Feral Cat Problem.

[theoldchick]

I trap 'feral' cats. If they hiss and spit at my approach they are shot. If they appear friendly or have identification on them I take them to the shelter. In this area many feral cats are either felv, fiv, fip positive or have rabies so you gotta be careful.

 

[Mattemma]

I get rid of cats-feral or not-that are in my yard. I have tried to have local shelters take in cats,but they won't do feral and rarely strays.Last time I asked they wanted $100 to take in a cat. Local AC will take cats.Neighbor cats get taken further away.If cats are roamers they face risks. I will hold newbies for people just in case it *just got out*,but repeat visitors are fair game to be caught.

Cat did not bother me when I was a kid,but now when I smell pee around my foundation from them I get very upset. I never realised how much damage cats can do.I don't mind them killing the mice,but you can not teach them to not take down the native birds.

I also do not want roamers getting close to MY cats.I have no extra cash to treat multiple diseases.

Atleast if you shoot they will die fast.

 

[shepherd]

I can understand what all of you are saying, I live in missouri and have a ton of cyotes but not enough to keep the feral cat populations down. If people wouldnt let their free range cats go wild then we wouldnt have this problem. Theres just not enough people that care anymore. If people would stop saying oh thats a pritty cat and start going for the gun more often then it might make a difference.

I read that a cat has a 3% catch rate when it comes to hunting song birds. Now if you have a few million feralcats in your state then the cats are killing a ton of your native song birds not counting the rabbits and quail. So all in all your doing the habitat a favor by killing them.

Its open season at my house, if theres a cat without a collar its not going to be around for very long.

 

[shepherd]

This website says a little about feral cat colonies . http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/2010/04/page/2/

 

[wood&feathers]

Thanks Shepherd for the link. We live within a 4000 acre block of national forest, and many unique and rare songbirds nest here. In summer my pursuit of cowbirds has sometimes reached obsession. Look out wild kitties...

 

[J.Pryce]

Feral cats in my yard get the same treatment as Raccoons, Oppsums, Coyotes, etc.- SHOT. We have some communities in town & around town that trap the ferals, have them spayed/neutered at the humane society & re-released into the community. DUMB, Thank goodness I'm in the country & not town

 

[Ironmaiden]

I went to my coop yesterday afternoon and was amazed at the overturned feeders and skittish hens. Then I saw the neighbors cat and all became clear. I've seen them outside the coop fence, and chased two different ones away several times. They are returning at dusk and at dawn. Any others out there see the same thing? Have they killed mature chickens?
I will be in the barn loft window with the 22, hunkered down to do a bit of sniping this weekend. Any cat hunting tips would be appreciated!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Your sig line needs changing, methinks. **Harming none** doesn't seem appropriate right now, lol.

I have dealt with feral cats and chickens for over 18 years. NEVER once has a cat taken down a full size chicken, and I don't leave chicks in harm's way. Trash is in tightly closed cans until hauled to the dump and I do not feed the ferals. We are a certified wildlife habitat and the only birds that get caught by cats are the slow ones.

ETA, I only free range when I'm outside doing stuff or can watch from the house, and the pens/coops are reasonably predator proof. As best as I can make them.

 

[Ironmaiden]

HA! How right you are!
I have 22, 11 week old chicks, and 6 mature birds mixed in the barn/coop/run together. The chicken coop is seriously predator proof. I think the cat got on a stump and jumped over my 4 foot chain link and went in the chicken door. It happened once before. Dammit! I think my roo would deal with any cats, but you never know.

 

[speckledhen]

This thread has been reported about five times already, saying the thread title is misleading, that you are talking about domesticated cats and not feral ones. "Feral" means any living creature surviving in a wild or untamed state. Are we talking about feral cats or just loose domesticated and/or stray cats? In any event, cats stalking your birds are predators, even if they belong to the neighbor next door. I've never had issues with strays around here-they seem to give my chickens a wide berth as they pass through. I don't believe they're feral, though, not really.