Rehoming Feral Cats

[Warren79]

I believe that the RSPB estimate for wildlife predation in the UK is around 78 million. That loses them quite a few votes on the cute and cuddly front

I doubt it will stop the gravy train of rehoming though?

 

[landkeeper]

Dirty barstewards of creatures , carry toxoplasmosis that can cause havoc on a eweflock and in ladies who garden too ! Shite in vegetable and flower beds, kill millions of birds every year, ramble at will day or night they are a scourge compulsory neutering should be the order of the day ,but the fluffy tiddles movement are many mores the pity

 

[John Gryphon]

Dirty barstewards of creatures , carry toxoplasmosis that can cause havoc on a ewe flock and in ladies who garden too ! Shite in vegetable and flower beds, kill millions of birds every year, ramble at will day or night they are a scourge compulsory neutering should be the order of the day ,but the fluffy tiddles movement are many mores the pity

Yes and very correct.

 

[dartmoordog]

Can’t stand the bloody things, much prefer birds……..Sorry.

 

[jer]

Very efficient killers, kill for fun like us. Could /would not keep for many moons for those reasons and where I lived. Now have been adopted by a stray, sleeps on beds, asks to go out, real dude. Plenty rabbits close to house, spring and summer brings back rabbits almost every day total killing machine.

I knew one like that when I was a kid, he more than met his match when he cornered a weasel one day, the cat didn’t stop spitting, hissing and farting for hours after.

 

[gixer1]

I’m afraid I have little to no tune for cats running about outside…for the same reasons mentioned and to be honest I see them as a lazy option as a pet, open the door, kick it out and let it do what it likes….I live in a pretty rural area and not many houses around but one of them has a habit of taking in numerous cats and they are stalking everyone’s bird feeders/tables. The owner has been asked to try and do something (bell collar etc) but she feels this would be cruel to prohibit the cats natural urges…..I am thinking about letting my dogs “natural urges” deal with the cat….I bet that’s not a popular thing if it were to happen.

I have no issue with house cats if people want to keep them but the predation habits of cats are well known - they are a nightmare for birds.

Regards,
Gixer

 

[Woodsmoke]

I’m afraid I have little to no tune for cats running about outside…

I must admit to not being the biggest fan of them. We actually have two, but we got them a few months ago solely to keep down vermin on the farm and they aren't actually allowed into the house. My wife was feeding them both dry, and wet cat food for a time, and the numbers of birds they were killing seriously had me considering shooting them both and taking another approach to vermin control. In the end I decided they were to be fed once a day with dry biscuit and that seems to keep them hungry enough to actually earn their keep and feed themselves on mice as I've noticed numbers dropping and their predation on songbirds has significantly reduced. I have no time whatsoever for them as pets

 

[VSS]

I must admit to not being the biggest fan of them. We actually have two, but we got them a few months ago solely to keep down vermin on the farm and they aren't actually allowed into the house. My wife was feeding them both dry, and wet cat food for a time, and the numbers of birds they were killing seriously had me considering shooting them both and taking another approach to vermin control. In the end I decided they were to be fed once a day with dry biscuit and that seems to keep them hungry enough to actually earn their keep and feed themselves on mice as I've noticed numbers dropping and their predation on songbirds has significantly reduced. I have no time whatsoever for them as pets

Same here.

 

[gixer1]

I forgot to mention that the lady with the cats - when approached about them said we should “shoo them” or use a water pistol to deter them…

I can tell you….It’s extremely difficult to pee into a super soaker bottle….especially when trying not to spill the peroxide already in there…

 

[gixer1]

…maybe she meant a “Walther” pistol….

 

[Muir]

Many, many years ago I worked as a Deputy Sheriff and one cold , snowy morning I got a call about an animal attack on a farm just out of town. When we got there there was a large disturbance in the snow next to the mud room of the farm house. The snow was spattered orange from the blood of the 5 year old that a 20 pound feral cat attacked. According to the mother, she heard screaming and saw the cat on the kids chest swiping it's claws across the tykes face.

The boy was gone in the ambulance when we arrived. I saw the cat in a copse of trees and put a 158 grain JHP through his middle. My partner hit it again. It ran dragging parts. The cat finally made it under a old car and laid there hissing at us. We laid down and shot it another 15 times, always avoiding the head. We dragged it out from under the car and threw it into the squad car trunk. For years, whenever I saw that boy in town I was reminded of why I don't like cats. Still don't. ~Muir

 

[alberta boy]

Growing up in the UK , I understand the British infatuation with cats , I like them myself . That being said , I have spent many years out here and that has changed my attitude towards cats somewhat . First off , cats are not allowed to roam at will here , they are house pets , period . They are an invasive species and are treated as such , any cats that are seen at large are trapped and their owners , if found , are handed a hefty fine . Any feral cat will be shot by our Natural Resources Officers , they encourage landowners to do the same . We have a large number of native carnivores that happily keep pest species under control . The damage that feral cats do to native wildlife is well documented , allowing them to prey on native species is irresponsible and , in Alberta , a chargeable offence . I do appreciate the effort to rehome unwanted pets , it's the mindset behind the need to do so that bothers me . Long story short , I like cats , as long as they're kept at home . Allowing them to roam free to reproduce and prey on native species is irresponsible . Hopefully all the above mentioned cats are spayed or neutered before being rehomed .

AB