Why Can't We Have Ordinances to Control Cats? Please?

[lovin'my12chicks]

i have a cat that loves to look at the chickens! But everytime he puts his little paws on the board the run over and peck them!! They have done it so many times that hes affraid of them. He still likes to go over there, but when the chickens come running he is gone!!!!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

At night my cat likes to sleep on the windowsill in our bedroom. Every few days the neighbors cat, trying to raise hell with mine, will attempt to attack my cat an jump at her while she sleeps. Well neighbors cat hits the window with it's face everytime. Hahaha. My cat seems to have a good laugh at that.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Ah poo. I forgot to say that if cats were required to stay indoors I think we would have a mass cat-o-cide in our shelters. While some cats are fine being indoors their whole lives, others are miserable not being able to do cat stuff. A miserable cat is a pain in the arse cat. Peeing, chewing, clawing.

I think a cat should be the least of your worries. It should be a lesson. If a cat can accidentally et in your pen then your chickens are goners anyway

 

[Mattemma]

I just had a cat in the yard yesterday.It climbed over my 6 foot chainlink fence when I went outside with the kids. I no longer chase off the cats since they will come back anyway. I try to catch them and take them away.It takes patience but eventually you will get them,and you can take them somewhere.

Cats should be in an enclosed cat run.If they are roaming they are fair game for every predator,car,or poison they might encounter.

 

[Barn Maid Ann]

Interesting thread. While some of the replies are a bit over the top, I for one, never considered a cat as a predator. I suppose if you have free ranging broods, you could lose very young chicks occasionally. My brooding hens would never let a cat come close, but sometimes even the best of moms can become distracted. My cat and my chickens/guineas free range. They are all known to hang out together in the barnyard. I think they may have a 'co-hunting' system going on, actually. The cat catches and partially eats a mouse, the chickens finish it off...

And I have lost both birds and cats to coyotes, and possibly fisher cats. The domestic cat is the least of my worries as far as predators go!

But I do think that trapping the cat is a good idea. I don't think taking it to the pound is necessary, and would even consider it an extremely cruel act, for both owner and kitty. The act of trapping it alone would likely be enough, but adding some commotion and drama just before and during release would likely send it away for good. (like they do to bears to keep them from coming back into neighborhoods, etc) Let it go, and chase it while hollering, banging pots and pans, or better yet, shooting off fireworks or a cap gun (if legal). You likely will never see it again!

 

[DvanderSlik]

Quote:
Thank you from a shelter worker! Yes, it would be a CAT-astrophy if every free-roaming cat was brought into the shelter. TNR (trap-neuter-release) is the best resolve. It's important to always remember that your chicken coop should not be designed to keep your chickens in... but everything else out!

 

[nurse_turtle]

Also, the water hose on blast works well too. Have it already turned on and ready. When you see the cats near your chickens....cat wash!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i truly appreciate all the comments and input. i've been meaning to fix that roof for a while, but a serious leg injury has had me down for about three weeks. i thought all my pens were daytime predator safe, which means basically cats and hawks. i guess i was wrong. All my coops are day and nighttime predator secure - thank goodness.

i have tried shooting the cats with a water hose. But honestly, i'm not fast enough. By the time i get out there and start up the hose, they scoot off. i love the idea of skunk musk! That would be a lovely surprise, wouldn't it?

 

[aprophet]

most cats free roaming kill about 3 songbirds a day that does not account for small mammals they kill in addition to the birds

http://www.fws.gov/birds/mortality-fact-sheet.pdf

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0907_040907_feralcats.html

http://www.wmsmn.com/facts/animals/feralcat.html

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i spoke too soon when i said none of my hens were injured this morning. While i was out several hours ago, securing the roof panels, i noticed something wrong with one of the chicken's beaks. Poor Veronica has a broken top beak. It is pulled up from her nose to the end and bloody underneath. Obviously caused from running into the hardware cloth trying desperately to get away from my neighbor's cat.

i went to my neighbor's house to tell them. Although both cars were there and they were obviously home, no one answered the door. i have Veronica inside now, with her cage covered, and soft food and water available. She is going to the vet tomorrow and my neighbors are paying for it, whether they like it or not.

i am beyond infuriated. These idiots have cost me enough money, effort, and aggravation. Now i have an injured bird who is suffering. This is really the last straw.