cats

[Ranger99]

i did check the 'pests" reference at the first.
no cat tips. btw 2 of those are inactive or deleted.


does anyone have problems with neighborhood cats
in their garden or gardening spot?
i'm trying to figure a way to keep them out of my
garden this year without having to resort to hauling
them off to the animal shelter or worse.
last year i put some rat traps out between tomatoes
and that seemed to help some. i'd like to figure
out how to make them stay on their side of the
street all the time, but i only know one way to
do that and i don't want any fights with anyone.


any ideas?

[cjclemens]

Out in the boonies where I live, we never had any "neighborhood" cats, but there used to be a good population of feral cats that came from strays that either wandered off or were dumped. They never seemed to be interested in the garden, though. I guess there were too many little rabbits and ground birds keeping them busy.

Anyway, if you have neighbors that are gonna miss the little furballs, I'd recommend a pump-up pellet rifle with only 1 or 2 pumps in it. After you leave a few welts on their hindquarters, they'll realize your garden isn't safe, and will rarely be seen there.  Some might say its animal cruelty, but I say it's tough love...and a lot better than a .22short and a shovel...

[Dee]

My mother's neighborhood is infested with cats. Regardless of time of day it is not unusual to see 8 to 10 cats and kittens when driving down her street. In her back yard , cat crap every where. City says they don't have resources to deal with it. Last year I trapped 27 cats in 31 days. Didn't even make dent. She has given up gardening. 
Cat crap carries two deseases that are hard to dianose, and one is fatal.

[cjclemens]

If cats have been abandoned or gone feral, I'm all for thinning the herd just like you would with any other varmint, but options are pretty limited in town. If I thought for a second that one might be someone's pet, I'd definitely think twice about dispatching it, but when it comes to the point where they're doing damage to your property, I'd say you're well within your rights to take action.   This is definitely a touchy subject, though. I'd hate for any of my pets to get trapped or shot for wandering onto the neighbors property. Then again, my pets know their boundaries and know not to wander...

[scootrd]

Try cat traps 



I like the Feral cats round here. We have one we call Copper (solid black with copper colored eyes) every night she worms her way into chicken coop and takes out the mice. She (I think a she, Never gets close enough for me to check out ) has never hurt one chicken. Since she started bedding down with chickens regularly I have had zero chicken loss to ermines this year. She is not domesticated, asks for nothing and has earned her keep for the warm bed under the barn heat lamps this winter 10 fold.

[SHOOTALL]

DOG  think dog ! I hear cats make wonderful dog treats . yum !
 

[Ranger99]

i used to keep dogs as pets for a
long time. the last three i had were
killed by these dope dealers and gang
types around here. i never got another
because i didn't have the heart to see
another one killed like that.
i'll probably just start back with the
conibears again. i hate to, but the
owners refuse to keep 'em up, so i'm
kind of out of options. it might not have
been so bad if they'd have spayed and
neutered some of these back when i suggested
it. getting tired of scraping up the flat ones
out of the street in front of the house too.

[SHOOTALL]

the flat ones make nice sail cats , sling um and they sail a mile .

[Ranger99]

they stink worse than the regular ones.
there's already enough problems with
the flies and fleas without testing the
feline aerodynamic qualities of those
that have had automotive reshaping.

[SHOOTALL]

I was thinking sail um back to the yard they came from ........

[Dee]

I keep my dog up so if they like their cat they'd best keep it up. Vet says if you garden without glove and have cat usin the garden a small cut or cutical on the nail can make you very sick.

[Old Syko]

Although I agree with most of the above cures, here's one to try that may work for you.  Heavily sprinkle the area they use to crap with cayene pepper while making sure the ground is loosened up well.  They tend to lick their feet to clean up along with other parts.  Turns out cats have a pretty good memory.
Tends to work well and really doesn't harm the cat too bad, although the cat may disagree at the time.

[charles p]

Five gal bucket with 220 connibear.  Cut a four inch hole in the bucket lid, attach it to baited bucket and slide the trap way back in the bucket.  Turn back of bucket to neighbors house to hide the catch.  Stake trap springs to prevent bucket from flipping or turning.  Remove cat daily.  Make several sets to speed up the removal.  Jack mackeral is a good bait.

[Ranger99]

i do that (the pepper)in the front yard where there is a woman
that has a grossly overweight dog that she "walks"
so it can poop in other folk's yards instead of her own.
when i don't catch her and the dog fertilizes for me, i
gather it in a shovel and it goes in her yard .
i've asked her nice several times not to, and several
times kinda not so nice. it's a shame her dog has to suffer
for her rudeness and thoughtlessness.

[Ranger99]

c.p. i use 160's

[Dee]

Five gal bucket with 220 connibear.  Cut a four inch hole in the bucket lid, attach it to baited bucket and slide the trap way back in the bucket.  Turn back of bucket to neighbors house to hide the catch.  Stake trap springs to prevent bucket from flipping or turning.  Remove cat daily.  Make several sets to speed up the removal.  Jack mackeral is a good bait.

I have similar method. Bait live trap wi cheap brand of sardines. When cat enters trap, place live trap with cat in fifty gallon trash can filled with water. Allow to soak for 10 minutes, remove trap, mt contents into trash bag, set trap again, and repeat process.

[blind ear]

bury the cats in a post hole and plant a tree, or tomato. scatter k9 antifreez treats along the sidewalk on your street. ear

[cjclemens]

And here I thought someone might get offended when I said shoot em with a pellet gun....what was I thinking?   

[Old Syko]

bury the cats in a post hole and plant a tree, or tomato.

Won't they tear up the roots on the new plants?   

[hunt-m-up]

Pan of antifreeze to help quench their thirst would be a great start...

[blind ear]

And here I thought someone might get offended when I said shoot em with a pellet gun....what was I thinking?   

-
cjclemens
SSS, shoot, shovel, shut up. Hear it often here. Comes from a practical raising, not from TVs bleeding heart delusions. ear

[cjclemens]

I live out in the boonies. No neighbors here to give me any grief...and no need to fool around with a shovel. I know most people here don't think twice about dispatching your usual vermin, but ya never know when ya might run into a subscriber of car fancy magazine...

[powderman]

And here I thought someone might get offended when I said shoot em with a pellet gun....what was I thinking?   

-
cjclemens
SSS, shoot, shovel, shut up. Hear it often here. Comes from a practical raising, not from TVs bleeding heart delusions. ear

 
EAR. I won't tolerate a cat around here. When I quit seeing rabbits and the birds I feed daily are real skittish I know theres another danged cat around. I keep a sgl bbl 12 ga handy and shells by the tv. Plenty of sinkholes around, don't need a shovel. POWDERMAN. 

[blind ear]

Powderman, I think we are in the same spirit there. ear

[Old Syko]

You could always just give them away.

[blind ear]

You could always just give them away.

-
You left out "to good home". ear

[powderman]

A friend of mines wifes collects every stray cat around, he hates them. Once a year she goes to Texas to visit her relatives. She makes him promise not to touch her cats. After she's well gone he takes a can or 2 of tuna, cuts holes in the top, and puts them out on the centerline of the hwy after dark. Cats go to kitty Heaven, he removes the cans before daylight and going to work. Neighbors see dead cats on the road, state comes and picks up the nice kittys. Neighbors vouch for cats hit on the road. Did I mention that I hate cats?? POWDERMAN. 

[pastorp]

You guys crack me up. This is about the funniest thread I've read in a long while. 

We don't seem to have a cat problem here on the ranch, maybe because we been having a coyote problem. But if we ever do I have plenty of remedies now. Thanks for the laugh guys.

   

[powderman]

Every time I see a dead cat on the road I say NIIIIIICCCCEEEE kitty. Gdaughter has no sense of humour. POWDERMAN. 

[Oldshooter]

Inside city limits - paint ball gun, here in the country 17 hmr, 


I don't really hate cats. It's just that when they aren't killing mice , rats and snakes , they kill rabbits, quail, doves, etc etc all of which I like  to eat.


 A feral cat will find a nest of rabbits and play with them until all are dead and walk away.   They multiply almost as fast a rabbits.


We put electric fence around garden to keep out dogs, rabbits , cats and deer.