be safe when handling a firearm. When you do pull the trigger be very, very certain you are within your rights.

 

[teach1rusl]

I completely agree with coyote and oldchick. A bb gun could simply injure, resulting in slow, painful death

If you don't know who the cats belong to, or you know and have spoken to them, but they're not willing to contain their cats to their property, then take decisive action. Either trap the cats and take them to a shelter, or shoot the cats with something that will kill them quickly. Disposing of an animal in a humane way is one thing; torturing an animal (which could result from shooting with a bb gun) is another.