Domestic Cats

[jak2002003]

No there is not difference at all. Domestic and feral cats are the same species, same size, colours, everything. The only difference is they are not socialised with humans.

Some cats like to hunt more than others. Even if they have food available to them they still like to hunt. Its just good fun to them and not always for food. Cats are not bad or nasty, its just their nature.

I used to have a pet cat, it had lots of food and treats, but it would also catch and kill birds, lizards, mice, and baby rabbits to name but a few.

 

[chicken-wish]

This is a good thread for me too. I've never had trouble with my own cats before (they seemed to know that these little morsels were part of the family big or little), but I now have two bird killing obsessive cats (no matter how big the birds seem to be) plus I now have a neighbor with many cats that try to run ours out and are much bigger too. I thought about keeping a bebe gun close by incase they give me problems. I don't know how effective that will be though. Plus we are in a place where stray cats are always coming through. I'm just hoping they'll leave them alone.

 

[harveyhorses]

I think most people think of Feral cats as having no home no owner.

Domestic cats while they are undoubtedly the same species. Have homes and owners (thus being domestic

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[Oregon Blues]

People who allow their cats ( and dogs) to wander around loose don't care what happens to the cats.

If a cat bothers my birds, the cat is going to disappear.

People who don't want their cats to disappear keep their cats home where they will be safe.

 

[Maggie C]

I have had fairly good luck with moth balls in deterring stray cats. I have a cat and I have chickens. My cat seems fascinated with my chickens but has never tried to chase/eat them even though they have ganged up on him and pecked him a couple of times. We have neighbors who allow their cats to roam and because my cat stays indoors or in the back yard; their cats spray around the front of my house. YUK!!! especially if the windows are open. I crush some mothballs and put them along the walkways and it seems to keep the other cats away. Not too costly and not deadly - unless they ate them. Besides, if I did anything like trapping or otherwise getting rid of said cats, my neighbor would know that it was me. Not sure if that is a battle i am ready to pick.

 

[Ibicella]

I think I've only ever had one problem with a domestic cat. We used to have cats (ours and others) that would walk around the barnyard all the time. They'd, at most, eye the chicks when we had some, but figured they weren't going to try to get through the flock of adults for them.

The one we did have a problem with was a very persistent stray that DID try to get into the coops for the bantams and chicks and even when they were out ranging. Even though he'd had the stuffing kicked out of him a couple of times by the Black Australorp rooster, he was still going to keep trying to get the chicks. Not the brightest bulb in the box, but he was friendly. We managed to trap him and we found him a home with someone in the city who doesn't have chickens and wanted a very doofy kitty.

 

[jak2002003]

Quite right!

In the UK they have really strict laws about keeping dogs under control. Not letting then roam the streets, fines if they poo on the pavement etc ect....

but they have NO laws like that for cats. Cats can come into my garden, kill my aviary birds, poo in kids play sand pit, rib open my bin bags spreading the rubbish everywhere, make noise fighting late at night, kill wild birds that I feed, spray smelly urine around my house!!!!!

If I let my dog do all that the local authority would be there like a shot and I would be in trouble. Cats are far more harmful to wildlife than dogs and I never can understand why the cats can do so much damage but people don't seem to care?

No owner of ANY pet should just let the animal out on the streets to do what it likes. Its dangerous for the pet and people.