OT CAT TROUBLE!

[gamekeeper]

I don't hate cats but I do wish they only lived in towns.
Since I moved to my new place in January, I have seen a lot of pheasants and partridges every single day. They have nested nearby and were continually found walking around the 50 acres here.
About a month ago a near neighbour brought home a fluffy tabby cat, the cat now roams around and I haven't seen a game bird anywhere near my place for two weeks.
The darn thing is a pet so I will leave it well alone, but I wish the folks who brought it here would swap it for a goldfish.

As I said in a previous post, it ain't just what they kill, it's what they scare away, birds seem to know that cats are serious predators unlike the fox, who for all his cunning does not have the stealth of a cat.

[bdhold]

if you have a barn with feed, I understand an outdoor cat.

Otherwise, outside cats are just wrong.

[Pisgah]

Roaming cats are devastating on small game populations. On my hunting land, I shoot every one I see -- even if it happens to be wearing a collar. They are, by instinct, killers. Not their fault, but if an owner is going to allow a cat to roam free they should at least be responsible enough to bell the cat and give small critters some chance of avoiding becoming some tabby's sport kill.

[3leggedturtle]

Had a Ruffed Grouse adopt me up north. For 2 years whenever i came up the driveway he would stay with 10-20 feet. 3rd year i drove up and saw a yellow tabby in the driveway. There was a pile of feathers and the was last i ever saw either of them.

[pwl44m]

Had a Ruffed Grouse adopt me up north. For 2 years whenever i came up the driveway he would stay with 10-20 feet. 3rd year i drove up and saw a yellow tabby in the driveway. There was a pile of feathers and the was last i ever saw either of them.

What happened to the Cat

[pdawg.shooter]

Nothing kills more game birds than a cat. That is why when I see one more than 1/4 mile from a farm house, I kill it. Average 3 or 4 a month.

[3leggedturtle]

Nothing kills more game birds than a cat. That is why when I see one more than 1/4 mile from a farm house, I kill it. Average 3 or 4 a month.

B4 I could pull 22 Hornet out of case he took off like a shot

[J Miller]

Here we go again. Another venue for cat haters to vent their spleens.

game keeper,
I sympathies with your situation. Just a question for you, or an idea; would it be possible to talk with fluffys owners and tell them just how dangerous it is in that area for a cat to be out roaming. In other words tell them about some dangerous cat eating predator known to be in the area. "Perhaps" they might get the hint and keep the cat home.

Sorry about my first comment, but that is what every thread about cats has turned into recently. A venue for cat haters to spew their bile.

There, I'm done.

Joe

[Chas.]

Nothing kills more game birds than a cat.

Cats are not the most devastating to game birds. Farmers who insist on sterile fence rows are.

[bdhold]

Here we go again. Another venue for cat haters to vent their spleens.

not exactly true
If you like your cat, keep it inside.

[gamekeeper]

Here we go again. Another venue for cat haters to vent their spleens.

game keeper,
I sympathies with your situation. Just a question for you, or an idea; would it be possible to talk with fluffys owners and tell them just how dangerous it is in that area for a cat to be out roaming. In other words tell them about some dangerous cat eating predator known to be in the area. "Perhaps" they might get the hint and keep the cat home.

Sorry about my first comment, but that is what every thread about cats has turned into recently. A venue for cat haters to spew their bile.

There, I'm done.

Joe

Joe, I don't think these neighbours would keep the cat indoors as they seem to only be here part time. They had a "cat flap" fitted so the cat could come and go as he pleases.
If I say anything to them about cats I know from experience that if anything happens to Kitty I will get the blame.
My observations of game bird behaviour when cats move in is based on years of rearing game and predator control. I have no problem with indoor town cats just the ones who live in the country and do more huntin' than I do.

[J Miller]

Here we go again. Another venue for cat haters to vent their spleens.

game keeper,
I sympathies with your situation. Just a question for you, or an idea; would it be possible to talk with fluffys owners and tell them just how dangerous it is in that area for a cat to be out roaming. In other words tell them about some dangerous cat eating predator known to be in the area. "Perhaps" they might get the hint and keep the cat home.

Sorry about my first comment, but that is what every thread about cats has turned into recently. A venue for cat haters to spew their bile.

There, I'm done.

Joe

Joe, I don't think these neighbours would keep the cat indoors as they seem to only be here part time. They had a "cat flap" fitted so the cat could come and go as he pleases.
If I say anything to them about cats I know from experience that if anything happens to Kitty I will get the blame.
My observations of game bird behaviour when cats move in is based on years of rearing game and predator control. I have no problem with indoor town cats just the ones who live in the country and do more huntin' than I do.

game keeper,
I understand about saying anything. I've been there and done that and usually just keep my mouth shut.

Joe

[.45colt]

Game Keeper. there is only one way to solve this. S.S.S.
Nothing will change a cat. .

[Sixgun]

It really depends on who's land the cat is roaming. While I'm not a huge cat fan, if I caught someone shooting any of my cats out in the back pasture, well, they just might get a taste of their own medicine.

Cats do what they do---they are cats. I have 7 or 8 (don't know the number--they come and go) Can't remember the last time we saw a rat in the barn. And I don't agree they "wipe out" the bird population as I can see many birds at any time out in the back yard.....but on the other hand, the back yard is where we keep the dogs and the dogs don't let the cats on their turf.

Give me a minute and I'll go check the front yard to see if there's any birds there. In the meantime I'll post my 218 Bee---affectionately know as "Mr. Cat & Fox Rifle". -------Sixgun

[gamekeeper]

Game Keeper. there is only one way to solve this. S.S.S.
Nothing will change a cat. .

When it was my job to rear game I shot every feral cat that came near my woods but several farmers had kids with pet cats and I tried to remember which ones were pets and which weren't.
I still got the blame for every cat that died of old age, auto accidents or just went missing.
S.S.S. is the solution but I'd hate to deprive a kid of it's pet.

[FWiedner]

Game Keeper. there is only one way to solve this. S.S.S.
Nothing will change a cat. .

+1

Sorry, Joe, but not everyone finds felines to be either cute or endearing.

[bigbore442001]

That is why we keep ours indoors and if they do go out they are on a leash. I know that is picture that is hard to place in the mind.

[L_Kilkenny]

Joe, I didn't see anything in this thread that was hating on cats. More than anything it was hating on gamekeepers neighbor. Please don't try to read something into it that it's not.,

I'm sure many have read that my dogs have a severe dislike for cats and IMO they are varmints when they make it to my place. Does that mean I don't like cats? Not necessarily. Kittens to me are a ball of fun and cute as any puppy that walks the earth. I do however dislike cats inside my house due to bad past experiences and think 90% of adult cats could care less if I walked the earth. It's their personality. But let's compare cats to my dogs. I let my dogs run loose much of the time. They are trained to stay at home, one better than the other. I keep track of my dogs though and religiously check on the one that is less trained and she is either in her kennel or in the house when we are not home. It's only prudent of me and the right thing to do. And if your gonna have a cat outdoors it's your responsibility to keep it at home just like I do my dogs. Unfortunately for the cats, 99.9% of cat owners don't keep track of their cats and could care less if they roam. Heck, most farm cats around here never see a vet or a shot.

Gamekeeper, I doubt that the one cat is really gonna make a big impact on your bird population unless they aren't feeding it and it's an exceptional hunter. Still, it can make an impact and don't blame you for being miffed. Good luck on your issue and may it be resolved quickly whichever road you decide to take. But the only way these owners are gonna learn to keep pets at home is to lose some pets. Sad but true.


LK

[bdhold]

I would love to have a high-bred Abyssinian or Bombay to keep as an indoor cat - problem is the $1000+ to buy one and the kennel hassle when I travel.

[smokenrust]

Cat trouble... mmm, rather see everyone get mad enough to feed coyotes n wolves some reformed wheel weights.
Had a cat and couple dogs for several years and would find them all over the place on 200 acres. Lots of pheasants and song birds around too. Then one night started to hear yipping and howling and it got worse and closer for the next bunch of years and then one evening about a month before mother died I heard that stinking pack of coyotes down in the swamp make their yipping howls and I figured that cat was demised. And it never showed up again... and the pheasant dissappeared and the hawks over head make snack of the little song birds and friggen rodents moved back onto the farmstead. I like those roaming mousetraps , just don't like them enough to make friends with to where they want to come into the house... tho I made exceptions for mother's friend, and the dawgs made exceptions for that cat too.

[OJ]

My wife is a real convincer - our next door neighbor used to let her cats roam the neighborhood - distressing my wife because they did our newly hatched birds in and even intimidated our fox friends -



So, one day when she saw one of those cats on our fence, she got the Beeman P1 Magnum pellet pistol out and plinked it on the butt. She's deadly - the cat must have been a good thirty yards away facing away from her. Knocked it off the fence and it never came back. What she hadn't known was the pellet was a pointed one - not the flat faced ones she usually used.

Turned out in a conversation with the owner neighbor her vet found the pellet under the skin - no real damage - just a reminder our yard was out of bounds for it. Neighbor's cats no longer roam - they're house cats permanently and one carries a permanent reminder.

Not only was that a good solution for the problem but, our neighbor was certain it was the neighbor on the other side of their lot that did the shooting. What could be better - problem solved without any real damage and someone else gets the blame -

Now, for these guys, the only cats they know have stripes and are stuffed with funny stuff you can't eat - and don't cause any trouble -

[wilko]

just like joe i usually keep quiet too but i have dogs wander on my property too... how would you feel if...? nuff said

[walks with gun]

I don't hate cats, but I can't stand cats roaming around where they don't belong. We had a problem with them for awhile, between people dumping them and some neighbors letting them breed like crazy and roam free. Dad and I started a clean-up program using the favorite shooter of the day or whatever your packing and now I'm starting to see grouse and woodcock again. I guess I do love stray cats after all, they give me something to hunt in the off season.

[bdhold]

just like joe i usually keep quiet too but i have dogs wander on my property too... how would you feel if...? nuff said

actually, nothing was said.
Keep up with your pets. When they are an annoyance or worse, they will be shot, and they should be. Simple.
Feral dogs are always shot, because they take down livestock.
Nobody feeds feral dogs. But people do feed feral cats, and call them kitties.

[.45colt]

I don't hate cats. I have spent the last three years trying to live with the Wifes cat.had him fixed, built him a play house, a scratching post, lots of toys.got a leash and coller.took it for very slow walks. stayed awake many nights listening to him run from one end of the house to the other looking out the windows all night. took him and got him shots so He could go outside. stayes out all night,he loves water and often comes home wet and muddy. catfights every week........, sits by our bedroom window at 3:00am and YOWULS until someone lets him in. comes in and eats and then wants back out. sleeps all day. cats come from everywhere to visit and the front porch stinks to high heaven. Lord knows what the Neighbours REALLY think.
despite haveing 3000 acres of woods to roam in He marks his territory by using the posts on the front and back porch to scratch on.... $$$.........nobody want it. the local humane society and apl is full.................I know he's just being a cat. Never again.

[OJ]

I think most negative feelings for cats - dislike - should really be directed at those cat's owners - who show no concern about letting their cats run free anywhere.

They are the ones really being irresponsible - not the dumb animals.

Most communities require dogs to be on leash or contained in yards, houses, etc - cats should be treated the same since owners don't seem inclined to take responsibility.

[bdhold]

people feeding feral cats is my biggest complaint.

People doing this are not being humane. Rather, they biologically polluting the environment

[Sarge]

For a little theraputic diversion, I suggest:

http://www.richsalter.btinternet.co.uk/

[gamekeeper]