Enticing Feral Cats to Hunt Locally

[notaz3]

The only reason to entice a feral cat would be to trap it for spaying/neutering, then and only then is it okay to release them back to where you got them. I'm currently fostering 10 (started with 13) kittens that where left at a friends house when their feral cat had babies.

 

[jaxs]

I'm don't think people that alow cats to roam should get quite 10 years and I doubt piney does either,however he does make a valid point. Domesticated, wild and feral cats are all very efficient hunters that damage wildlife. The same can be said of dogs and dogs also damage farm animals and fowl. After 3/4trs century raising livestock I know of less than a dozen cases where livestock was confirmed to have been injured or killed by coyotes. All but one was sheep. Over the same period I've lost count of dogs I've caught in the act of chasing and attacking livestock,horses and cattle included. Add to that long time neighbors that had the same experience and free roaming dogs are a serious problem. Rarly will dog owners face the fact their dog was committing a crime when trapped or shot. Release your animals on your property if you please but they aren't welcome on neighboring properties.

 

[beowulf]

I don't have a lot of cat knowledge, but will share this:
We have two cats - someone gave them to my wife. We fixed both of them. They are quite old now.
Then someone dropped off, or a feral cat had, three kittens. They showed up here. We trapped them, found homes for two of them and kept one - a male -we had him fixed and vaccinated.
That cat - the feral cat we kept - is a terrific hunter - squirrels, gophers and lizards. And we have a gopher and squirrel problem. This experience has caused me to think about getting a couple more cats to help with our gopher and squirrel problem - but, of course, you never know if they would be good hunters.
I agree totally with fixing any cats you have.

 

[oosik]

Over the 40+ years out here - I've had many cats. There are just too many "things" around here that will eat cats. Starting with cougars & coyotes - down to owl & hawks. I've always provided shelter and food. But the cats insist in going out beyond the yard light influence - at night.

No question - a good mouser is a true God sent animal. Now I encourage the local coyote population to do the same thing. Don't shoot them - don't scare them - provide occasional food.

So far - seems to be working.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Can’t really comment on attracting feral cats but if you want a critter to get rid of mice, rats, and gophers, a cat is a poor choice. Get yourself a miniature dachshund or a rat terrier. That’s what they were created to do and will out hunt a cat 10:1. We have a mini dachshund and she’s a varmint killing machine.

Rat Terriers earned their name from rat killing contests in UK. They can clean out a barn PDQ. Record for the fastest is 2500 per hour. Yeah - they're quick! And fearless - yes. A feral cat has no chance of hanging around RT's.

We've had 3 RT's and loved them to death. Sadly, all three have passed. Our newest family member however, is a dachshund, which we also find totally adorable. Smart little gal, she is. But there's no substitute for Rat Terriers. IMHO.

 

[dmccarty]

Over the 40+ years out here - I've had many cats. There are just too many "things" around here that will eat cats. Starting with cougars & coyotes - down to owl & hawks. I've always provided shelter and food. But the cats insist in going out beyond the yard light influence - at night.
...

Neighbors will get a cat, and let it roam free, which I don't like since I don't want the cat to kill birds. We will see the cat for a few months and then the cat is never seen again. A few months later, a new cat is seen, but it too disappears after a few months. This repeats over and over. With the foxes, coyotes, owls and hawks, the cats don't last long.

I saw a video years ago where a guy had a company for killing rats and other vermin. If I remember right, he was using trained minks or ferrets, to go into the boroughs and kill the vermin. The animal was killing vermin had an incredible rate and would have to cool down in a water bath after a period of time.

Maybe there is someone with a similar company in the OP's area.

I had a dog that was part terrier and it would kill birds if he could catch them in bushes. He did not have access to rodents but I think he would have killed them if they were around. That dog was very territorial and had no fear.

 

[/pine]

The only reason to entice a feral cat would be to trap it for spaying/neutering, then and only then is it okay to release them back to where you got them. I'm currently fostering 10 (started with 13) kittens that where left at a friends house when their feral cat had babies.

No it is NOT okay to release fixed feral cats...it is the stupidest idea ever...the bleeding heart morons that prevent the eradication of feral cats should be jailed...
Spaying or neutering cats does not prevent them from killing the billions (yes that is BILLIONS) if native song birds and wildlife every year...


get a clue...!

feral cats killing wildlife - Google Search

 

[ponytug]

Neighbors will get a cat, and let it roam free, which I don't like since I don't want the cat to kill birds. We will see the cat for a few months and then the cat is never seen again. A few months later, a new cat is seen, but it too disappears after a few months. This repeats over and over. With the foxes, coyotes, owls and hawks, the cats don't last long.

I saw a video years ago where a guy had a company for killing rats and other vermin. If I remember right, he was using trained minks or ferrets, to go into the boroughs and kill the vermin. The animal was killing vermin had an incredible rate and would have to cool down in a water bath after a period of time.

Maybe there is someone with a similar company in the OP's area.

I had a dog that was part terrier and it would kill birds if he could catch them in bushes. He did not have access to rodents but I think he would have killed them if they were around. That dog was very territorial and had no fear.

Ferrets, usually. Rats apparently have an in born fear of ferrets and will start to flee once a ferret enters their habitat. There are historical accounts of rat eradication in New York City where they would dig a trench around the building, with terrier and terrier handlers positioned around the trench, and then release a ferret or two at the top of the building. The ferret(s) would go into the rat holes and drive the rats downward floor by floor to the dogs. Apparently it was very effective. Jack Russell terriers were bred for ratting, and have one of the strongest prey drives of any canine.

When the "Big Dig" in Boston was planned it was thought that the construction would displace a billion, with a Boston "B", rats that inhabited the old wharves underground. At the time, eradication was considered, but ruled out due to landfill space concerns(!!), so the disturbed rats fled to the neighboring buildings...

All the best,

Peter

 

[dodge man]

We have had several cats. Some of them were good hunters, some less so. One cat we had that died about 6 months ago would hunt and drag up to the house anything smaller than a deer. Some cats are natural born killers.

Feeding wild cats will give them a new home but like already said, you’ll have a new problem.

 

[YanmarFever]

Rat Terriers earned their name from rat killing contests in UK. They can clean out a barn PDQ. Record for the fastest is 2500 per hour. Yeah - they're quick! And fearless - yes. A feral cat has no chance of hanging around RT's.

We've had 3 RT's and loved them to death. Sadly, all three have passed. Our newest family member however, is a dachshund, which we also find totally adorable. Smart little gal, she is. But there's no substitute for Rat Terriers. IMHO.

I use to raise rat terriers (decker's) back in the day, I had a female named pokey, she killed 74 mice & rats in 2 days. (I counted em)
She would run along the side of my tractor as I was mowing, she would see the mice jump up because the tractor shook the ground and she would bite them and throw them off to the side for the mower. The next day the birds were everywhere eating mice and a few yotes too, which made good target practice.

Nowadays I have 2 small females left and they just hunt lizards all day long.