Quoted: No need to kill them.  Be an adult and call animal control.

Sounds like our requisite "make love not war" hippy post.  In our town, we tried the "adult" approach.  Called the mayor, humane society, etc.  As it turns out, our town does not have an agreement with the local humane society, so they will not remove them, unless we pay $50 per cat out of our own pocket.  There are approximately 20-30 cats around, so do the math.  Hey simply_green, maybe you and your buddies at PETA can start a fund to donate money so people can get stray cats removed in an "adult" manner.  Honest to God truth, a town representitive asks us why we don't just shoot them.  We are smack dab in the middle of town, so shooting them isn't an option for us.  To also get rhombus's legal issues out of the way, in most areas, it is not illegal to kill stray cats.  A cat that is clearly someone's pet is another issue.

After googling and searching, a method that may work in your situation is to place a saucer of anti-freeze out, with a little tuna in the middle.  I read that works very quickly on cats.  Care must be taken to place it in an area only the cats can get it.  Obviously, if you let your own dogs/cats outside, this would likely not be an acceptable answer.

You should buy a trap. Once you trap  them take them for a long ride and drop them off somewhere else, problem gone.

Quoted: You should buy a trap. Once you trap  them take them for a long ride and drop them off somewhere else, problem gone.

Cats have excellent navigational abilities.  If they want to come back, they will come back.  You'd have to ditch one at least 20-30 miles away from where you live, and that would cost time and gas money, and they could potentially still find their way back if they wanted.  There have been stories of pet cats and dogs that were lost in excess of 500 miles from home finding their way back.  

Quoted: You should buy a trap. Once you trap  them take them for a long ride and drop them off somewhere else, problem gone.

The problem with this is the problem isn't gone, it is just shifted to someone else.  That is unless you mean something else by "long ride"-wink-wink.  Two weeks from now someone else will be posting on here that all of a sudden, they have a yard full of strays.  ...Or a year from now, hunters will be complaining of a decrease in the amount of game.  ...Or bird-watchers will complain of a decrease in birds.  From what I have read, some of the most vocal anti-catters, are the bird-watching community.  They seem to be pretty militant about them.

Shoot the damn things. Yelling at them or hollering isnt going to work but for one or 2 days. If your wife objects then tell her she can wash everything they spray on. Wont be but a day or 2 and she will be on your side

I live in a town of about 22,000 so I have to be careful when cleaning up the excess cat population. Strays will not return if you live catch them and move them a mile or so.  They are creatures of opportunity so as long as you move them to an area with a food source they will stay.  This is illegal here because you can't dump domesticated animals, try to prove that wasn't your cat you just dumped.

I have shot them with 410 and with 22long rifle, cb cap, pellet gun.  With the 410 you have to wait until there is heavy traffic so that it might sound like a back fire.  If shooting outside the confines of your house, always set the gun down and walk away after the shot.  Wait an hour or so and go retrieve your gun and SS.

A nice touch on early morning and late evening kills is to throw them in the road and run over them or at least give the appearance of road death ( as mentioned earlier in the thread).  Had a friend that used to use this method with the ones he bowkilled in his back yard.  Bow is too chancey for me, gut shoot one and he runs home with your arrow hanging out his guts, gonna be helltopay on that one.

The animal control lady told me that I should dump the possums myself and that they would take the raccoons when I happen to catch them.They like to look at the coons to see if they are sick in which case they send them for rabies test.  They will take the cats too but then there is the hassle of calling them constantly.  

Since it is illegal to dump the cats I am thinking of filling a 55 gallon drum with water and just throwing the live catch trap in when I have a cat in it. Since I have cats and like cats I havent done this yet.

As far as trapping dogs, I just use a small hog trap baited with any old cut of barbecue that may have gotten old in the freezer, this works very well and I have caught dogs that the animal control couldn't catch in my neighborhood.

The most important thing to remember when taking out the surplus animals of your neighborhood is that you can SHOOT them any way you want, you can use a SHOVEL to bury them or any other method you want, but when you SHUTUP that means don't tell anyone, not even your wife if you don't have to.

Get a pump sprayer and spray an ammonia solution around the property.  

Quoted: Quoted: No need to kill them.  Be an adult and call animal control.   Sounds like our requisite "make love not war" hippy post.

Not at all - since I already know a thing or three about making war.  

Besides PETA is just a vaguely concealed lterrorist organization.  

Maybe I was being hasty about the "adult thing" and should have remained quiet but it was late last night.  Whatever.  It seems that whenever anyone posts here about shooting animals you get this a rather large handful of people who are like "yeah! shoot them, kill them, pick em up, tie a rope around it and string it from a tree so the others can see it HA HA HA!!!" (I made that up to make a point.  Are you picking up what I am throwing down??)

If you are going kill.   Do it in the most cold blooded efficient manner as possible.   Just don't laugh and take pleasure about it like it's some big joke.

Quoted: I hear they taste just like chicken

Actually , more like hare...

Geoff

My experience is that yelling, chasing them off, or shooting them with a pellet gun (unless the injury is fatal) will just make them more careful to only come around when you are gone or asleep.

Have-a-hart or other brands of live catch traps work well.  If you are in town animal control may loan them to you.  The cat sized one costs about $30.

I bait with chicken.  I get a big pack of frozen chicken wings or or legs.  Tie to the back of the trap with wire so nothing can carry it off.  If you don't tie it in rats or some other animal small enough not to set off the trap will steel you bait.  The chicken works better after sitting out in warm weather for a few days.  I tried tuna but found that it dried out and didn't smell as strong after a day or two.  Also, ants would be attracted to the tuna a lot more than the chicken.

When you catch the offending creature you can take it to animal control, or  give it to a friend that wants a cat.  If you dump it out somewhere then someone else will have to deal with it, and you will become the jerk that your neighbors are now.

If you live far enough out that your dogs can run loose that will help but it isn't a total cure.

Another partial solution if the cats are concentrated in one area like a particular flower bed is to put out several rat traps on the ground.  Be sure to tie them in with wire or stout fishing line so the cat won't carry off the trap if it gets caught on the cat's tail.  If you put several out the cat will sometimes set off one trap which will make the cat jump and it will land on one of the others setting off a chain reaction.  The problem with this is if you have two cats alternately spraying and only one gets into the traps.  Like I said, its a partial solution.

The .22 will work great if you live where that is legal.  Your shotgun will make it easier to hit with at night (especially if you have a light mounted on it) which is when I've had most  of my cat problems.  I recommend against the old "shoot them in the guts so they will go home to die" approach.  If fluffy doesn't come home  and someone asks you could suggest it was coyotes or  a bob cat or hit by a car.  If the cat comes home gutshot after you've been complaining it will be pretty obvious who is the culpret.  Also, think about their kids seeing their pet crippled or fatally injured, and their mom and dad have to finish off their pet.

Good luck.

Quoted: No need to kill them.  Be an adult and call animal control.

Pissing up a rope is equally effective.  Animal control......

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: No need to kill them.  Be an adult and call animal control.   Sounds like our requisite "make love not war" hippy post.   Not at all - since I already know a thing or three about making war.   Besides PETA is just a vaguely concealed lterrorist organization.   Maybe I was being hasty about the "adult thing" and should have remained quiet but it was late last night.  Whatever.  It seems that whenever anyone posts here about shooting animals you get this a rather large handful of people who are like "yeah! shoot them, kill them, pick em up, tie a rope around it and string it from a tree so the others can see it HA HA HA!!!" (I made that up to make a point.  Are you picking up what I am throwing down??) If you are going kill.   Do it in the most cold blooded efficient manner as possible.   Just don't laugh and take pleasure about it like it's some big joke.

Understood and agree.  We own 1 dog and 1 cat, so I'm not being flippant about killing them for fun, but I also see first hand the damage a large pack of strays does.  Add to that I live in a rural type area where there are very little cost-effective alternatives to a lethal solution.

Quoted: First off, I have no cat. I have no problem with people who have cats. But there are cats in my nighborhood who keep coming on to my property and spraying all over the place. Front porch, back porch, all over my motorcycle and truck. The whole place smells of cat piss. I'm fed up and ready to take action. Should I load up the .22 and let em fly? What other options do I have?

Doesn't Aguila make really quiet .22 LR?

Since it is illegal to dump the cats I am thinking of filling a 55 gallon drum with water and just throwing the live catch trap in when I have a cat in it.

Unnecessarily cruel and 1 of the more agonizing ways you could go, even if it is over in a minute or so.
Label me peta or whatever, but I'd spare them somehow myself, not suggesting you keep them, but drop them off somewhere else or something, let them at least have a chance to survive somewhere else. I don't buy all this cats will come back from 10 miles way, they can, but I doubt surviving as best as possible in your area and pissing on your property is going to be much incentive to return if they can hunt elsewhere. Just make certain they're not pets, who knows maybe they are.
You could also drop them off behind a grocery store or plaza or something. I also don't buy this stray cats are the devil and a problem for society rhetoric, there's a lot bigger problems everywhere than stray cats.
I don't agree with killing things like so, but if someone did do it as a solution, no reason not to do it in the blink of an eye, excpet for taking pleasure in something else's suffering, or sheer evilness.

As I wrote, label me peta, peacenik or whatever, I'm neither, just merciful to those that aren't as fortunate as I have been and who are in no position to defend themselves, and aren't guilty of anything but living the lives they were given the only way they can.

Quoted: Doesn't Aguila make really quiet .22 LR?

Yes.


 +   = Your Solution

Colibri Rounds @ CTD

How about a little full auto fun?  Just dump 1000 BB's in the end, plug in an air hose (regulated at 30psi) and you've got 3000 rounds per minute.  Just make sure there's nothing valuable anywhere nearby.

Man, I love cats.  Got one.  Love 'em to death.  Even the prissiest breeds are killers in their heart.  Playtime to a cat means "ooh, something to fuck up!"  I like that they don't need the care of dogs, either physically or emotionally.  

That said, feral cats wandering the property aren't going to fix themselves.  

I'd say shoot 'em if the law allows.. Save the animal control guy the trip.  Wild cats aren't gonna be adopted out, and they're most likely full of disease.  To my mind at least it's more humane than drowning 'em, and more respectful than calling some wonk to cage 'em, drive 'em, and inject 'em.  The Colibris or Super Colibris might be a little light to really put their lights out, but the volume is just perfect.  I've got a Walmart special savage Mk II .22 boltgun that loooves 'em, but I'm really not sure they'd puncture a skull at any but the shortest range.

Other than that, you could whip up some hillbilly tear gas (heat up a few gallons of corn oil or whatever with a fair helping of red pepper) and spray down the yard with the stuff, see if they take the hint.  I think that'll just be a stop on the bus to shooting the fuckers though.

Sir, when I lived in Italy, being an American it was difficult to own a gun, you had to get Caribinieri permission!  My choice was a CO2 powered air rifle.  Italy is overcrowded with stray cats and they used to perch atop the fence corners of my villa.  One .177 pellet to the mid section seemed very successful at keeping them away, and other cats seemed to take notice also.  JMHO, 7zero1.

Quoted: Quoted: I hear they taste just like chicken

Actually , more like hare...

Geoff[/quote
Nope tastes like nether rabbit or bird, in soup tastes like a bad cut of beef thats on the verge of going bad, its liked overseas along with fillet of Mr. Ed in other places

Quoted: How about a little full auto fun?  Just dump 1000 BB's in the end, plug in an air hose (regulated at 30psi) and you've got 3000 rounds per minute.  Just make sure there's nothing valuable anywhere nearby. members.cox.net/3rdpig/fullautobb.jpg

How about this one?

Aguila sucks. I bought some and wasn't impressed. Get the CCI CB's and put a baby bottle nipple over the muzzle. Bingo.

What would you do like mount one of those converted freon tanks to air and mount on your back so you can go mobil?

What about a crossbow?

www.livetrap.com/

And then take to the shelter

Simple fix call the Sheriff and ask what are your rights reguarding pests that are destroying your property are. Most sheriff's offices will let you know exactly what your rights are. make sure you get the name of the officer and keep the date and time you called. Or write the sheriff a letter and get it in writing what your rights are. They'll start with the animal controll line, but press the issue and find out what your rights are. You shouldn't spend your hard earned money fixing someones irresponsabilty. Don't trap them and dump them for someone else to have to deal with.

Quoted: www.livetrap.com/shop/product_shots/cat_shots/100.jpg www.livetrap.com/ And then take to the shelter

I've got one of those for possums and cats.  A majority of those cats go to the gas chamber, I'm sure.  

Quoted: www.livetrap.com/shop/product_shots/cat_shots/100.jpg www.livetrap.com/ And then take to the shelter

Why should he have to pay $50.00 including shipping charges to deal with someones irresponsability?

Quoted: No need to kill them.  Be an adult and call animal control.

i havnt read the entire thread yet, but i have to comment on this.

calling animal control would be the CHILDISH thing to do. take care of your OWN DAMN PROBLEMS. thats what adults do!

SSS will solve stray cat problems. until the dog digs up the bones in the back yard and drags them all around the yard........

Quoted: Since it is illegal to dump the cats I am thinking of filling a 55 gallon drum with water and just throwing the live catch trap in when I have a cat in it. Unnecessarily cruel and 1 of the more agonizing ways you could go, even if it is over in a minute or so. Label me peta or whatever, but I'd spare them somehow myself, not suggesting you keep them, but drop them off somewhere else or something, let them at least have a chance to survive somewhere else. I don't buy all this cats will come back from 10 miles way, they can, but I doubt surviving as best as possible in your area and pissing on your property is going to be much incentive to return if they can hunt elsewhere. Just make certain they're not pets, who knows maybe they are. You could also drop them off behind a grocery store or plaza or something. I also don't buy this stray cats are the devil and a problem for society rhetoric, there's a lot bigger problems everywhere than stray cats. I don't agree with killing things like so, but if someone did do it as a solution, no reason not to do it in the blink of an eye, excpet for taking pleasure in something else's suffering, or sheer evilness. As I wrote, label me peta, peacenik or whatever, I'm neither, just merciful to those that aren't as fortunate as I have been and who are in no position to defend themselves, and aren't guilty of anything but living the lives they were given the only way they can.

What is more inhumane drowning quick or being taken to a living animal hell for a week and then being uthanized(spelling?)?  I know they will die if they go to the city pound and by transfering them to the other side of town I just transfer the problem.  
The drowning does seem a little mean.  Maybe I should get a big box and set the trap inside and then flood the box with Argon or Nitrogen which I have available at my shop.  Then I guess they might just drift off into the dirtnap without any stress.

For what its worth-
I noticed last year at my in-laws farm while shooting my .22s-
When you are shooting with a 22 pistol (in this case a Ruger MKII), cats will hang around. The "Pop" of the pistol doesnt seem to bother them much at all.
Break out a rifle (mines a marlin bolt action), fire one shot, and they scatter.

So, if you have a bunch to get rid of, shooting them with a 22pistol would make follow-up shots and target opportunities easier.  

it in the blink of an eye, excpet for taking pleasure in something else's suffering, or sheer evilness.

Make a cannon like the pumpkin chunking ones and use propane or other, the sudden G-force would spell a quick death along with getting rid of the carcuss. Me I'll just stick to my live trap and call A/control gives me a warm fuzzy feeling that I'm doing good

Actually what works best is, you catch them first. Stick a funnel up his ass, poor in the gun powder. Stick in about six inches of canon fuse, remove funnel. Lite it, turn him loose and enjoy.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=445324

Colibri are great.  Out of my single shot rifle, the only sound is the firing pin "click" and the sound of the slug hitting the cat target.

I did the live catch trap thing and took the cat over to the animal control people.  They complained that I didn't wait until the "shelter" opened at 11:00 a.m. to drop off the cat.  I told them I had to be at work an hour away by 10:00a.m.  They were still P.O.d to take the cat off my hands for three hours.

I said, "Okay.  No problem."  

Next time I borrowed a trap, they complained about the blood on the trap the next time I brought it back.

I said, "Okay.  No problem."

Then they complained about the fur on the side of the trap that didn't wash out.

I told them I'd just skip the trap in the future.

Fast forward to last spring.

I got home five minutes before the Shield was due to start.  Neighbor's cat, against local ordinances, was running loose.   Same cat has tormented me in the past, using my mulched flowerbed of sorts on the patio for a litterbox and eyeing my ferrets.  The neighbors had also been complaining about a cat getting on their cars in the parking lot of the condo association.  

Tonight, instead of running and crapping, he was on my neighbor's pickup truck in the parking lot trying to reach the robin's nest in the tree about four feet above the truck.  He was completely absorbed in his quest to get some chirping birds.  Hmm.  Guess we found the offender on the cars.

I go inside, grab my .22 rifle and two Colibri (the old ones).

From thirty feet with the lights off in the garage, I line up on the little bastard and "pop".  That cat let out a screech to wake the dead, jumping four feet straight up.  He came back down and I heard the metal on the roof of the truck flex on landing.  It took off running like the devil himself was after him.

It was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing my ass off.

Found out the next week that one of the old ladies of the neighborhood found the offending animal dead under some evergreens.  The old ladies "investigated" and thought it died from eating dead birds.  They put it in the owner's garage.  Unbeknownst to them, she was gone for a week and we had some unseasonably warm weather.

It was stinking to high heaven by the time she got home!

No more kitty on the cars in the parking lot problem!  And the birds grew up to live happily ever after.

;-)

One night during the fall I got to the house at about 6 pm.  It was a Friday night and there was a lot of traffic at the the intersection by my house, the cars were about 4 deep at the light not thirty feet from where I feed my cats.  Up on the little dock where I feed the cats is what looks to be a big tomcat so as I approach much to my surprise the cat turns into a big ol Raccoon.  

I rush back to the truck for a 22 beretta that I kept in the console, I fumble for it as I watch the raccoon out of one eye and the traffic with the other eye.  As the light turns green I know I must make my move to the dock where the raccoon is still gorging on the purina feast.  There will be a very short window when all the traffic is gone and the neighbor across the street will think a car has backfired.

As I approach the dock I realize that since I have long rifle cartridges, the little pistol will make a hell of a racket and I must  be careful for shot angle cause a 22 can go along way.  I decide that I must get on the dock and approach the coon and shoot down into the wood of the dock.  The basterd is so hungry he is just eating while he is watching me approach.  The cars are clearing out as I climb the stairs and I am about 6 feet from Rocky, and he starts backpedaling away.  Neighbors daughter across the street comes out of house I hear the screen door slam, I must wait now, more cars are approaching the window is closing.  Rocky backs into a corner and acts like he is going on the offensive as the neighbors daughter closes the door of her car and I let fly at about four feet into Rocky.  He runs off the dock as I pocket the pistol and turn to look from where the "car has backfired".  6 cars are at the intersection and not one of them even looks in my direction.  Never did find Rocky the Raccoon but about a week later the cats would not go under the building and people were complaining about the dead smell.  Timing is everything.

Right now , as I type this , I have a live trap sitting on my deck . I caught two this weekend
and hauled them away .   I have at least two more to go .  

        The trap was $ 35.00 , free shipping .

Quoted: Colibri are great.  Out of my single shot rifle, the only sound is the firing pin "click" and the sound of the slug hitting the cat target. I did the live catch trap thing and took the cat over to the animal control people.  They complained that I didn't wait until the "shelter" opened at 11:00 a.m. to drop off the cat.  I told them I had to be at work an hour away by 10:00a.m.  They were still P.O.d to take the cat off my hands for three hours. I said, "Okay.  No problem."   Next time I borrowed a trap, they complained about the blood on the trap the next time I brought it back. I said, "Okay.  No problem." Then they complained about the fur on the side of the trap that didn't wash out. I told them I'd just skip the trap in the future. Fast forward to last spring. I got home five minutes before the Shield was due to start.  Neighbor's cat, against local ordinances, was running loose.   Same cat has tormented me in the past, using my mulched flowerbed of sorts on the patio for a litterbox and eyeing my ferrets.  The neighbors had also been complaining about a cat getting on their cars in the parking lot of the condo association.   Tonight, instead of running and crapping, he was on my neighbor's pickup truck in the parking lot trying to reach the robin's nest in the tree about four feet above the truck.  He was completely absorbed in his quest to get some chirping birds.  Hmm.  Guess we found the offender on the cars. I go inside, grab my .22 rifle and two Colibri (the old ones). From thirty feet with the lights off in the garage, I line up on the little bastard and "pop".  That cat let out a screech to wake the dead, jumping four feet straight up.  He came back down and I heard the metal on the roof of the truck flex on landing.  It took off running like the devil himself was after him. It was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing my ass off. Found out the next week that one of the old ladies of the neighborhood found the offending animal dead under some evergreens.  The old ladies "investigated" and thought it died from eating dead birds.  They put it in the owner's garage.  Unbeknownst to them, she was gone for a week and we had some unseasonably warm weather. It was stinking to high heaven by the time she got home! No more kitty on the cars in the parking lot problem!  And the birds grew up to live happily ever after. ;-)

1 down, two to go.

Quoted: 1 down, two to go.

         Go get 'em ---------------

   I got cat  #3 last night , and #4 is sitting on the deck looking at the trap .  Nothing to this .