My Cavies are dead !!!! Heartbroken, angry and shocked

[beameuplord]

A while back I shared with the "other pets" part of this forum that I own a Patagonian Cavy. Something broke into their shelter SAturday Night and killed little "simon" and the two female cavies that belonged to my friend.

I couldn't believe it. My husband and I worked many hours, (six straight weekends) and spend hundreds of dollars on a secure little pasture for him to romp and graze in with a five foot high fence so they couldn't jump out and nothing could climb over. We assembled one of those 8 x 10 metal utility buildings with a wood floor for them to get in out of the weather.

Sunday morning I went to feed and they were all laying there dead ! Something..I wish I knew what...had actually ripped one of the metal panels off of the back of the building right over the head of the bolt and killed them. We occasionally have coyote sightings in our area but it isn't common. I wonder if it was a feral dog or coyote? I am afraid it is someone's domestic dog. If it crosses my path it will be someone's dead dog ! I am so angry that I worked so hard to create a secure environment for these happy docile little animals and some beast comes on my property and destroys them. The animal control officer said I would be in trouble if I shot someone else's dog. If I shoot it I had better kill it so the owner can't find out.

Forgive me for sounding so mean. I am not a vindictive person and I love animals, but something this vicious should not be roaming free to destroy pets. I camped out in my bunny lot the last three nights with a pistol and raw meat for bait but saw nothing. The ACO said if something smells me it won't come near. He set a live trap in the metal utiltiy building but I am not hopeful without live bait. Last time something killed one of my rabbits, all I caught in the live trap was all the neighborhood house cats. Coyotes and feral dogs are cunning, wary and hard to catch. Wish me luck ! I will not give up getting this predator.

TJ

 

[davecash]

sorry about your loss.

 

[wegotchickens]

How awful! I'm so sorry you lost your babies

 

[cookinmom]

Aw man, that's bad! I'm sorry for you. You must have loved the little guys. They're related to guinea pigs, right? If there anything as cool and sweet as pigs, you really had something there. I hope you get whatever got 'em!

 

[nccountrygirl]

I don't think a dog could do the kind of damage you described. It sounds like a 2 footed predator to me. If it was, they have done what they set out to do and they won't bother to come back, there 2 chicken. I'm sorry for your loss

 

[Poison Ivy]

Sorry for you loss but what ever it was had to be strong to pull a piece of metal over the head of the bolt. Did you see any kind of foot/paw prints left behind?

 

[cheepchicks]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[jessied1227]

I know from personal experience that a coyotes can indeed go through a metal panel. We had coyotes bash the panel out of a screen door on our well house to get at feed. They bashed the panel OUT. The screw holes were pulled off over the screws.

If indeed you are dealing with a four footed predator, whether it is a dog or a coyotes, I understand the need to get the predator. I am also an animal lover, but I do not hesitate to put down an animal if it is threatening my animals.

I know, it sound bad, but coyotes are a HUGE problem around here. They come within 10-15 feet of the house at night. TOO close. If we can get them in close, we take them out.

I'm sorry to hear about your cavies. They are dear little things. I hope you can find out what got them and take care of it.

Jess

 

[beameuplord]

Thank you all for your condolences. There were no tracks because it has been too dry here but there was some scratch marks in the dry dirt around the building. I considered the possibility of a person doing something this mean. I know those people are out there, but I would imagine they would either use bolt cutters to cut the padlock or wire cutters to cut the fence. Also, the opening the predator made was only about 12 " wide, not large enough for a person to get through and it drug one of the cavies out about 20 yards from the enclosure. It had to be some kind of K-9 intruder.

Although, another ACO told my neighbor that a racoon killed four of his dogs ! Wow, that's some raccoon. But a raccoon would climb over the fence. My mom lives next door and heard incessant barking around 2:00 AM. It stopped a while when she turned the porch light on but started back up. I so wish she had called me.

TJ

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm so sorry for your losses...Cavies are really neat animals...
the raccoon that took my EE pullet Tom stood 4 feet on his back feet so it's certainly possible...
I went back and reread.
A coyote would have taken the food with him.
A dog killing for sport would lay out the bodies.