Feral cats

[Airplaneguy57]

It didn't take long for cats in the area to find out we have some young birds. The chicks and ducks locked safely in their tractor. My bbw turkey is in a pen so the cat could see her. Brother and I got back from picking up an old deere and wife says there is something in the yard. It "was" the biggest cat I have ever seen. He made the mistake of taking his sweet time leaving the property. SSS came into play. I think cats which don't have a fear of humans is the worst. Before I get hammered for rendering him room temp it is also helpfully to know we have a rabies outbreak down here

 

[St-Hubert]

Right there with you. We have a pretty serious feral cat problem in our area as well, and it's exacerbated by neighbors that have half a dozen or so of their own they allow to wander everywhere, and none of them have collars. I have talked to them, and their response has been "Well, there's not much you can do to control a cat from wandering, is there? haha". We also just recently discovered that one of the ferals dropped a load of kittens on the other side of one of our fences....so whee, more ferals. *sigh*
The cats have chased off most of the squirrels, killed a large number of birds, and generally terrorize the other animals in the area. I enjoy hearing birds singing and watching squirrels and rabbits go bounding about the yard....

I've taken to popping every cat I can with a BB gun every time I see them, but that only scares them off for awhile. Tried the mothballs on the perimeter (in glass jars and 'free-range' around the fence-line) and that also worked for a day or two. I have contacted Animal Control, but apparently I am not the only one with a feral cat problem....all of their cages are in use and booked for a spell. I don't have the inclination to purchase a live trap myself, as it would cost money I'd rather put towards our chickens; and to be honest, I don't have the time or money to "fix and release" or re-home them. Our local Shelter is over-crowded as it is, and the last thing they need are a few more cats to add to the mix. I've put calls in to the Animal Control center regarding eliminating the feral cats on my own, but have yet to hear back from them. Discharging a firearm in the city limits (and I am in the city limits) is, so far as I can determine, illegal. I don't want to use poison, because I'd probably end up doing more damage to the wildlife than the cats....and the BB gun isn't powerful enough to kill, only wound. I don't want to injure the cats, as that would be cruel....I just want them gone or dead. I know they are aware that there are chickens in the run, and I don't want them to get any ideas. I know that cats will probably not mess with a full-grown chicken, but my girls have a-ways to go before they reach that point. I am also fairly certain that the coop and run are secure, but I've read too many horror stories on this forum to have complete faith in that fact.

So....after a long-winded ramble (and thank you, OP, for allowing me a place to voice my concerns), I completely understand why you did what you did.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

You will only here negative comments from so called "cat lovers"; you know, the people that INSIST on feeding feral cat communities, the ones that say "we catch and spay/neuter and release", the ones that say "raccoons, not cats are the reason rabies spread". These people have the best of intentions---but ignore the facts.

My husband and I are avid bird watchers and the studies have proven that feral, as well as house cats, have taken a devastating toll on songbirds. We practice the SSS method; be it a feral cat, or a house cat---if they're seen in OUR yard, near OUR bird feeders and chicken coops~~~