Cats v/ snakes??

[2boxers]

My property is large enough and my neighbors are far enough away that two or three cats will not effect them. Honestly...I have not asked for any one's approval. I merely asked if cats will kill or keep away snakes. Your opinions are very interesting, but on my little five acres, there will be barn cats-spayed and neutered.

 

[ranchhand]

Now that some venting has been done, how about we go back to the original question!

Yes, some cats will kill snakes if they catch the smaller ones. Some are too lazy, like mine.
Go for it, but perhaps talk to a vet about having something in your medical kit to treat them asap in case of a bite. Benadryl saved my dog, but I don't think it will work in a cat, cats being so much smaller.

What kind of snakes do you have? I have a zillion here, and some I have had to learn to live with. I don't like them, but they came with the territory. They each are allowed one egg per day. Supposedly, the non venomous snakes will help keep the poisonous ones down.

And a big

for wanting to adopt them from a shelter!

 

[2boxers]

Mostly we have rat snakes, black snakes,garter snakes and easy going stuff like that (I still loathe them) We also have copperheads and moccasins. We have a healthy population of black snakes here, so we see very few of the nasty kind.

If these snakes we killed yesterday had not been stealing eggs, they would have been left alone.

Good idea about the snake bit kit-I'll consult my vet when I take the new cats for their first round of shots and such.

I'll also ask about adding snake bite first aid to my dog cabinet. Your other thread was a real eye opener for me.

 

[swedishfish]

Sure, it's possible to kennel a cat, but it is really that nice? I don' think any animal should be kept inside and pampered, because that is not how it's done in nature. And I'm not going to lock my cats inside a coop either. I keep my dogs in kennels because they are hounds. If I had a pet dog, I would fence it too. But cats are not like dogs.
And as far as cats killing little animals, this post is about cats vs. snakes. All animals have natural instincts, and we control them as much as possible, but it's still in the animal's nature and there's not really anything we can do about it.

And I got on here to apologize for my pretty harshly worded comments I made earlier, but then saw your comment and had to say something again. I probably should erase it all, but I do feel like I should defend myself. I should never have said all that, because really, we're supposed to be focusing on chickens here. So yes, my cats do get snakes. And let's just focus on that, okay? It's not very nice for any of us, including me, to have taken this thread over. I apologise.

 

[swedishfish]

Sorry again. Please forgive me 2boxers, for going on so much.

 

[2boxers]

Nooooooooooo worries. I don't care if any one speaks their mind and I don't mind receiving counsel. Ain't a problem at all, and thanks for the apology and input.

 

[ranchhand]

"one daughter (5yrs old) 1 Boxer (2yrs) 1 black lab (age not known) 1 Bloxer 1 RIR roo, 2 silkies,25 assorted four and five toed bug eating worm slurping hens, 1 satanic kitten named Keeza, 1 husband, and tons of imagination and dirty laundry."

 

[HenPen]

Only one of my 4 cats goes outside and she is a rodent hunter,this year I have seen her catch a few snakes and drop them dead just outside the chicken run...the chickens pull them in and eat them....ewww....anyway Monday morning I had an emergency vet visit because the great hunter got bit by a snake,she is fine it was not poisonous but I just wanted to say be prepared for the possible vet visit...

 

[deerman]

Ok ,yes cats will kill snakes,plus quail, young pheasants,and young wild turkey, and also young rabbits. Cats running loose do alot of damage to wildlife. Thats counts snakes too which should not be kill, unless they are hurting poultry or dangerous to people.

 

[cgmccary]

My 4 year old cat stays inside and outside. She is spayed & never had kittens. My neighbors like her because they said they have seen her catch mice around their homes. She will catch small snakes and lizards sometimes, but she mainly takes mice, rats & chipmunks. She has never shown any interest in my chickens, not even the little chicks. I have had chicks running around with her & she has never bothered one.

I have had a problem with a neighbor's Siamese cat. The Siamese comes over at night and has run my birds off the roost. Other neighbors told me that this particular Siamese is a voracious bird killer and they see it taking wild songbirds everyday. It seems to be getting bolder about coming over to bother the chickens and my birds react differently when they see this particular cat. I told the owner to keep her Siamese at home.

There are several other stray cats, all which are feral & completely wild. Some of these feral cats have been around for several years. They also do not bother my birds and show no interest in the chicks. I have seen them with rats though.

A cat that is a good ratter is worth their weight in gold.

IMHO, just the same as dogs, not all cats are the same!