Good poison for cats??

[RichnSteph]

My grandmother has a neighbor that refuses to get her cats fixed or take care of them other than setting out 20lbs of food at a time for them so the **** things are everywhere. When I stayed there for a few months last year waiting for our house to be finished I trapped and shot 30-35 of them. No that we're not there anymore the cats have rebounded with some breeding and are once again all over the place. In fact my grandmother called last night crying because three of the cats had pinned one of her RIRs down and were trying to kill her. Gram can't fight off the cats and doesn't want to shoot them or approach the neighbor about it but doesn't want to lose her chickens either. Before you mention the sheriffs office or animal control they have been called several times and so far we've been told to handle it ourselves.

So what I need is a poison that will make the cats sick (sick enough to go back to their house and die) but won't kill the chickens.

Thoughts?
RichnSteph

 

[chooks4life]

Animal control won't do anything? Bet they'd be round in a flash if you shot cats and hung them on the fence in full display...

But that might rebound on you despite them telling you to handle it.

Please don't use poison, it's far too dangerous. If you do, you're probably going to kill the chooks and other animals as well since what attracts cats attracts dogs, chooks, wildlife as well, and you can then end up under some serious legal difficulty not to mention public condemnation. I like cats just fine but know they can be terrible pests when allowed to breed uncontrolled. If you use poison, chances are you're going to cause massive problems, and they likely won't die at home, most cats prefer to hide out when incapacitated.

Get a dog, would be my best bet, if possible one that's an adult, a rescue that's used to poultry. Surely there is one around.

Otherwise, trap them and turn them in as strays at the local rescue/pound, let them deal with it.

Best wishes.

 

[DianaMallory]

STOP Killing the cats!!!! If your grandmas chickens wandered into her neighbors yard you wouldn't want them to kill her chickens would you? Have we tried talking to the neighbor and explaining to her that she is not helping those cats by allowing them to breed like that? And by having so many around unfixed and probably deceased. The state of Ohio use to have a catch fix and release program. I don't know if they still do anymore. But they use to trap them and release them on the prisons property here. Check with your state. In the mean time get a dog or electric fence! And tell grandma next time she sees a cat in her yard get out the water hose they hate being sprayed with water! Or buy her a super soaker squirt gun! Let granny have a blast! and yet another reason not to free range your chickens! Pen them up! Where the cats can't get them! Problem solved nobody loses a life and no fight with the neighbor over her nuisance cats!

 

[Folly's place]

I think poison is the worst idea, for all the reasons above. I like cats a lot, but not this kind of overpopulation. Is there a decent rescue group around? Or a humane society or shelter? Consider trapping and shooting the wild ones, and taking any friendly ones to one of the above groups. And be persistant, because cats do breed like (rabbits!) cats... Mary

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I have the same problem with stray cats here i trap and shoot them. Since they wont get them fix and i sure hell aint wasting gas to take them to a shelter when id be paying for someone elses problem. If they cared so much about their cats they be in a house not outside. We shouldnt have to pen up our birds on OUR own property because of a cat. Though my chickens never been attacked by a cat because i have aggressive silkies and a rooster. But im sick of them terrorizing my budgies spraying them wont work Esp at night. I dont know if poison would work on a cat. Get leghold traps.

 

[RichnSteph]

STOP Killing the cats!!!! If your grandmas chickens wandered into her neighbors yard you wouldn't want them to kill her chickens would you? Have we tried talking to the neighbor and explaining to her that she is not helping those cats by allowing them to breed like that? And by having so many around unfixed and probably deceased. The state of Ohio use to have a catch fix and release program. I don't know if they still do anymore. But they use to trap them and release them on the prisons property here. Check with your state. In the mean time get a dog or electric fence! And tell grandma next time she sees a cat in her yard get out the water hose they hate being sprayed with water! Or buy her a super soaker squirt gun! Let granny have a blast! and yet another reason not to free range your chickens! Pen them up! Where the cats can't get them! Problem solved nobody loses a life and no fight with the neighbor over her nuisance cats!

Um... no.

My grandmothers chickens are in a fenced run, behind a fence that separates the front and back yards (an acre plus), behind a fence that surrounds the property. Her neighbors don't have chickens (no idea where you got that idea) so grandmothers chickens couldn't go over there and kill them. I mean really... where did that even come from....

We've talked to the neighbor and it's like talking to a demented brick wall with an attitude. Yes having so many of them around unfixed does cause a problem and several of them have become deceased because of it. (giggle).

Let me try to paint this picture for you. My grandmother bought that place in 1972 and has lived there ever since. For decades there was no one else there. When folks started moving out there we put up a fence and kept the livestock out of other peoples property. My grandmother is almost 90 years old, on a walker, on oxygen so she can't set a trap for them and give them to the prisons. The state (animal control) and county (animal control and sheriff) have let us know that it is up to her to deal with the problem and the local animal shelter charges $12 per animal that you drop off as a processing fee. I live 40 miles from her and it's impossible for me to run traps for her. It is also no feasible for her to carry a water gun (that will not work) or to zip outside and grab a water hose. She cannot handle a dog at this stage in her life and an electric fence is also not something she wants since she fears that either of those things will run the squirrels off. (she really likes the squirrels.

Thank you for the advice, perhaps next time less of these !!!!! would make it easier to read without feeling attacked.

RichnSteph

 

[RichnSteph]

Thanks everyone for the replies. We'll keep trying to convince the neighbor to take care of her animals, in the mean time I'll just eliminate any of them that come on the property when we're over visiting.

Hope I didn't ruffle too many feathers.

RichnSteph.

 

[cowhlb]

My grandmother has a neighbor that refuses to get her cats fixed or take care of them other than setting out 20lbs of food at a time for them so the **** things are everywhere. When I stayed there for a few months last year waiting for our house to be finished I trapped and shot 30-35 of them. No that we're not there anymore the cats have rebounded with some breeding and are once again all over the place. In fact my grandmother called last night crying because three of the cats had pinned one of her RIRs down and were trying to kill her. Gram can't fight off the cats and doesn't want to shoot them or approach the neighbor about it but doesn't want to lose her chickens either. Before you mention the sheriffs office or animal control they have been called several times and so far we've been told to handle it ourselves.

So what I need is a poison that will make the cats sick (sick enough to go back to their house and die) but won't kill the chickens.

Thoughts?
RichnSteph

Killing them isn't the right thing to do... What I would do is get some LIVE traps and set them out in various places around your yard. Bait them with dry or wet cat food. When you catch them either take them to the pound, ask around and see if anybody would adopt them, or let them go some where in a wooded area or far away from chickens and your house. Life is precious so please do not kill any more. Would you like it if someone shot and killed you? Don't think so...

 

[cowhlb]

Um... no.

My grandmothers chickens are in a fenced run, behind a fence that separates the front and back yards (an acre plus), behind a fence that surrounds the property. Her neighbors don't have chickens (no idea where you got that idea) so grandmothers chickens couldn't go over there and kill them. I mean really... where did that even come from....

We've talked to the neighbor and it's like talking to a demented brick wall with an attitude. Yes having so many of them around unfixed does cause a problem and several of them have become deceased because of it. (giggle).

Let me try to paint this picture for you. My grandmother bought that place in 1972 and has lived there ever since. For decades there was no one else there. When folks started moving out there we put up a fence and kept the livestock out of other peoples property. My grandmother is almost 90 years old, on a walker, on oxygen so she can't set a trap for them and give them to the prisons. The state (animal control) and county (animal control and sheriff) have let us know that it is up to her to deal with the problem and the local animal shelter charges $12 per animal that you drop off as a processing fee. I live 40 miles from her and it's impossible for me to run traps for her. It is also no feasible for her to carry a water gun (that will not work) or to zip outside and grab a water hose. She cannot handle a dog at this stage in her life and an electric fence is also not something she wants since she fears that either of those things will run the squirrels off. (she really likes the squirrels.

Thank you for the advice, perhaps next time less of these !!!!! would make it easier to read without feeling attacked.

RichnSteph

Also, why would a 90 year old woman have chickens? To me, that is to much for a woman of that age to handle.

 

[ak rain]

Electric net for night time protection but is this only a nocturnal problem?