So, I need a Cat whacked....

[Darthjaye]

I know of a mouse who does "these" sort of "jobs". He used to take out cats all the time on TV..........his name was Jerry.

 

[sniffles]

I'm a little appalled that people have been discussing ways to kill the cat, even in jest. :\
It's not the cat's fault the woman is apparently an ass.

Contact animal control. Also complain to the woman's landlord. Even if there are no rules preventing her from having pets, the landlord may not be happy to hear that she's annoying her neighbors. And find something that will frighten the cat away or otherwise deter it from coming into your yard.

I doubt anyone would prosecute the woman for allowing her cat to kill protected songbirds; even if the woman was killing them herself she probably wouldn't be prosecuted. It's not worth the expense the government would have to go to. You will probably have to either find a way to deal with the cat, or learn to deal with the dead birds. Maybe move your birdfeeder to a different location.

Also, do you have positive evidence it is this cat that is killing the birds? Have you seen the cat do it? There could be other cats or predators in the neighborhood. Just a thought.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

I doubt anyone would prosecute the woman for allowing her cat to kill protected songbirds; even if the woman was killing them herself she probably wouldn't be prosecuted. It's not worth the expense the government would have to go to. You will probably have to either find a way to deal with the cat, or learn to deal with the dead birds. Maybe move your birdfeeder to a different location.

Also, do you have positive evidence it is this cat that is killing the birds? Have you seen the cat do it? There could be other cats or predators in the neighborhood. Just a thought.

Oh, the government catches you killing LOTS of songbirds (like the totals the cat has killed) they will fine you. Not jail you, but they will fine you.

As for evidence. How does seeing it with your own eyes count? I've caught killings 3 birds with my own eyes, my wife twice & seen a few more close escapes. I chase it off several times a day where it is sitting to ambush anything coming to the feeder.

This is the cat alright.

 

[sniffles]

Oh, the government catches you killing LOTS of songbirds (like the totals the cat has killed) they will fine you. Not jail you, but they will fine you.

As for evidence. How does seeing it with your own eyes count? I've caught killings 3 birds with my own eyes, my wife twice & seen a few more close escapes. I chase it off several times a day where it is sitting to ambush anything coming to the feeder.

This is the cat alright.

Bad kitty! Anyone know any good ways to teach a cat to stop hunting? I'm not a cat owner.

 

[Rel]

Bad kitty! Anyone know any good ways to teach a cat to stop hunting?

Not that I know of. Belling them makes it a lot harder but I've seen cats adapt their gait to make the bells not jingle much in order to still sneak up on their prey. The simple fact is that domesticated cats kill songbirds by the BILLIONS. It's what they do.

Brief ancecdote: I read a story once about how an environmental group protested against the placement of some of those big electric lines through a forested area on the basis that "hundreds of songbirds a year would be killed by collision with the power lines". When the power company produced some estimates showing that a similar number of birds were killed by local cats over the PAST WEEKEND, the protest fell a bit flat.

Then again, we don't seem to be running out of songbirds.

There also isn't any real shortage of cats.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Then again, we don't seem to be running out of songbirds.

There also isn't any real shortage of cats.

I DID (emphasis on DID) have a pair of Ring Necked Doves living in our backyard. They're not native to Missouri, they probablly got thier up the Mississipi Flyway & along the Missouri River.

Haven't seen them since the cat moved in.

Stray cats are decimating Hawaii's native fauna. Some rare birds might not survive.

The simple fact is that if you have a cat it is for 1 of 3 purposes:

1. Breeding/Showing. This is the high priced world of the show-cat.

2. Companion-ship. This is what most cats are kept for now-days.

3. Pest Control. Aside from rural farms, stray cats ARE the vermin now.

If you want the cat as a companion, keep it inside. (or live on enough land it's in a pretty safe location.

Next to a busy county road, on a small lot, next to a lot of neighbors that don't want cat poo/urine in their yards is NOT being a good owner.

I have recieved Confirmation from Animal Control that the kitty is a "Dead cat Walking". If they pick it up (which can happen if I trap it on my property or they respond to an anonomous tip about an unregistered feline running loose), they'll let the owner know they have it. If the owner has the cat registered & copies that its shots are up to date, they'll return it.

If it's not registered, she'll have to apply for a registration tag & pay an 'impound fee'. In order to get the Registration tag, she has to prove all its shots are up to date, if not, they'll do it for her (it won't be cheap). The cat doesn't have to be spayed/neutered (that'd tick off any breeder wouldn't it), but the Animal Control has a local vet who'll do it pretty cheap.

If she can't/won's pay for kitty's tab. It goes up for adoption, unless it's wild (this one is). If it's wild, and doesn't calm down around human interaction over 2 weeks or so.

Kitty takes a trip to the 'special room'.

I don't WANY something bad to happen to the cat. The owner is leaving me little choice. SHe won't even attempt to try to change it's behavior or work with me on some sort of compremise (say, only letting it out after I get off work & on weekends so we can shoo it off).

I can't reason with the cat.

The owner WON'T reason with me.

The city says un-registered cats NEED to be brought to their attetion to keep the stray count low.

This weekend I'll try to locate some of the products posted about keeping feral cats away.

As for telling the Landlord. One of my neighbors knows him, so I'll talk to her about what sort of guy he is.

 

[RustyHalo]

Darkfang,

i think it is clear that you have given this situation plenty of careful thought. If you have the wherewithal, by all means trap the critter. It may well be worth your while to own a live trap, because another stray cat may threaten the birds that come to your feeders in the future. Live traps are very humane.

i empathize with your frustration about the stray cat killing wild birds at your feeders. My dad loved wild birds. He wore through three copies of the Peterson Guide in his lifetime.

Rel, you stated that "we don't seem to be running out of songbirds." You are mistaken. The situation in Hawaii that Darkfang cites is only the tip of the iceberg. Numerous studies have documented the appalling decline of songbirds in the United States. One leading cause is the rising use of pesticides & herbicides among homeowners, municipalities, and agribusiness. The other leading cause is feral cats (as well as housecats that irresponsible owners let roam). Cats kill MILLIONS of songbirds each year.

Blacksilver, the notion of "karma" does not entail three-fold payback; that notion is Wiccan. There are any number of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist or Jainist ethicists who could whole-heartedly endorse Darkfang's choice of trapping a stray cat.

Wishing you well,

Halo

 

[Darthjaye]

Get yourself a nice watergun. One with some decent power and aim. Take and fill it with water and add just a teaspoon full of pepper (hot pepper sauce may work too). then wait for the cat to enter your property and let him have a full blast every now and then until he learns that going on your property produces bad things for his sense of smell and taste......Oh, and good hunting my friend.

If you really want to go D&D on it's butt, rig up a container with water over the birdfeeder area and find a life-like bird that flutters or makes movement. Rig it to the bucket full of water with the aforementioned pepper or hot sauce mix (mix however you feel but not too strong) and wach the fun begin. You'll also have a nifty little wet trail leading you to the cat.

 

[Rel]

It is now clear to me that the post-appocalyptic future will see battle to the death between the bird-watchers and the cat-fanciers. Somebody should do a d20 suppliment.

 

[Darthjaye]

Sylvester and Tweety d20?