Damn cats

[Wapiti]

Been chasing this cat for a week now, tried with the clip-on thermal and going out at all hours of the night.
Only saw a fleeting glimpse of it in the fog, prowling around the chook house, using the monocular, and the torch on the 22.
I think it was living under the steel in my steelyard.
As is part of effective controls, trapping is also very usually the way it ends. But the .22 is still needed to ensure a humane end.

Anyway, it was a female and looks like it's feeding kittens. I hope they don't suffer too much without mum, but what can I do. It's not the feral animals fault it was born and is trying to live, but they must be controlled and doing so humanely is the way to go. Nobody gets pleasure out of killing an animal.
I will listen for them mewing. If they are there I will find them this way.
Now, if there's kittens, there's a Tom. There's always more.

Keep reminding the naive greenies all around you at every opportunity, how else do we solve these problems, because how else can our beautiful native animals and birds being routinely killed be resolved humanely without firearms?

[Finniss]

Might be worth resetting trap with mum still in as a lure, the kittens may go in if they are old enough to be mobile. I've had good results the other way around.

[Wapiti]

Good tip mate, I'm going to do that.

What do you recommend/use for a trap lure?
I use those little cans of tuna cat-food, they really are irresistible to most cats and the smell brings them in. All except for the big Toms though, I find that they are very aware of a trap.

[Finniss]

Mostly used tuna as well. I drop a few small bits at entrance and sometimes a couple of bits on the cage floor. Figure they get some confidence getting a feed with wire under foot then go to the bigger feed at the back..

might pay to squirt some urine out of mum in the trap too. could attract the tom.

3 times have had multiple cats in trap at once using their previously caught family member as bait.

[animalpest]

Assuming the kittens are old enough to venture outside and take solid food, cat food or sardines are fine. Alternatively you wait until they are before removing mum unless you can get at the kittens.

[Bugman]

Yep. Some of those felines can be very cunning. A mate did a lot of trapping, around factories, industrial areas etc and found that
skinned leatherjackets worked a treat. Then again if the critters are hungry, they will probably have a go at any type of food.

[bigrich]

the CSIRO brought out a report probably about 40 years ago detailing how most of our rare wildlife was made extinct by feral cats and foxes . 33 species gone at the time it was written if i remember correctly. i bring this up with anyone i meet who takes a anti-hunting stance . i actually don't mind cats , but any i see out bush are history if i get the chance .

[Wapiti]

If I lived in the 'burbs, I'd have a cat trap going too.
I'm pretty sure that city cat owners can't allow their animals to roam and kill stuff.

I have tiny blue wrens coming in for a feed here all the time, and they are fair game for cats. So for me, they rate with dogs as shoot on sight.
That's if I can get the rifle from the locked safe, unlock the ammo stash, grab the right bolt, put the meccano set together before it buggers off. There's been many a feral disappear around here because laws meant for suburbia can't be flexible for out here.

[Wapiti]

On the kittens, many a time I've just sat in the steel yard quietly in an afternoon after trapping the mother cat. Tiny kittens will start mewing for sure after mums been despatched that morning. If they are older, yeah I'll reset the trap because they are usually quiet then. At least what I've seen.
Even though cats are destructive, I still try to minimise any distress or suffering from the young if I can help it, animals just do what nature programmed them to do.

[bigrich]

If I lived in the 'burbs, I'd have a cat trap going too.
I'm pretty sure that city cat owners can't allow their animals to roam and kill stuff.

I have tiny blue wrens coming in for a feed here all the time, and they are fair game for cats. So for me, they rate with dogs as shoot on sight.
That's if I can get the rifle from the locked safe, unlock the ammo stash, grab the right bolt, put the meccano set together before it buggers off. There's been many a feral disappear around here because laws meant for suburbia can't be flexible for out here.

night time curfew for cats in the 'burb's . i gotta cat next door that gets the occasional mina bird or top knot pigeon . i've been hand feeding my local magpies for the last 20 years . with each new brood the young ones have no fear of me and come into my house to hassle me for a feed if i leave a screen open

but by christ if a local cat takes one out , it's on !

[Bugman]

I have had cats for most of my life and all have been indoor cats...no outside adventures. hence very little problems.

[Bugman]

True story. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent (me).
Had a woman renting a place a couple of doors up from me. She had a cat, we will call Tiddles. Well Tiddles was allowed out to roam free, piss on my front patio (could be a message there), and especially at night. I often found dead lizards, birds etc on my property.
I set ye olde cat trap and after one setting, caught the critter.
Took Tiddles to the local vet to see if it was micro chipped. Yep. Sure was. I told him the story so he let me take the cat back to it's owner.
This woman (who had the face like a robbers dog and a personality to match) verbally got stuck into me. I was going to be reported to the RSPCA, the cat protection society etc etc. I hurriedly left the property.
Well Tiddles went awol (again.) Trap set. Tiddles caught...(again.) Took it to the same vet who kept it and contacted the owner, himself.
Owner had to pay a collection fee. (tough titties). She left a nasty letter in my mailbox. I became "chinese" as it was addressed to:
YOU C%&T.
Well Tiddles was back after a few days, so trap set (again) and Tiddles was caught (again).............so this time I took the cat to the RSPCA and after a lengthy explanation to them, they decided to keep it.
This happened about 15 years ago and to date I have not seen Tiddles again. The women up the road moved and apparently, the neighbourhood rejoiced.
THE END.

[bigrich]

True story. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent (me).
Had a woman renting a place a couple of doors up from me. She had a cat, we will call Tiddles. Well Tiddles was allowed out to roam free, piss on my front patio (could be a message there), and especially at night. I often found dead lizards, birds etc on my property.
I set ye olde cat trap and after one setting, caught the critter.
Took Tiddles to the local vet to see if it was micro chipped. Yep. Sure was. I told him the story so he let me take the cat back to it's owner.
This woman (who had the face like a robbers dog and a personality to match) verbally got stuck into me. I was going to be reported to the RSPCA, the cat protection society etc etc. I hurriedly left the property.
Well Tiddles went awol (again.) Trap set. Tiddles caught...(again.) Took it to the same vet who kept it and contacted the owner, himself.
Owner had to pay a collection fee. (tough titties). She left a nasty letter in my mailbox. I became "chinese" as it was addressed to:
YOU C%&T.
Well Tiddles was back after a few days, so trap set (again) and Tiddles was caught (again).............so this time I took the cat to the RSPCA and after a lengthy explanation to them, they decided to keep it.
This happened about 15 years ago and to date I have not seen Tiddles again. The women up the road moved and apparently, the neighbourhood rejoiced.
THE END.

i reckon they should have a fit and proper person test for pet owners . my own sister treated her animals more as property than sentient beings , and was irresponsible like the tale you told . and of coarse it was all the other peoples fault .....

[Blr243]

Good ethics u have wapiti

[Oldbloke]

Cats I hate them. Forever s**ting in my garden. Suburban so, can't shoot them. Oh I wish.

[Wapiti]

Good ethics u have wapiti

Thanks, appreciate that.
I'm different, I know. On this though, after breeding many different animals for so long and trying to keep them alive from all challenges, it's made me so with everything. Nothing asks to be born and be what it is, or what it's programming is.
I hate killing things, would rather not have to. But that's not reality. So it alienates me from many.