I hate my town (stray cats and corrupt bureaucrats)

[Knittycat]

My town is an absolute HIVE of stray and feral cats. I do my best to protect my chickens, but there is only so much I can do. They're locked up tight today, and for the next several weeks I'm sure, because of the new neighbors and they're habit of feeding the ferals and strays.

Don't get me wrong. I *love* cats. I really really want one of my own, but I simply can't right now.

I'd trap them, but we are not allowed to use our own traps. We are required to use the ones the animal catcher provides. However, the animal control officer has lent them all out to her friends, and has done so for nearly a year now. "We only have so many traps! There simply aren't enough to go around!" Yeah, sure hun, especially when you've admitted from your own mouth that the only people you lend them to are your friends. "They keep catching them, so I just leave them out there!"

I cannot poison, shoot with a bb or pellet gun, or in any other way injure them. If I shoot, I have to shoot to kill. Ok, except discharging a fire arm in the city limits illegal. So no SSS.

I don't want to hurt the cats. I understand that if I'm going to dispose of them it has to be quick and painless. Aside from the ethical issues (I do like cats after all), it's a felony. Animal cruelty and all.

I am basically completely tied up in red tape and favoritism and cannot protect my livestock, which is supposed to be allowed by city, county and state laws.

So I get to listen to my chickens freak the frack out 24/7 while they're cooped up with cats in the yard.

I can't wait to move the hell out of this stupid corrupt small down and into the country where I can just shoot the **** things.

Just ranting, thanks for letting me vent.

 

[TheDuffields]

If people didn't like cats there wouldn't be this much issue...but a lot of people don't see them as predators, they are cute little kitties...Cute little kitties that will chase down and maul or kill anything they think they can catch and eat, or rip apart!
They should euthanize the strays...but they probably never will, too many bleeding hearts out there fighting on the side of cats. There are also much bigger issues in this world than the stray cat population, and routine humane euthanasia might free up some people to come up with answers for some larger problems on the scale of things. Not to mention people start setting out their unwanted felines with the feral colonies thinking that they will get fixed, and fed and what not...when in reality fluffy and spike will pop out 30 kittens that will become a feral nuisance and their kittens will have kittens of their own before the spay crew comes back around. There is no answer other than large scale cat euthanasia. People need to think in a real world sense without wearing their "it's a cute house pet goggles"

I absolutely love cats and I agree with trap neuter release programs, but I am of the belief that there should be mass euthanizations of feral populations....as much as it kills me to say it, the world is SO VERY, VERY overpopulated because of us humans failure to spay/neuter our pets. It's OUR fault that it's become a problem of this epic proportion. But I do agree....It would be nice if someone were able to round them all up and be able to put them all down humanely in all cities and towns across the country....it would help the wild bird and chicken population greatly, and it would be greatly helpful for those living in big cities with feral ally cat problems.....but only in a perfect world would we be able to round all the extra unwanted, homeless cats up at one time to euthanize them....sigh

 

[Justin Foss]

Duffields, I know we got off on the wrong foot, I do very much like some of your posts! Bluecoondog, same for you. This is a epic problem, one that takes a village so to speak. We do all share a bit of responsibility in it. Some maybe more than others. The real solutions lie with us "salt of the earth" folks. No matter where we live or what sort of encumbrances are placed on us. I believe we all need to do what we can to do the best we can to do right by the natural and contrived ecosystems that sustain us. That being said spay and neuter programs are completely ********! I like cats as well, I grew up with "barn cats" on our farm as well as my grandparents. They were tame and used to control introduced rodents, they were fixed, and appreciated. Feral cats are subsidized predators, they deserve our respect as a sentient being, however they do need to be eradicated. In my opinion in the way that raises the least eyebrows and attention however that may fit into your personal and ethical lifestyle. I've really enjoyed this post thanks knittycat and best of luck to you in all your future farming endeavors.

 

[TheDuffields]

Can you build a covered chicken run?

 

[zazouse]

I do not mean this in a mean way

but perhaps it would be better to wait till you live out in the country like you said you wanted, no sence in getting into trouble with something you have no real control over and it sounds like folks don't mind the cats in the area cause if enough folks complained they would not be there.
Just sayen

Good neighbors are hard to find and bad neighbors are hard to live around, keep it on the down low.

 

[afarhat8]

my great pyrenees idea was shot down, probably correctly so, so let me throw something else out. buy one or two have-a-heart type traps - or rent a couple if a neighboring town's feed store rents them out - and catch the cats in your own traps. then take the cats to the animal control center in another town. just keep quiet about it, as no one else needs to know. if the person in charge of your city's traps should find out about it, be loud about the fact that you have asked to borrow the city's traps and have been refused their use. if push comes to shove, remind her that she stated that she has loaned the city's traps out to her friends, leaving you no choice but to get your own traps. i doubt she will want to take the issue any further, as it will only show she's not doing her job. if she does challenge you, you can take the position that you will remove your traps when the city owned traps are loaned to you. be sure and document all requests you have made to the city for the traps.

this sounds like a vigilante type solution, but the only alternative is to wring your hands while you sit by and watch your flock get killed. your city is derelict in its responsibility to you, which is why this situation exists. chances are good that you won't be discovered anyway. good luck, and mum's the word.

 

[Farmer Brian]

Knitty, PM sent

 

[sourland]

I have heard that drowning is actually pretty darn fast...I mean one gulp of water and it's all over...your lungs are defunct and then you are dead...So probably not as awful as one might think...

so far wrong that you have no idea. How long do you think an animal/person fights in panic prior to taking that 'gulp of water'. Yeah, I've been there - drowning is a horrible death.

 

[smallfarmnorth]

for what it's worth you might want to look up your local ordinances. I looked at the town you live and googled it. I spent about 5 minutes on that site and I know what your rights are as a citizen of that town. you might also find that your neighbors by law are not to feed those cats and that animals 12 weeks and older have to registered and vaccinated or they have to go. maybe you should attend a town meeting about your situation. either way you have lots of rights as a pet, livestock, chicken owner!!

 

[missnu01]

I can tell you that drowning is quite quick. I've seen it. I do agree that shooting is absolutely the best solution. I am trying to offer another alternative for someone who may not have one. Sorry to the two people who "almost" drowned I have no idea what that would be like. But you as a human knew to hold your breath until you could again surface. Glad you did. Otherwise we could not be having this discussion! If you shoot a animal in the head, say in your garage(as has been mentioned) the heart will usually continue to beat for up to a minute until all the blood is gone. This is a horrible mess. Also we all have a responsibility to safety and due prudence involving it. Consider what will happen when the bullet exits, hits the floor thus ricocheting, to where? You? Your kids? Car? House? We have people among us who maybe can't or shouldn't own firearms, they still need options that are humane and safe to dispose of problematic feral or wild animals. You would have a hard time convincing any judge you had to shoot a firearm in self defense to kill a cat in a cage. Thanks for all the feedback, but keep in mind our experience here is not exactly the same as all things we share our world with.

That is what I am getting at...I feel like the panicked state for an animal is much less because they instantly keep trying to breathe, so are dead before they realize they can't get air per se...a few bubbles and then nothing...a human will fight and fight..and then we start to lose consciousness and then our body forces us to gasp, and then that is it. I grew up on a lake and there were many times I was strained for air, or stuck under the water and couldn't get up...and that is a panicky feeling...but if your first reaction is to gasp in a huge lungful of water, then you are instantly dead...no fear to be had.