Tipis and Mice cont.

[Woodland Girl]

No shooting cats! They are one of Gods creatures too. Why if you feel free to shoot a cat, then you are capable of shooting anything someone else may love and that includes people.

I still have nightmares of the time my stupid brother decided to shoot a cat in a bag, except the damn bag kept moving as he continued to dump loads into it! HELLO?!!!

No shooting cats unless you intend to eat the meat otherwise it's just another senseless killing by a selfish person!

[Smackdaddyj]

Except that cats are highly overpopulated almost everywhere in the US and that killing them will aid animal control people in keeping the numbers down. I am not out to kill cats or torture them, but if there are strays in my area, I will probably do myself a favor and wack them. If I owned a farm, however, (in the plans for the future), I would have a few cats around to keep the rodent population down. At the same time, if the cat population grew too large, I would assist with cat control. They can be useful, but certainly, killing one is no more a symbol of being able to kill a human than killing any animal hunting is. It is the torture and mutilation of animals that indicates that people may be prone to human violence. Please excuse the ranting.

Smackdaddyj

[Woodland Girl]

The problem with cat overpopulation stems in part from people not spaying or neutering their animals. If one is to take on the responsibility to own an animal, that one must also accept the responsibilities that go along with such. If the animals are properly spayed and neutered then overpopulation is a moot point. My 2 cents on the matter. I too am prone to a rant every now and again if I believe in the topic.

[shu]

I have to disagree with you WG... domestic cats have no place in the wild (unless they are on a leash). Unsupervised & feral cats take an enormous toll on wildlife--I have watched the neighborhood cats wreak havoc on songbirds and bunnies as well as stalk pheasants and squirrels. Even declawed and well-fed they are capable and willing killers.

There is also the question of being a good neighbor--most folks don't want stray cats chewing up their flower beds, using their fence as a scratching post, or setting up a "scent station" in their vegetable gardens. Ooh, and being woken up in the middle of the night by the 'caterwauling' of a cat in heat is always nice, too.

If you love your pets, keep them safe--inside or by your side. Would you put your kids out at night?

[jimd]

And how do you tell if its a stray? Most people that have outdoor cats, give them breakaway collars to keep them from hanging up on something and gettting strangled. So you cant go by the 'look for a tag' theory.

IMO Letting your personal cat population get out of control by not getting your animals fixed is not a good reason to risk killing my pet. IMO

Not trying to start any fights just giving my two cents. I personally keep my cat inside because of this issue. Cat hunting is being proposed in WI. I can protect my cat, most of the time..... But I do worry about if/when he finds a way to get outside.
There was a story in the paper the other day, take a look at it:
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/du...s/11419531.htm

I can understand the population argument, but its a different story when its your pet at risk.

[shu]

Getting your pet fixed is not the answer--unless this somehow negates their desire to hunt, roam the neighborhood, etc.

jimd, it is not a cat 'hunt' per se but an animal control measure. My guess is your cat stands less chance of being shot if you live in town, but I know a lot of folks who are putting traps in their yard after getting tired of finding bits of songbird on their porch and cat crap in their tomatoes....

[jimd]

Semantics, call it what you want, if it ends with my cat at risk, I am unthrilled.

They are predators...... Isnt this the same argument people used to justify killing the mountain lions, timber wolves, etc ?

Frankly, I couldnt care less about songbirds, so my opinion is bias. The cat crap in the garden....well.. I gotta sympathize with that. But, I keep coming back to 'its a different story when its your pet at risk' I work with a guy who wants to hunt cats. Ask him how he would feel if it were a proposed 'dog control measure' and watch his attitude change.
Bottom line is, there are other ways, there is no need to open the gates and let anyone with a .22 decide if my cat is feral, or just snuck out of my basement.

BTW shu, I am still lauging at what you said on the bear/attitude thread [img]/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[ingenare]

I have experience with another aspect of this cat issue. I grew up on a farm a few miles outside of a moderate sized town and many times it seems people would simple drive out to the country and dump their unwanted house cats. Often it seems that they would come in groups of kittens who had just outgrown "Being Cute". I guess people just think that cats in the country live wonderful little farm life, and they feel better dumping them than taking them to the local animal shelter. Some sort of false semtementality. Then they get upset that the farmer might not want 20 cats hanging around his home wanting to be fed like they are used to. I've had alot of pet cats as a kid, and I've had to shoot a fair number of cats as well. I get upset with the people who dump their extra cats and then get upset when the rural folks shoot them.

[Bushcraft]

While your cat is being spayed or neutered, have the vet install a large blaze orange colostomy bag (with an integrated catheter) and your cat should be able to roam safely beyond the confines of your property. [img]/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[Kevin B]

jim

Out here a woman with a dog that was roaming her neighborhood, she just got put in JAIL. I'm not kidding, she's in jail for her dog not being on her property or on a leash, it was the 3rd time. Think that'd happen if your cat crapped in my yard three times?

There should be NO consideration given cats in this same regard. I really don't care who owns what kind of animal. But your rights as an animal owner should end at your property line unless you are tending to them at the time. I can't tell you how tired I am of having every flower, garden and otherwise growing bed at my home used as a cat toilet. My dog doesn't s*$t in your (meaning anyone's) yard so why in hell are cats given a pass?

Should they be shot for it? We can debate. But if cats really aren't your pet but just a visitor to your house for food whilste making he neighborhood their environment, I have little concern of the outcomes for your cat.

If dogs were eating/preying on native wildlife in the same fashion as cats and if their numbers where concerning and if they were stray... I'd say the same thing bout shooting them. I'm equal oportunity in cleaning up situations that people have put wrong.

Really, in the end the answer is simple. Don't want your pet dying of lead poisoning KEEP THEM ON YOUR PROPERTY.

Seems simple nuff, no?