Feral Cats ... talking wild mean and knarly felines !!

[BenjiHunter]

If you have a cat, put a collar on it. One without a collar is concidered feral by many since you can't tell the difference.

[hoagy]

i agree with several opinions here... mine own is that feral cats like wild dogs need to be controlled.  i have neighbors that are self proclaimed tree huggers and liberally leave feed out for the strays.  this is a very noble idea but it in turn creates multiple kitties that have to be caught and then sent to the local shelter, which ours charges you to take them, and then kept till adopted but, in truth, are eventually euthanized.  it also feeds any coons and opossums and their numbers rise.   i used to have several rabbits and i suspect the cats are keeping their numbers down. the males travel around spraying every flower pot and garden in the spring.  i keep white doves and have had both cats and coons get into the loft and kill birds.  yes, i have trapped them but i have also shot some which would not trap...they are smart.  yes, i have shot them with a pellet gun. BUT,  i would not post the kill here or its picture, nor would i take a picture due to offending someone.  i have had good cats in the past and they do have their place.  the only thing i have against many of them is that they are too much like my sweet, sweet, sweet,  did i say sweet ?, wife, in that they only want petted when they want it...lol!

[jimmie lee]

I used to have a cat who I would let run the neighborhood w/out being neutered. One day he came up missing and I didn't see him for 2 1/2 weeks until he dragged himself home and I found he had been shot with a shotgun. 14 bb shot were removed as was his tail and he was sewn up by my Vet but succumbed to infection. At first I was heartbroken and outraged that someone would do that to any cat but later came to realize I was responsible for what became of him as I failed to take responsibility to have him fixed. I learned a valuable lesson over that incident and now have my cats spayed and neutered even though they are indoor kitties.

On the subject of feral cats...I spent lots of money 2 years ago live trapping and caught and turned in 14 cats to the local SPCA. Those cats were back in my neighbor hood a month later. Come to find out one of my neighbors worked at the SPCA and they spayed and neutered these cats and that neighbor brought them all back. They continue to bring in more cats that are not fixed and some have gone feral and spray my bushes and doors, they have huge heads, big necks and shoulders and use my property as a courting/battle ground. People can be exasperating. Mostly I just try to ignore them and refuse to trap them again; that was a three month ordeal the last time. Sometimes a person has to do things themselves to get the results hoped for. Most folks associate cats and dogs as extended members of their family and feral is a fine line that fades to blurry on either side of center so it does become a very touchy subject for discussion. I guess Shhhhh is the word on feral.

[slothart]

Cats are an invasive species that are considerably more destructive than HOSPs, starlings, pigeons, etc... Cats occupy a spot on the list of the top 100 worst invasive species globally for good reason (http://www.issg.org/database/species/search.asp?st=100ss), right along with Starlings, rats, nutria, etc. 

Personally, I have no interest in posting pictures of pesting results of any species (and I would be extremely hesitant to shoot a cat for the simple reason that I like them as pet animals and would try to verify that it is not a house cat that managed a short lived escape from his home), but I have no problem with others that choose to post their pesting pictures as long as the poster is not violating any laws in killing the invasive/pest. A member posting pictures of a killed, pest cat should be extended the same respect and protection by moderators/members that other members posting pesting pictures enjoy.

[makenzie71]

...but later came to realize I was responsible for what became of him...

Two faults at play, though.  You were ultimately responsible for the animal's well being, but there's some (PM me if you would to know verbatim what I think of this type of person) out there who owns a firearm without the competency to operate it properly.  I would have been compelled to find the person to "talk to him"...though not about having shot the cat.

[Furseeker]

I'm agree with Jeff on this matter, we all know things happen the don't warrent discussion.

[aznboi3644]

Feral is Feral...and a wild cat is nothing like a house cat (pet).

I have my own opinion and I'd take that shot any day...IF the cat was a nuisance.  Skin it and salt it like I do squirrels.

[Motorhead]

Peace and Love guys ....
Was a question that comes from a heavy heart, love my cats, protect them with extreme prejudice ..... we do what we have to do ... Nuf said.

[George]

Feral cats raise havoc on ground nesting birds like quail,pheasants etc. I agree with the Nomadic Pirate. I was born and raised on the Island of Kauai and seen first hand the damage feral cats cause. ENOUGH SAID....

[mustangmike]

I'm a cat person and while I don't like the idea of shooting a cat weither its a feral cat or a a wild big cat. Id say try any and all attempts at trapping and have animal control take them. If you see one that is showing clear signs of rabbis then by all means put it down. Its the right thing to do to end the suffering..

Btw guys my cat sumo was born to a hard core feral mother and once he is used to you being around he is the biggest sweet heart ever. I pulled him and 3 other kittens out of my friends wall. 1 was hardcore feral and sumo and 1 other were the nicest ones. The other one's attitude was based off which kittens he was around. Around sumo and the female he was nice lovey. Around the feral one he was acting feral. So point is you don't how feral each one is, one could have just been throwin out by a pos owner but could very easly be adopted out..

[aack73]

somethings are better left unsaid. SSS that's good one.  could also be considered TMI

[RatRacer]

If it's not hangin' on your lap, pooping in my yard and digging through my trash, then it gets treated like a 'coon. SSS

[Rescue35]

I like the SSS idea. ...
 I asked the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife about the feral cats that are destroying property, and whether their extermination was legal. Of course, it isn't.

As it will do no good to the hunting community in general I agree...SSS. All it does is stir up the people who love all things fluffy.

Fortunately I live in a state (and town) that respects my right to protect my property. Of course I take that responsibility very seriously and do my best to humanly remove any problem animal. Including spending my money to purchase a live trap.

[Iron]

Ok, i haven't read the hunting gate in ages so excuse me for asking this silly question...what does SSS stand for?  haha i'm sitting here going nuts and i can't make the code..

and to add a little, I was one who brought this topic up a year or more ago..I got several pm's telling me it was a bad subject so i left it at that, and never discussed how i handle it again.

[Mo.sniper342]

they are a huge problem and issue around the area of my farm. We have always had a few around now we have a nieghbor who turns adults loose in his barn and they just run away to our place and take up resisence in our brush piles we set up for the wildlife. He wants em for his barn but getting 5or6 toms that are a  few months old and not neutering them  just turning loose is not the answer to his problems.

[Rescue35]

...what does SSS stand for?

Shoot
Shovel
Shut Up

[Luis]

...what does SSS stand for?

Shoot
Shovel
Shut Up

Haha, that sounds like good advice. I like that.

[Mebits]

No matter what, make absolutely sure you're ACTUALLY dealing with ferals. And that's all I have to say about that.

M

[xschug3]

Mebits said it. The argument is not whether or not to shoot cats it's whether or not to shoot feral cats. It's clear feral cats pose many problems (already stated above), but the key is to not shoot the "feral" cat the first time you see it. If it's feral, you should see it more than a couple times. It'll likely hang around and get into the same trouble consistently. One needs to confirm the cat is feral before shooting it.....once that's defined, then by all means SSS.
Noone's pet cat should get shot by a pellet gun, that's a fact.

[Supaflee]

I`m like a lot of you Dudes . I'm saying nothin.
  However I do know that people that keep cats as pets other than for breeding , which are not denutted or neuttered annoy me .
  Feral cats have all but depleted our native bird population in several areas here in NZ and they have been eradicated using a very effective program.
   Even a pet cat turn's into Nana's little bird killing cat at sundown. They dont even eat the prey, they just torment it to death and when it doesnt go anymore they move on to the next thing to kill .
 There , I said I wasnt going to say anything .Here kitty , kitty , BOOM , sounds good to me for feral cats .