Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As many of you know I have set up my whole property to cater to reptiles. Since the description of this forum is field collection and studies and a good share of my study subjects ends up living on my land I felt it right to ask this question here. I have a major feral cat problem and well to make a long story short I want to trap them and take them all to the pound. I have consulted the local animal control, humane society and shelter and non of them will help and they tell me it is agents. the law to shoot them “like I would like to do” The do however tell me they will take them if I trap them however they have no want for feral cats in our County so they are immediately put to sleep when they are dropped off. I know who owns several of the cats and they are not cared for and they don’t care to try and work with me by getting the cats fixed and what not. On occasion they have actually contacted me to shoot cats they may have that are ill as they can not afford to take them to the vet “I have declined every time” Is there another way to go about this “here in Amador County California”? I feel I am at the last resort here but I am not willing to go through another summer of watching cats carry away my released snakes and lizards. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

I would tell the owners they need to deal with it or you will. Including paying for damages. If that does not work a nice terrier of some type would be happy to take care of the cats as it would be 100% legal if they wandered onto your property. If all else fails don't waste money on ammo. Just used a havahart trap and drop it into a garbage can filled with water. LOL.

I unfortunately witnessed some cubans drown a cat when I was a kid, I tried to save it but couldnt because I was afraid of the gators in the area. Your insensitive post about drowning them is sick, especially when you put LOL after it! Drown yourself instead, the world has enough sick people in it already.
To the person with the cat problem, get a dog, you will never see a cat around again. Or get some predator urine, feral cats are prey items to ALOT of animals, Ive seen coyotes get more than one... I KNOW feral cats do ALOT of damage, to migratory birds every year, local fauna etc... they are a problem, if need be they can be HUMANELY taken out, drowning anything is NOT HUMANE. Laughing about it is downright disturbing to see on this site.

I love cats but hate the feral ones..They beat up mine, spread disease and are just a general nuisance..I have to agree that drowning is cruel. Just trap them and find a pound that will take them or let them go somewhere else out in the country(or perhaps let them all go at the pound and see how they deal with feral cats..You might write a letter to the editor of your local paper and address the issue and see if someone can help you find a solution.I would think that getting a dog would scare away the snakes, lizards and cats so that might not be a good option..
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lateralis said> "Your insensitive post about drowning them is sick, especially when you put LOL after it! Drown yourself instead,"

Lighten up and drop the attitude. The lol was because it was a joke. It is not something i would do either. You don't know me so i don't appreciate the comments.

granted I should not have such thin skin, but I still dont see the joke in drowning something?

Again, you need to lighten up and take the starch out of your shirt. You don't know me so you feel it's not ok to joke. If you did know me which many people do going way back, you would just drop it. But with that said. The person does have a serious problem with the cats. Trapping them is certainly an answer to the problem. But guess what is going to happen to the cats when they are brought to the shelter. Thant's right. Gonzo, death, the hot needle. they are not going to try to find homes for wild cats. If you have the ultimate solution then you need to help out. But your waisting more time getting on me than you are with helping him out.

..it is what they do for feeder mice. The animal shelter (pound) here at least, uses a compression chamber, ewww! I believe it was Minnisota that has recently passed a law allowing the shooting of feral cats. Many migratory birds are extinct or nearly extinct from feral cats in places like Central Park.
Feel sorry for the cats if you want but drowning is also a very humane method of euthinism.

>>..it is what they do for feeder mice. The animal shelter (pound) here at least, uses a compression chamber, ewww! I believe it was Minnisota that has recently passed a law allowing the shooting of feral cats. Many migratory birds are extinct or nearly extinct from feral cats in places like Central Park.

Wisconsin legislators were considering such a law a week ago. I haven't heard whether it passed.

>> Feel sorry for the cats if you want but drowning is also a very humane method of euthinism.

I'd like you to take a minute or two to defend that position!

peace
terry

Firstly I wasnt getting on you again, I simply said I dont see the "joke" in drowning an animal. It is not humane, have you ever seen someone drown? Ever seen a cat drown? Ive seen both UNFORTUNATELY and neither party looked to be going in a humane fashion or very peacefully for that matter.
I use no starch in my laundry.

drowning cats,thats some ugly s%$t,you got problems,
Jeff

I do know it is common practice among farmers to put litters of kittens in burlap sacks and drown them in a barrel of water. As disturbing as that sounds, letting them live is doing an injustice to the environment. Reminds me of people who catch carp and throw them far from the water to die. Just for the record, I am a cat lover, and have four inside cats, and I don't kill carp.

Later

MAtt

Don't confuse soft headed with being soft hearted. If you are contributing to the feral cat population it ANY way, you are as responsible destroying the thousands of native species as the feral cats, bullfrogs, brown tree snakes, and all the other non-native and introduced species are. YOU are the evil ones.

>>Don't confuse soft headed with being soft hearted. If you are contributing to the feral cat population it ANY way, you are as responsible destroying the thousands of native species as the feral cats, bullfrogs, brown tree snakes, and all the other non-native and introduced species are. YOU are the evil ones.

No, if we're going to avoid confusion, some further consideration is required: nobody here is defending feral cats. The issue is on how to kill an unwanted animal. The answer is NOT irrelevant. People who will cause an animal's slow death aren't necessarily evil, but they are thoughtless. Psychologists send up warning flags about kids who do stuff like this.

In the spirit of finding something we can agree about, how about this:

There's nothing humane about drowning rats we're going to feed to our snakes; there's nothing humane about capturing and drowning deer that need to be thinned from a wild population that's exceeding the food supply; there's nothing humane about drowning a dog that's bitten a kid. Et al.

terry

The issue is on how to kill an unwanted animal. The answer is NOT irrelevant. People who will cause an animal's slow death aren't necessarily evil, but they are thoughtless. Psychologists send up warning flags about kids who do stuff like this.

Psychologists send up warning flags about kids who do stuff like this FOR FUN (i.e. not out of necessity).

I have also heard of farmers drowning unwanted kittens. It wasn't to be mean or as a diversion; it was out of necessity (this was an anecdote about happenings occurring 50 years ago). A gunshot to the head would be more humane (as humane as dropping them off at the pound to be euthanized), but bullets cost money and water was comparatively cheap.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

>>I would tell the owners they need to deal with it or you will. Including paying for damages. If that does not work a nice terrier of some type would be happy to take care of the cats as it would be 100% legal if they wandered onto your property. If all else fails don't waste money on ammo. Just used a havahart trap and drop it into a garbage can filled with water. LOL.

I have no probs putting animals to sleep--rats for food, injured or ill snakes, or cats/dogs with terminal ailments. But there are lots of ways to accomplish that that are more humane than drowning them. I've seen some of your subsequent posts and realize you weren't serious, but some people who DON'T know you will see your post and get the sense your kidding proposal was a reasonable one. We DO have to be sensitive to what we kid about, imlho. I'd hate to see someone on a forum propose that the snakes/lizards/turtles that come on to their property be put in a bottle and the bottle filled with water and sealed, to drown them.

peace
terry

I have no probs putting animals to sleep--rats for food, injured or ill snakes, or cats/dogs with terminal ailments. But there are lots of ways to accomplish that that are more humane than drowning them. I've seen some of your subsequent posts and realize you weren't serious, but some people who DON'T know you will see your post and get the sense your kidding proposal was a reasonable one. We DO have to be sensitive to what we kid about, imlho. I'd hate to see someone on a forum propose that the snakes/lizards/turtles that come on to their property be put in a bottle and the bottle filled with water and sealed, to drown them.

Terry, you have not seen "some". It was one post so please don't make it look like i have a habit of posting this type of thing. Also, i make a corrective statement after a reply and stated that i was "joking". If you cannot accept that, well then you have to resolve that within yourself. Yes, and many people "do" know me and know what type of person i am and that i would "never" harm a cat. I own cats myself. Enough already.

Steve Wit

Buy a Hav-a-hart trap and trap them. You may even be able to borrow one from the humane society or the animal control department. After you trap the cats, what happens to them is up to you.

In doing this you would be doing a good deed. Removing feral cats from your property is good for all the critters that live there.

You might even approach the local Audubon Society and explain your situation. They might loan you the havahart traps for them. Many audubon society lands have this problem as well and I am sure they will have a solution.

I don't believe shooting them is illegal unless there is a law about discharging firearms in your area. They are vermin, and so aren't protected by any wildlife agency, in spite of what anyone else tells you. To find out exactly what the law is, just call the police and ask.
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Chris Harrison

Heck dude, why are you asking this question on the snake forum? Ask the cat forum not the snake forum. I am sure if we asked on the cat forum how to get rid of a snake, they would say shoot or drown it.

Dan

First of all lets not try to say anything bad about anyone I really appreciate all the help and this has been a long drawn out issue that must be resolved. I would be lying if I told you I had not already considered just shooting them all and putting them in the trash can. My personal opinion is I hate cats but I also understand others enjoy them. Also I have been keeping a close eye on the law noted and no it was not passed. In Minnesota you still can not shoot cats. You know I never thought of asking in the cat forum. I am sure I will get some nasty replies but I will go do that. Thanks a million

I have trapped many to be taken to the pound. Some actually were adopted. It will seem as if you are spinning your wheels unless you are agressive in that approach. Maybe more than 1 Hav-a-Hart trap at a time. They are available at Home Depot and other stores.
I too have never really had a problem with cats, but do have a problem with irresponsible pet owners!
Good luck with your dilemma.
Also you may want to check local laws as YOU may be in violation if you are releasing ANY animals into the wild.
In some states/municipalities it is illegal to release animals even the indigenous ones. You may not be doing them any favors anyway and possibly introducing a problem as well.
Get rid of the cats and I think your herp population will rebound on its own pretty well.
Be careful. No need to be cruel to any animal.
:Mark

I am not being cruel to any animals. Also if I turn them into the pound they will not be adopted. I am pretty sure I noted in my first post that the pound has told me that any feral cats turned in will be immediately put to sleep as they don’t want them around.

My reptile research and collection

I wasn't trying to imply that you were. Just said there's no need. Better that the pound euthanizes them than anyone else I suppose. There is no magic bullet here to make everyone happy.
In my case the most vocal opponents to my trapping have been otherwise responsible cat owners. They feed the ferals like they are doing them a favor, but as you mught know the cats carry all sorts of baggage including a feline "aids" sometimes. Who would want them anywhere near their beloved "clean" cats?? Basically, lazy owners whove tired of their pets or ones that have just abandoned their cats have been our problem where I work.
Good luck.
We are now having a very similar problem with Muscovy ducks. They may not prey on herps, or whatever but MAN are they a mess! People will continue to feed them and yet gripe that their cars, sidewalks and lawns are full of duck droppings.
:Mark

It would seem my aversion to cruelty has created quite a thread.
This is what I would do if I were you. Trap the cats, take them to the pound (please be sure they dont have ID).
Drop them off with the front desk. Problem Solved.
Let the HS or whatever agency that presides over your area deal with it. Thats their responsibility and they are prepared to handle it in the appropriate way.

Also, find out where the unaltered cats are coming from and you will solve the problem of future cats. Get the owners attention, have the cats fixed, altered cats dont reproduce very well. I think the HS will even do it for free considering the damage that feral cats cause to migratory birds, etc...