The cat is back and the dog is a dunce.

[Moochie]

Bruno, our somewhat faithful lab pit mix, has been barking madly every night because of this wretchid feline demon. But that's all he does.. Bark. No investigating the fence. just barking and snacking on chicken poop. Our dachshunds would surely do the trick, if the cat came in the yard the doxies would take care of it. But they are a hunting breed and were not raised with our flock.
So this cat... It white and orange, kinda pudgy, and seems to stay at the empty house next to us (oh lucky us). A neighbor has lost two of their chickens to a cat before. A cat ripped off the left muff of our silkie roo, caused damage to Melvin's comb, and makes our dogs bark non-stop.
My mother and I are secretly saving up for a girl dog.. To raise with the young pullets, and without dad knowing. Hehe^^
So with Bruno being a silly teenager, my dad gave me a slingshot and metal ball things. Unknown to my father, I have horrible aim and I'm not fast enough to even come close to a hit. This is where I need your guys' help.
Trap. Bait. Prodecure. Yes? I need either a homemade, easy to make trap or an inexpensive one, let's say my budget is 20 dollars. Making the bait will be fun though. I'll get some thin cloth, cat food (canned), feathers, and some other things to create a faux chicken. If I do catch the creature, I plan to take it to my county's animal control. Hopefully they'll take the creature.

 

[bobbi-j]

Can't help you with the trap - just wanted to say that I'm glad your plan for the cat doesn't include the slingshot and metal ball things. Animal control can put it down much more humanely if that's what they choose to do.

 

[love-my-wolves]

Can you call and see if your humane society will loan you a humane trap? Usually if they have some available they will, and that way once you get lucky, they just come pick it up. Also, are you sure it's the cat doing harm to the chicks? Cuz it could be a coon too........ just a thought, in case you catch more than you expect in your trap

Good luck!!!

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Usually cats (unless they are starving feral ones) do not bother grown chickens. I have 7 outdoor cats and the hens boss them around. Now they will look at baby chicks when mamma is not guarding them but have learned to be respectful of them even. Many times you can see one of my old hens chasing a cat around the house.

 

[moetrout]

I wouldn't trust a cat around my hens. Any cats in my back yard are assumed doing or about to do damage to my chickens. One things for sure, a sling shot is not going to do the trick. A .22 or high powered (1000 fps) pellet gun is what you need. If you don't have the stomach for that then you can borrow or buy a live trap. Some animal control departments will let you borrow them too. I bought my trap at Tractor Supply. It was a 2 pack of live traps, a varmint and a smaller rat trap, for $30. If you search around I bet you could find just the varmint trap for $20. By doing that then you could keep after the varmints that you likely have and just don't know about. No need for a fancy home made faux chicken. I use the cheapest canned cat food I can find. You want to partially open the can and then wire it up inside the trap, center of the trap, but behind the trip pan (that thingy they step on to set the trap off). This has always worked for me. As another poster commented, you may get more than you bargain for so be ready to dispatch a nasty coon or oppossum.

 

[pixiedouglas]

Most animal shelters will rent or loan a trap for a deposit. Someone abandoned a cat at an apartment I lived in years ago and the poor thing would howl all night long. I went and for a small deposit the shelter loaned me a trap. I trapped it, fed it and gave it water and then turned it in to the shelter cause I couldn't keep it. I felt so bad for the poor thing. I think it was just scared and lonely and didn't know what to do. It went totally calm after I trapped it and was friendly. People can be cruel.

See if they will loan you a trap at the local shelter. I got my deposit back when I turned in the trap and the cat.

 

[Moochie]

No raccoons out here, I'm in the desert. Almost had a heart attack today. The cat was with the standard chickens, once it saw me it was trying to find a way out by jumping around and scaring the hell out of the chickens. Immediately I thought "a sack! im in the doorway i can get it with a sack!"... No sacks around so I was freaking out until it swiftly came out and went into the backyard, the dogs were too slow so they didn't get it

It's back.. The dogs are barking. Before I go outside, I hear cats have a good sense of smell. Anything I can spray around the yard to keep it away, and isn't harmful to the birds?

 

[Moochie]

No cat outside.. Something really scared one of the girls bad. I touched her and she let out this scream of terror, the noise they make when the lower positioned roosters come around, except worse. I petted her gently and calmed her with my voice saying "hey girl it's only me, it's only cara", she calmed down a wee bit but was really nervous. A few of her feathers were messed up aswell. No injuries though.
I left a light in there (solar powered little lantern thing) so atleast if anything comes back hopefully Melvin can see and fight back. I'm worried about Melvin because his comb is always bloodied up and some of the nubbies are missing.

 

[uncle rico]

try an airsoft gun-they work great on cats without harming them. if you don't know what they are, they're spring-powered guns that shoot plastic BBs. people use them like paintball guns (with eye protection of course). usually the most harm they draw is a small welt (the cheaper guns don't even do that!) you can pickup a pistol & ammo at walmart for around $20-they're great fun and do a good job keeping stray cats away.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I agree..
Wow... why would a parent give a kid a sling shot to torture an animal?? People never cease to amaze me..

Trap the cat.. and bring it to be put down humanely in the shelter.
Remember its NOT the cats fault..its hungry.. its trying to hunt to EAT and stay alive. Blame the loser that had a cat in the first place and didnt take care of it.