[cadmus]

We seem to have a growing problem with feral cats in our neighborhood. I've attempted to contact the animal control agency contracted with our county several times over the last few months with zero response. All of the attempted correspondence is documented.

I'm considering taking action myself as these animals are becoming quite a nuisance, digging in our flower beds and hanging out under our deck. Any suggestions on ridding our neighborhood of these pests? Poison? Pellet gun? Traps?

We're going to be puting in some raised garden beds this weekend and I don't want them to become a litter box for these bastards, so I need to do something quickly.

 

[jimmydean]

My cat beat the hell out of the feral cats when we moved in. The neighbor thought we had done something because about 2 months after we moved in, the feral cat problem had seemed to disappear.

I thought it was funny.

 

[Sherpa]

Target practice, duh. But with a shotgun, or those rodent exploding 22 rounds.

 

[stosh]

Put up a fence.

 

[Nick]

You really got ZERO response from animal control? Really? Nobody answers the phone over there?

Are you comfortable killing animals?
If you trap them, then what will you do?
I'd say get a dog. Don't kill the cats.

 

[TN]

pellet gun?
poison?
Aqua-net & a lighter?

 

[laura]

Have you contacted the humane society. THey will send trappers out to pick up the cats and have them fixed. They then release them again but you could suggest that you area is a very dangerous area for them, they might release them somewhere else.

 

[vtjim]

Most animal shelters/control won't do anything about cats. They consider them on the same level as squirrels and such, just another wild animal. You wouldn't call animal control if you had squirrel's nesting in your attic would you?

As far as how to get rid of them? No idea. I know someone that did everything short of killing them and it didn't get rid of them. What about a catch and release trap? Drop them off 20 miles from your house?

 

[moff_quigley]

Put up a fence.

:huh:

 

[Upgr8r]

Put up a fence.

Unless it's an electric fence, I don't see it working

 

[Arkayne]

are you allowed to kill them?

 

[kingbee]

Target practice, duh. But with a shotgun, or those rodent exploding 22 rounds.

Agreed, get some turkey or coyote loads.

A pellet gun wont be a sure thing, you are more likely to injure them than kill them.

I remember seeing some video where they set up pans of food off in the distance, and would fire cannon ball rounds at the same spot. Over the top, but did the job.

 

[stosh]

Unless it's an electric fence, I don't see it working

Have you conveyed that point to Burley?

 

[cadmus]

You really got ZERO response from animal control? Really? Nobody answers the phone over there?

Are you comfortable killing animals?
If you trap them, then what will you do?
I'd say get a dog. Don't kill the cats.

They don't answer the phone, you have to leave a message. I also attempted to contact them several times through their web form w/ a cc to myself so I could show lack of response after a few messages went unreturned.

 

[stosh]

:huh:

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202192&highlight=fence

 

[SprungShoulders]

Please don't shoot or (especially) try to poison the animals. Besides being grossly inhumane, kill-based methods of feral control have been scientifically proven time and again to be ineffective. Indeed, most times trying to eradicate a feral colony - by whatever means - creates a bigger problem than the one you started with.

Depending on where you live, look over the resources on these sites and see if you can find someone to contact for help.

http://www.alleycat.org/resources.html
http://www.saveacat.org/catlinks.html

 

[H8R]

+

 

[X3pilot]

Call nearest Korean or Chinese restaurant.

They'll be happy to pick them up! I believe in Korean and Mandarin that the word for feral cat is #7.

 

[pinkshirtphotos]

get some rubber bands, catch the guys and fix them.

 

[Sherpa]

Please don't shoot or (especially) try to poison the animals. Besides being grossly inhumane, kill-based methods of feral control have been scientifically proven time and again to be ineffective. Indeed, most times trying to eradicate a feral colony - by whatever means - creates a bigger problem than the one you started with.

Depending on where you live, look over the resources on these sites and see if you can find someone to contact for help.

http://www.alleycat.org/resources.html
http://www.saveacat.org/catlinks.html

Grow a pair. If you kill all the the cats, there won't be anymore. Plus, they're just cats, who really cares? Cats suck.

 

[cadmus]

Call nearest Korean or Chinese restaurant.

They'll be happy to pick them up! I believe in Korean and Mandarin that the word for feral cat is #7.

At first I thought my neighbors were raising them, but they have definitely passed the "tender" age.

 

[geargrrl]

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202192&highlight=fence

What part of "fences don't work for cats" don't you get?

 

[H8R]

Indeed, most times trying to eradicate a feral colony - by whatever means - creates a bigger problem than the one you started with.

Indeed. Grim problems such as:

1. A marked lack of feral cats in the neighborhood
2. Missing feral cats
3. Decreased feral cat population
4. Garden fecal matter deficit
5. Cat-less Backyard Syndrome

 

[N8 v2.0]

Indeed. Grim problems such as:

1. A marked lack of feral cats in the neighborhood
2. Missing feral cats
3. Decreased feral cat population
4. Garden fecal matter deficit
5. Cat-less Backyard Syndrome

ah fu*k it... i giggled*...




*Yeah, i'm a cat person so what of it?

 

[binary visions]

Grow a pair. If you kill all the the cats, there won't be anymore. Plus, they're just cats, who really cares? Cats suck.

Yeah, it's definitely lack of balls that causes someone to decide not to kill off a bunch of animals simply because they're inconvenient

You're a friggin' idiot.

 

[kingbee]

Indeed. Grim problems such as:

1. A marked lack of feral cats in the neighborhood
2. Missing feral cats
3. Decreased feral cat population
4. Garden fecal matter deficit
5. Cat-less Backyard Syndrome

Maybe the key is an adoption program. If everyone in the neighborhood would adopt a cat and train it, there would be no wild cats.

 

[moff_quigley]

get some rubber bands, catch the guys and fix them.

This almost made me click the "rep" button. Funny.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

Do not poison them.




It will taint the General Tsao's Chicken.

 

[Sherpa]

Yeah, it's definitely lack of balls that causes someone to decide not to kill off a bunch of animals simply because they're inconvenient

You're a friggin' idiot.

Obviously a cat person

 

[binary visions]

Obviously a cat person

Obviously just someone who can see beyond the end of his nose, to realize that the decision to not kill an inconvenient animal doesn't mean someone is a pussy.

 

[H8R]

Obviously a cat person

Grow a pair of frontal lobes.

 

[joelsman]

I say pellet gun, one you pump up, then you can choose to sting or kill.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

So when the cats are all gone will we see a post about a mouse infestation?


Seriously though, get some live traps from the Humane Society, catch them and they will spay and neuter them for you. Killing them because they are inconvenient is wrong. They are no threat to you or your livelihood. Preventing them from reproducing is the humane thing to do.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I say pellet gun, one you pump up, then you can choose to sting or kill.

I say pellet gun, one you pump up, then you can choose to sting or kill.

pellet gun, pump style, then you can chose to sting or kill, they will go away, at least if you kill them.

yOu suk at teh Intenetting?

 

[H8R]

they will go away, at least if you kill them.

So.....zombie cats will leave the area?

 

[ultraNoob]

Had that problem at work. Set a large cage trap. In 3 weeks, I caught 9 cats, 3 possums, and 1 chihuaha. Released the cats and possums near the US/Mex border. The chihuaha went back to my neighbor.

 

[Hunter]

I would be surprised if the humane society or local pet control would do anything about this, but I would continue to try to get some action or advice from them.

Cat whacking seems a bit extreme to me. Trap them and drive to some rural farm area and let them go.

Or, trap them and go this route...

 

[Jeremy R]

Obviously just someone who can see beyond the end of his nose, to realize that the decision to not kill an inconvenient animal doesn't mean someone is a pussy.

Its actually way more "pussy" for a guy to give a damn if something is disturbing his precious flower bed.
Ah, this is why I moved out of neighborhoods.
If I come home and see some asshat shooting cats with a pellet gun, I would kick his ass from one end of the street to the other, and then I would take a $hit in his flower bed.

 

[laura]

Its actually way more "pussy" for a guy to give a damn if something is disturbing his precious flower bed.
Ah, this is why I moved out of neighborhoods.
If I come home and see some asshat shooting cats with a pellet gun, I would kick his ass from end of the street to the other, and then I would take a $hit in his flower bed.

Where do you live, if not in a neighborhood. Surely you don't live in the sticks.

 

[stosh]

What part of "fences don't work for cats" don't you get?

It was a joke!