How do you deal with stray cats?

[studor]

When I was growing up, I remember lots of farmers having a regular "extra cat" reduction session. The lucky ones were given to other farms or kids and the others ended up in a burlap bag with a rock in the creek. Getting cats "fixed" was considered a waste of money and no one could afford it. While all that seems inhumane and would probably result in charges in a lot of places now, we have people who just let their cats go feral in the city and the country. In a number of cities now, vets will spay/neutre cats for free cause they know they will just be allowed back into the alley to reproduce. The ones that get dropped in the country and adopted or killed are probably fortunate in comparison to the ones just let loose in the city. Similarly the ones in the country allowed to wander off in search of sex or food are not distinguishable from those dropped off by "city folk".
In any case a feral cat is a problem like any introduced species - if you are not going to take care of it properly by getting it spayed/neutered and feeding it or humanely dispatching it then you are no better than the one who lets it go in the first place -- JMHO

 

[JDgreen227]

Anyone who would kill a domestic animal such as a dog or cat by drowning them is one sick, twisted person. Far more humane to just give them a bullet in the head so they don't suffer.

studor...what you say in the closing line: "If you are not going to take care of it properly by getting it spayed/neutered and feeding it.....etc" well I have tried dozens of times to trap feral cats here, with almost zero success. My step mom lives in town, she feeds a dozen or more ferals and has tried to trap them, with the same lack of success I have. She says for every cat she traps, 11 are too smart and wary, and for every one she manages to trap, two more take it's place.

 

[wawajake]

Originally Posted by CrownHawg
So I guess if your neighbor decides to "target practice" with your dogs, chasing their cat on thier property, its ok? I have five outdoor cats, most were strays that wandered up, all are fixed and are part of the family. I have chased my neighbors dogs out of my yard several times, chasing MY cats. Never would I think about shooting their dogs for this. BTW, I am rural too.


Simple CrownHawg , my dog is trained to stop at my fencelines and does consistently , ..............only wish cat owners did training the same, but they figure "its only a cat" I guess.

And yes they kill hundreds of birds,

 

[MossRoad]

Anyone who would kill a domestic animal such as a dog or cat by drowning them is one sick, twisted person. Far more humane to just give them a bullet in the head so they don't suffer.
.

Its kind of an interesting subject. Most folks don't like to see animals suffer, like unwanted kittens, for example, yet not too long ago, it was common for people to drown unwanted kittens to put them out of their misery. It goes against reason to end suffering by a suffering ending, but that's what people did. Just as you can find many instance of folks here on TBN trapping animals in a live trap, then putting the live trap in a barrel of water to drown the trapped animal. Its gonna suffer for a few minutes for sure. Not very humane at all. Its all in how you view the life that you are going to take. Some people downright hate cats. Some folks actually have superstious fear of cats. A few years ago my sister was having a garage sale. There were some women there browsing through the stuff. My sister's black cat came out of the garage and walked up to these ladies. The first one saw it, screamed at the top of her lungs, ran over to the other women, the cat followed her and all of the women went marching down the driveway calling it the devil the whole way and got in their car and left. I'm faily certain had they encountered that cat with no one around, they would have done it harm. One of the most bizarre displays of human unfounded fear I have ever seen. That and people that jump on chairs when they see a mouse. Just plain irrational. :confused2:

 

[studor]

I have tried dozens of times to trap feral cats here, with almost zero success.

So let me see -- cats only catch really stupid birds but are so smart they can't be caught by people:confused3:
Maybe you should stop feeding them so they'll get smart enough to catch the birds you dislike
By the way, mother cats (like many small mammals) that cannot care for their young often commit cannibalism on the weaker ones. Feeding feral cats just repeats a cycle-- if you are not taking care of them and cannot catch them they are not "domesticated animals"

 

[Looking4new]

Leaving food out for them attracts skunks and 'coons and they eat cat food, too.

 

[Carl Bert]

aaaaaannnnnndddddd what is the argument? I'm not saying all people from NYC are bad but the city as a whole drains the crap out of the rest of what is a beautifull state. I live in the adirondacks but did do a lot of work in the city{not by choice}, and yes I do not want to be considered a "downstater" especially if "downstater" means NYC. Sorry but NYC'ers do it to themselves when they come up here {especially this time of year} and treat "upstaters" like dirt. Again This is not a personal attack on any individual, there are good people in all walks of life. I have been to many states{lower 48} and met good people, when they ask where I'm from I say NY. They say OOOOOHHHHH so you've never seen the country. I say not NYC upstate NY, then they look at me like I'm from mars. They also don't relize NY is the {or atleast was) the 3 largest US farming state. My point being is not only does NYC leave a bad taste in "upstaters" mouths but it must have also spread across the country some.........WHY?

Well after reading this post, if they are treating you like dirt, it seems it may be for very good reason. Sorry, but as you said, you did it to yourself.

 

[hchxoom]

So what exactly are you saying about city people? We come out to the country, where the GOOD people live and dump our pets? That we don't take responsibility for our own problems? The fact that you made such a statement truly defines your level of mentality. You do know where the term BACK WOODS came from, don't you? Actually, now that I think of it, you probably don't.

No disrespect to anyone else reading this, but really, if I started a thread about the ignorance in middle America, a good amount of people would be insulted. Sorry, but I just finished arguing, in another thread, with a guy that stated that he was from upstate NY, and felt it was an insult to him to be considered a downstater, as he put it, or in other words a person from NYC and its suburbs. Some people just amaze me.

I don't think anyone is suggesting there aren't good city people, its just that few of us have ever actually met one. My grandmother used to tell stories about a kindly slicker that passed through once...

Sorry, just couldnt help kyself.

 

[RandyBell]

We have 9 all rescues some are the wifes "special needs kitties". I put up one of those wire dog runs and have multiple lines on it and the cats that like to go outside have harnesses. Just clip the lines on them and they get their fill of rolling around in the grass. Just wish the neighbors would control theirs, I keep a box of straw in the wood shed if one stops by for the night.

Randy

 

[Carl Bert]

I don't think anyone is suggesting there aren't good city people, its just that few of us have ever actually met one. My grandmother used to tell stories about a kindly slicker that passed through once...

Sorry, just couldnt help kyself.

I can only assume that comments like these are because of all the inbreeding in middle America and upstate NY. Of course I'm not saying that all you backwoods country folk sleep with your relatives, it's just that I haven't actually met one yet that doesn't. Oh and just so you know, believe it or not, school really does go passed the third grade.

Sorry, I too couldn't help myself.