guineas versus violent cats

[Akane]

I've been wanting guineas for a while but kept putting it off. Well I have a problem with a pair of cats that appeared recently. Both are big and willing to attack my chickens. The orange tabby is the worst. He's downright violent. He killed a full size standard hen. While were standing there yesterday evening he bolted out of some bushes, charged right up, grabbed a small raccoon that was probably out of it's nest for the first time and snapped it's neck. Then walked off with it's kill. It's killed a couple bantams, that standard hen, and about 20 quail now by stressing them while trying to get them out of their pens. I've had traps out for it but it won't go in. My roos are cowards and run from it. I was wondering if guinea fowl would gang up and put critters like these in their place? I may be getting my guinea flock early if that's the case.

 

[cw]

i dont think so, a small calibar rifle should do the trick

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

you can use a have-a-hart trap and then take the cats to animal control. if they are feral they can be very dangerous so dont try and snuggle them
;-)

also feral cats tend to be territorial and once they move it they keep their territory. so you might be better off adopting some some-what-feral cats and keep them as your barncats. for the price of a little dry cat food you'll be rodent and other-cat-free

good luck!

 

[Munchies]

I agree with ohiofarmgirl, feeding a feral cat if you have a large feral population is a good solution. In my area there are programs that will neuter your ferals for free, but you need to trap them first. Check with your local humane society.

The hav-a-hart traps work well. Bait with bread soaked with oil or water from can of tuna. Place trap along paths the feral already uses so it will almost walk into it out of habit.

We did an extensive trapping when we first bought our place (catching three cats sometimes in the same day), it took two years to get the population down. We can never get rid of them. We have neighbors that let their cats breed, keep some and put the rest outside. Every spring, we catch new "bone-thin" and wild kittens in our traps. They are not cute, I took one to animal control, but it was put down after the girl, who pulled it out to check if it was a girl or a boy, got seriously bitten and scratched. They actually refuse to take cats from me.

 

[Imp]

I trapped the feral that lives in my backyard by slowly getting it used to eating in a dog crate. Then once pulled the door shut with a rope. I took it to my vet and had her spayed then I released her back into my yard. She is untouchable but getting used to my presence now. She never messes with the chickens
You may need to eliminate the uber-feral.
I called our feral cat society for help. They responded about 9 months later, not any help at all.

Imp-Also feeding 2 strays and 1 neighbor's cat outside + 3 inside.

 

[Akane]

We've had a trap out for weeks with all kinds of bait. So far I've only caught 3 raccoons and almost a skunk. My trap was rather smelly this morning and empty of bait.

The cat will not get within 100' of us and disapears the second the door is opened more than 300' from the coop. There's no way I'm feeding that thing or any other stray cats around here. It likes harassing my birds just to do it even after it eats one or 2 and if I start feeding them there will be more. Not to mention the raccoons, possums, etc... that were hanging about this place cause the last owners fed some cats outside. If I ever get the chance it's getting shot but so far it's never in the open. It's just a streak between the bushes.

 

[Imp]

Sorry that's rough.
On your side is time, Feral cats are often sick and don't often live a long life.

Imp- Hope it doesn't breed.

 

[Munchies]

I did say we took the population down first. Yes we caught skunks, possums, until we put the traps off the ground.

But to clarify I don't feed any stays, have any cats of my own, no dogs, etc. I'm birds and nothin else. The guineas are my pets, the quails my business, the chickens are equipment, except for bird, our sebright bantam, she's my oldest, and our baby we spoil rotten.

It sounds like there is just too much for these cats to eat. Try to remove as much as this free food as possible.

We put absolutely no food stuffs in our garbage cans. We put all that stuff in a compost hole mixed with the guinea and quail poop. The flies, worms, and turtles love it but not much else will touch it.

You might also have to coop your birds for a few days while you take care of the cat problem. It's easier to aim if you are not concerned about where your birds are.

There is also a chance that these vicious cats are being fed by a neighbor but he has let them overpopulate.

I notified all my neighbors when I did the trapping and found about half the population disappeared the first day, but they let their cats out the second day. A lot of people lost there cats that week. I told them, but they couldn't believe their cat would wander that far from home.

If you give them notice in writing, you will have yourself covered if this is the same in your case.

 

[Struttn1]

A shotgun and a shovel will take care of the cat issue.

 

[Akane]

We have done all of that. There is no food outside. Garbage can't be left around anyway or the coons take care of it. All trash is put in the garage and then burned or recycled(no trash pickup here). My cats are fed inside only. There is no food source on this property.

The birds have been locked up for the past week. I have only been letting them outside every other day for a few hours in the evening the past couple days.

I would trap and remove anything that got on the property including neighbors cats but I've yet to catch a cat. Only coons. I was just headed out to reset my trap with a can of tuna for the day. I decided to remove bait at night cause I'm tired of dealing with trapped coons and pretty much all that's left is the big one that doesn't fit my trap. It just steals the bait and throws my trap around. When I moved in there were some huge 50lb raccoons running about the place and now we are down to this one plus last year's babies which I've mostly gotten rid of.