Stray Cats - Can I, should I shoot them?

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Here is how Texas sees it, straight from my textbook Texas Criminal Law and Motor Vehicles.

I suppose this would be an appropriate place for this, so here goes.

I was at a local dog park and my dog was attacked. Mya and I were walking back up an incline from the edge of the water, when a dog came running down the trail at a high rate of speed and knocked my dog through the air. Mya was stunned, she is a very shy dog (most whippets are) and was probably very scared. Anyways, at this point I should have picked up my dog and left. I didn't. The mean dog's meaner brother saw this and jumped on my dog, biting it on her hind leg, ripping the flesh cleanly. Right then my dog ran off real fast. The dog's owner had a hold of his dog, which didn't chase mine. I did chase my dog down where we had been playing. I was angry and picked her up quickly to take her to the vet.

Ended up costing ~$300 and weeks of recovery. Two weeks after this, the skin, that was threaded with stainless steel sutures, died. That caused the would to open up, smaller than originally, see this pictures. It was to heal from here. Fortunately it is barely visible now and doesnt bother her at all. The first night she cried and was very uncomfortable. She couldn't be doing better now.

Mya pictures

edit: Also, I have two fat cats that my sister left when she went to college (in the same town). I have killed two feral cats, using a 10/22 with CCI Stingers. In Goldthwaite, TX.
 
Still going

I can't believe this thread is still going.

We used to have a big old tom cat that would come around and get our females pregnant. He was the mangiest exscuse for a cat I have ever seen. One eye, half an ear, and only used three of his legs. Eventually we had male cat that the old tom and this young cat didn't get along at all. I finally got sick of all of them fighting and shot the old cat dead. I used my 10/22 and didn't even think twice about it. If an animal is a pest they are just asking to be shot.
 
stray cats

stray cat + agulia SSS = one dead cat:D .the agulia super sub sonic 60 grain bullet is one nasty round. Rips a cat almost in half depending on how you shoot it. Woodchucks aren't too fond of it either.
 
I'm a huge cat lover, my cats are like kids to me and my wife, if either of them came to harm I'd be really upset. that's why my cats stay indoors and they both have a collar and microchip.

thta said, if you want to get rid of feral cats I'd use something a little stronger than a .22, maybe a .223 or bigger.
 
Feral cats are dangerous , disease bearing, and mean as hell. They do no good for themselves or any body else.

However you should be sure that it is a feral cat and that it is trespassing on your property.

My mother also lives in a rural area on about 15 acres. Her neighbor who lives on the next 20 acres over, who also is a miserable old, fart shot her cat on far the edge of his property which borders my mother's. My mother loved that cat as much as he loved his truck which was mysteriously assasinated shortly after. It doesn't pay to piss off the neighbors.

And for the keep your animals at home crowd. Mom's cat used to lay on a fence board at the extreme edge of Jack Cass's property at least 250 to 300 yds from his home he shot the cat off the fence just to show he could Hell of a shot but uncalled for
 
Sure, Brian Setzer screwed up with that whole, Brian Setzer's Orchestra-Jump, Jive, and Wail-retro-swing thing, but do you have to kill the rest of his former bandmates too?

I mean, who didn't like Rock This Town and (She's) Sexy & 17 ?
 
When I get out of my hell-hole apartment and get some land again, my old policy goes into effect. Any animal on my property that doesn't belong dies. The only exceptions are neighbor's pets or stock that have escaped and are not causing problems.

My brothers were attacked by feral dogs once. My family has had stock and pets killed (through disease, hunting, and fighting) by both feral animals and pets allowed to roam. We've had considerable damage done to property by both ferals and wandering pets. We've also had to deal with numerous potentially diseased piles of droppings.

If you allow your pets to trespass onto and damage other's property, you are neglectful. If you don't want your precious Fluffy or Mittens whacked, keep it off my land.

Edit to add: this is my 1400th post! Yay!!!
 
Not too long ago I went to visit Littlest Meek at his college dorm. Comparing the college now versus 30 years ago I nearly wept. Thirty years ago there were bluebirds, cardinals, brown thrashers, mockingbirds, wrens, American Song Sparrows and lots of others. Now all there are is these G. D. cats lurking under every bush on campus. Four hour visit and not a single singing bird in the trees which used to be full of them.

DAMN PETAPHILES!!! May they all be cursed to return in the next life to be four inches tall and born in the middle of a cat sanctuary!

Any gun from a bb gun to a .416 Rigby is OK for feral cats!

At this point I'm almost (but not quite) agreeable with the antifreeze solution.
 
Not To Be Mean Or Critical-

but if I caught you shooting perfectly normal, healthy cats
in my neighborhood without a valid reason; I would place
you under arrest very quickly for a thing called animal
cruelty, which is a Class C Felony here in Alabama.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Ala Dan: not sure who your comment was addressed to, but I'll field it.

1. I didn't know you were a cop.

2. I don't think anyone here has advocated killing cats without a reason. Of course, you might disagree with the reasons presented, but I haven't seen anyone advocating wanton cat slaughter.
 
I tolerate the neighbors cats on my acreage because (thanks to them) I don't have a mouse problem.
 
Funny thing, we've been having a cat problem lately and my dad's been swearing a blue streak about "shooting g'dahm cats":D
 
i would agree with a 1 shot 1 kill type thing, not blowing them in half like the groundhogs in those stupid videos i have seen. maybe even trap them then behead them that would be fast and little suffering. maybe you can trap them and take them to be put down by a the county animal control for free.
 
End of cats as we know them

I have a large vegitable garden in my backyard and my neighbor has a large fat old cat which loves to sleep and crap among my crops.I like my neighbor and he's not really a bad cat , he likes to come up on the deck and get petted, so shooting him was out. Well I borowed my nephew's radio controlled dunebuggy.I placed the car near where little fatso likes to fertilize the garden .
So there I was on the deck when he walks into the garden like he owns the place, squats down and procedes to do his buissiness and thats when I hit the throttle. I still laugh when I think of that buggy throwing dirt and lurching forward,charging at that cat.
The cat took off still crapping and lept over the fence,eyes wide with fright.
It wasn't a permanent fix but it worked for a while, just wish I had a video
 
jesuscow... those pictures of mya are heartrending. i'm really happy for both of you that recovery was good (the second time around)

my girlfriend loves cats... she has two at home in buffalo - neither of them neutered - and likes to make friends with the three local strays in our neighborhood.

i'm no cat lover (boxer's my breed) - imagine how happy i was when she let one of the strays into the apartment - nay, onto our bed one night during a party.

to the excitement of our guests, i was about 3lbs of pull away from renting one of those upright steam carpet cleaners before intervention occured and the beast was moved outside quickly.
 
I imagine after a period of time, if the owner has not reclaimed the animal or it has not been adopted, it will be humanely dispatched.
Click to expand...

You don't adopt a feral cat. That is like tranquilizing a mountain lion and trying to raise it as a pet. It just doesn't work. Cats are domesticated, but they quickly become the carnivores that they once were. While feral cats won't normally attack a human, they have no problem attacking house cats.

Around Indy there is a big feral cat problem, and there is a remotely ethical solution that pleases everyone (I don't care if they are shot personally).

There is a group that baits traps, and then they bring it to a group of voluntary vets that sterilize them and then clip their left ear to show that they are fixed. If this is done the population decreases quite rapidly as feral cats don't live long...but they do breed like crazy.

Here is a story about it...

http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2003/10/22/feral_felines.html
 
Everyone should check their state and local laws about animals. You're sure to find some interesting things; I recently discovered that pit bulls in my area have to be both leashed and muzzled if not inside a home or adequate fencing.

When I was younger I shot a neighbor's rottweiler. My grandfather arrived about an hour later and he called the owners to inform them. Their response was to call the police and much to their surprise they were charged with a misdemeanor for violating "humane restraint" laws. So don't just assume that you know your local laws, they could be much different that you think.

Ala Dan
You might want to prepare for criminal charges as well as a lawsuit before you try to make a citizen's arrest just because someone killed a cat. While Alabama does have felony provision for animal cruelty, it makes an exception for "research, protection of life or property, training, or shooting a dog or cat for urinating or defecating on property."

joab
Many people have already stated the amount of damage that loose dogs and cats can cause, that's more than enough of a reason to kill them.
 
I have no love for the animals, and the way people turn them loose is just stupid. I wouldn't let my dog run wild in the neighborhood so why is it ok for your cat? Feral cats are a problem everywhere, and anyone with a "house" cat they let out is only increasing the problem! I think this is true even if the cat is spayed or neutered, if you want to own a house (pet) cat KEEP IT IN YOUR HOUSE!!!! I have NO use for the critters and trap them in live traps then haul em to the country and dispose of them properly, if I lived out of the city limits I'd simply shoot them, but I don't. I get sick and tired of the neighbors cute kitty using my window wells for a crapper, and the paw prints on my truck don't endear me to these worthless little mongrels either. So if you live in my neighborhood you have an indoor cat or very soon you have no cat. I have a neighbor who feels the same way I do, I found this out when he was pinning tunafish cans to the top of the 4x4 fence posts, filled with tuna laced with anti-freeze. Now even I thought this might be a little cruel way to die, so I gave him some live traps and taught him how to shoot, great situation new shooter and less cats, a classic win - win situation.
 
Att: Cannibal Crowley and Balog-

Yep, I'm a retired LEO veteran with over 20 years
experience of sworn duty.

My comment was addressed primarily to RUSS, the
thread starter; but anyone else is welcome to join!

Admittingly, I didn't take the time to READ every post;
I responded to the topic from the original post. Sorry
if I stepped on some of you folk's toes; but a FELONY
is just that, and I would come out of retirement to
make an arrest on a crime that carries a FELONY
charge. I think that there are many on this forum
that feel the same way. It's kind'a like being a
Navy Seal; once you retire, you never are fully
relieved of obligations and responsibility; and
may be subject to recall.

I hope this explains where I was coming from.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
You don't adopt a feral cat. That is like tranquilizing a mountain lion and trying to raise it as a pet. It just doesn't work. Cats are domesticated, but they quickly become the carnivores that they once were. While feral cats won't normally attack a human, they have no problem attacking house cats.
Click to expand...

I have four who were truly feral; trapped, fixed, and tamed (took patience). They do not attack me or my wife, or the other cats in our house (most of whom were either found on road alive as kittens, or walked in as dumped pets). One of the formerly wildest (RedFang O'Feral) now sits in my lap every night, and "helps" me clean my AR after the match.

If you trap feral cats, get them fixed and ear-tipped, and re-release them around your place (in a rural setting - not for suburban/urban dwellers) - they will keep the un-fixed ones away, and they will not reproduce or catterwaul since they are fixed. You can get a 20-lb sack of dry catfood at TSC / feedstore for about $10. Your rats and mice will disappear like snow melting off the blacktop when the sun comes out.

Yes, if you have pets, get them fixed and keep them inside. If you like rats and mice, fleas and tics, go ahead and shoot the feral cats. If you do shoot them, use enough gun - a .22 is enough gun if you are a good enough marksman to make headshots.

My neighbor will shoot at any dog or dog-like creature he sees. He calls them "wolves" even though most are coyotes or just strays. He is a lousy shot and just makes a lot of noise (he does not shoot much, just deer season, no competition / recreational shooting). When I see a coyote walk by with a rabbit in his mouth, smiling at me, I have to remember there are still lots and lots of cottontails all around our yard and over by the barn. Predation is as natural an activity as can be.

Anyway, I don't think you can kill off all the feral cats, no matter how many you shoot. You are better off fixing them and turning them into your allies by making your territory their territory, which they will hold against intruders. Just a thought.

Purrrs,
BobCat
 
Ala Dan: As I've said, we just seem to differ on what we consider to be a valid reason. Any animal endangering my family, my animals, or my property has given me plenty of reason to off it.

Edit to add: I also consider a citizen with no offical LEO powers attempting to illegally restrain me because of his/her interpretation of the law to be a valid case for the use of lethal force in self-defense. Be careful. I enjoy your contributions to this forum immensely, and I'd hate to see you get hurt.
 
Many thanks Balog my friend. I would
NEVER act officiously; or attempt to do any
thing that wasn't lawful or justified, and
backed by governmental law of some sort.

Good Luck & Best Wishes With Your Marine
Corp Career!

Warmest Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I will not be "arrested/taken into custody" by anyone unless they are CLEARLY an LEO. If they attempt to use a firearm to apprehend me, I will consider it an attack and respond in kind.

Retired LEO = NOT AN LEO.

Imagine a retired congressman trying to cast his vote at the capitol. Imagine a retired fighter pilot trying to get someone to let him fly one of the Air Force's F22s.
Imagine a retired president trying to command the military into a foreign country.
How is that different from a retired LEO trying to arrest his neighbor?
 
Its OT, but don't most retired LEO still retain their sworn LEO duties and responsibilities...that is a reason why most states allow them to still carry AND retain their badge.
 
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