"The problem is what to do with them" ... Feral cats

[North East]

Here's a couple I got some time ago…they weren't shot but they were disposed of.

[Gwion]

But what to do about cats??? Sure, shoot as many as you can and then some but i don't think it's possible to knock 'em all. Responsible pet ownership is a start. Stop anymore of them getting out there and destroying stuff.

There is no perfect solution. I reckon hunting has to be the cheapest, fastest, most effective one though.

Better than some of the f***ing ridiculous "alternatives" that get put out.

How about the one to capture and de-sex them before releasing them back into the wild?

Rocket scientists we've got here...

Absolutely, there is no perfect solution. Unfortunately, it all probably comes down to long term management at this stage. Shoot & trap as many as you can but in reality, for every one you get there are five more with in cooee and the problem is recruitment. No only do they breed like all get out but you get wizbang 'cat lovers' who see no harm in raising more cats than they can possibly look after and are horrified by the notion of euthanasia.

Sure, there's legislation in place in most states that i know of that dictates that pet cats should be desexed and in some places there are rule regarding the number you can keep and when they are allowed out doors (like, not at night). Too many people just don't see the issue and ignor the guide lines. This is irresponsible pet ownership.

One local lady (nice woman and i'm friendly with her and her partner) was complaining about quolls getting at her chooks. Did she have adequate housing? No. I have chooks and quolls and never lost a chook to a quoll yet (touch wood) because my housing is well and truely quoll proof. Anyway, that's a side note. This 'cat lover', in her next breath, was telling me how a 'stray' started hanging around her place eating her (3) cats' food as it was heavily pregnant. She allowed it to live in the laundry to birth it's kittens and then it disappeared again and left her to deal with "homing" the kittens. She even drove to Hobart (from Nth Tas) to deliver a kitten. In her defense, she did get them desexed. I think she has five cats now. And you can't tell her, she just doesn't listen. Lovely lady, but what a cat loving nut job!!! Murderous intent towards quolls but don't hurt poor puddy tat!??!

It's people like this that are the main problem for long term management. No matter how many you trap or shoot, people who don't want to pay for desexing or just think Moggy should be allowed to live a free and natural life keep adding a high rate of out side recruitment into the mix.

How do you fix that???

[Aussier]

They are pretty easy to trap…then just get rid of them anyway you see fit…no point wasting a bullet.

I reckon I can pull my finger faster than you can setup and clear a trap

I'll just wear the 50c, for the good of the country!

[tom604]

Shooting - wont get them all (as fun as it is)

1080 - wont get them all and you get a lot of extra kills

Trapping - wont get them all and is labour intensive and costly, would have to hire a full time trapper(pick me)

All three - wont get them all

Class all cats as feral,tame, wild, show cats, all of them? wont see the light of day

[North East]

They are pretty easy to trap…then just get rid of them anyway you see fit…no point wasting a bullet.

I reckon I can pull my finger faster than you can setup and clear a trap

I'll just wear the 50c, for the good of the country!

Give them swimming lessons and the traps are cleared pretty quickly…easy to set up again with a few anchovies. I'm not setting my .30-06 off in a cage…it will probably be destroyed and the bullets could go anywhere.

[Die Judicii]

When they step off the verandah,,,,,,,,,, they're FERAL.

Neighbours cats make good hats.

Hey there bigfellah,,,,,,,, that black one half way down your pics didnt happen to be a Texas Heart shot by any chance ???

[Combat_Wombat]

Let me live in the kimberlies with a swag, a 10/22 and a shipping container full of ammo. Won't get them all but I'll have a great time trying

[bigfellascott]

When they step off the verandah,,,,,,,,,, they're FERAL.

Neighbours cats make good hats.

Hey there bigfellah,,,,,,,, that black one half way down your pics didnt happen to be a Texas Heart shot by any chance ???

Yeah he was on the run about 80-90m out and stayed in one of the furrows a few seconds longer than he should have! that problem was soon fixed with a 55gn Sierra Super Roo from the 22-250 up his freckle, he was just jelly inside that skin! No more native killing spree for that cat!

[Die Judicii]

So thats what a REAL Jelly Belly looks like ?

[RoginaJack]

OK - Point 1 - The feral cat problem in Tassie is huge, along with other Australian states. Just look at the millions of dollars that was thrown at the Tasmanian Fox Eradication Program to save the unique wildlife BUT cats were excluded.

Point 2. Along with the eradication programs mentioned above by others, there is one other that the Government has in the arsenal - cat flu. This virus would certainly thin out the little pests BUT it would require all registered moggy owners to have their pussies vaccinated. The vet could also "fix up" the Toms and Molly's at the same time. BUT, always a "BUT" the problem being is that the "little old aged" pensioner that feeds the 27 stray cats in her backyard would whinge "that she couldn't afford to have her family vaccinated". etc. etc. So there goes that part solution.

Point 3 What government, either Local, state or Federal has run a eradication program together with a bounty system for, say 5 - 10 years. The ones I've seen have only been short term, not all that well run and ad hock - too much fragmented state stuff and no federal long term strategy, control or planning.

Why?

[North East]

Just shoot them or trap them and drown them…I don't give a stuff about ethics when cats are around.

[Westy]

Here's a novel idea just give them away

[bigfellascott]

Here's a novel idea just give them away

bloody brilliant idea!

[Combat_Wombat]

image.jpg (49.63 KiB) Viewed 2952 times

Can't find one with cats but this is gold!

[Westy]

The attachment image.jpg is no longer available

Can't find one with cats but this is gold!

I've seen the same but with a Raccoon!!!!!

[Seconds]

Point 3 What government, either Local, state or Federal has run a eradication program together with a bounty system for, say 5 - 10 years. The ones I've seen have only been short term, not all that well run and ad hock - too much fragmented state stuff and no federal long term strategy, control or planning.

And bounties are typically so small they provide little to no motivation for most.

I know they can't pay a fortune for them but on the other hand paying peanuts is all but pointless.

[RoginaJack]

Agree, Seconds and if Victoria can put on $10.00 per fox & $100.00 per dog, I can't see why the other states can't come to the party and match it. That way we would have an Australian and Tasmanian concentrated effort and not the disjointed effort we now have.

[Die Judicii]

And bounties are typically so small they provide little to no motivation for most.

I know they can't pay a fortune for them but on the other hand paying peanuts is all but pointless.

The old saying eh,,,,,, but with a twist,,,

Pay Peanuts, and they might end up with dead monkey scalps,,,,,

But the same problem would still exist,,,,,,,,, What to do with them ?

[Aussier]

"Pay peanuts, get cats"



This is going to confuse some people.