Laws on shooting feral cats?

skipz

A lad has asked me to shoot off a couple of feral cats that are attacking and killing his racing pigeons. Is there any laws on this subject before i go ahead or can i go ahead at all?
He's tried traps and reckons its not working as the cats got wise to the traps and are still killing his good pigeons.

Cass

This has been discussed at some length on previous threads. Have a read through these and see what you think.

skipz

ezridax wrote: »

This has been discussed at some length on previous threads. Have a read through these and see what you think.

link not working

Cass

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/search.php?searchid=14270472#

Sparks

Moving thread to Hunting.

skipz

ezridax wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/search.php?searchid=14270472#

???

Cass

CATS-Domestic or feral or is there even a difference!! (12345)
EPointer=Birdss

23-03-2010 10:08
by Vegeta

622,620Huntingferal cats (12345 ... Last Page)
CZ.

16-06-2009 21:45
by jaffa20

1636,504HuntingVermin Control: Release feral cats back into the wild (123)
J.R.

23-02-2008 17:19
by meathstevie

421,561HuntingFeral cats (1234)
CJhaughey

Sparks

skipz wrote: »

???

Search links like that won't work for anyone but the original searcher, I don't think; and even then not forever.

ANXIOUS

Could you class it, as livestock worrying?

landkeeper

s,s,s

dCorbus

If your mate is in a build-up area, then shooting them would be a no no anyway AFAIK. If he's out in the countryside, then it's back to the threads above.

jap gt

hopefully this thread wont go off topic like all the others about shooting feral cats, op i have done it in the past, but only when im sure they are feral and doing damage and not belong to any neighbours

greenpeter

jap gt wrote: »

hopefully this thread wont go off topic like all the others about shooting feral cats, op i have done it in the past, but only when im sure they are feral and not belong to any neighbours

+1
Have done a few farm yards for lads who wanted rid of them.

dCorbus

only when im sure they are feral and not belong to any neighbours

V good point - one mans feral cat is another mans pet moggey. We've loads of cats around here - and they've taken to killing birds lately (a new phenomenon - haven't seen any dead birds for the last couple of years and now there's a rake of them left lying around) - Maybe the birds have got slow or the cats have got faster!;):D

But, whilst some of the cats are very mangy looking yokes and would pass muster at any feral cat convention, they are actually pet cats or at least semi-pet cats. If I was to shoot them in my garden (not a possibility), I'd be pretty sure to get a visit from an irate dad!

Qualitymark

I had a pet cat die after being caught in a gin trap once - a horrible death. Shooting is likely to be equally horrible, with animals dying slowly from gangrenous wounds.

Before you catch any cat, make very, very sure that you have established its ownership beyond doubt. I feel for your friend with his pigeons, but would personally suggest to him that he solve his own problems.

He could go down to his local vet and get a loan of a trap, trap the cats and bring them to the SPCA (but only if he is certain they are not pets).

Cass

Qualitymark wrote: »

He could go down to his local vet and get a loan of a trap, trap the cats and bring them to the SPCA ......

Think he tried those methods already to little or no success.

skipz wrote:

He's tried traps and reckons its not working as the cats got wise to the traps and are still killing his good pigeons.

dCorbus

TBH On the whole, good advice for the OP, Qualitymark

But not sure that you'd be too correct about this statement:

Shooting is likely to be equally horrible, with animals dying slowly from gangrenous wounds.

If shot correctly, with the right ammunition, and by a competent shooter, the animal should die almost instantaneously and with no suffering.

I do not hunt, but all the hunters in my acquantance are agreed and fairly adamant that the distance, the ammo, and the shot-placement be guaranteed (insofar as possible) to ensure a swift and clean kill, and thus cause no undue suffering (other than pretty instant death) to their quary. If not, then the shot should not be taken.

On the other advice, I'd agree with you 100%.

virminhunter

Even if you take a bad shot and hit the cat say in the stomach with a .223 or simular caliber the cats going nowhere and will only suffer for the couple of seconds it takes you to cock the bolt and shoot it again(it'd probably be knocked so senseless from the first shot it won't even know whats happening), its not going to suffer from gangrenous wounds...

Qualitymark

The most effective way to get rid of cats is a motion-activated sprinkler, which sprays them with water when they come into the garden. Move the sprinkler head around and conceal it a bit. Scares the bejaysus out of the cats, and keeps them away.

If your neighbour wants to add to the effect, he should link up a hose to the upstairs tap, then sit in a window, hose in hand, ready to let fly as soon as any pusscat comes over the wall.

Or he could borrow a dog for a few days - cats tend to avoid places where they have had frightening experiences. He won't even need to keep the dog, just having it in the garden for a few days should do the job.

jap gt

Qualitymark wrote: »

The most effective way to get rid of cats is a motion-activated sprinkler, which sprays them with water when they come into the garden. Move the sprinkler head around and conceal it a bit. Scares the bejaysus out of the cats, and keeps them away.

If your neighbour wants to add to the effect, he should link up a hose to the upstairs tap, then sit in a window, hose in hand, ready to let fly as soon as any pusscat comes over the wall.

Or he could borrow a dog for a few days - cats tend to avoid places where they have had frightening experiences. He won't even need to keep the dog, just having it in the garden for a few days should do the job.

to a neighbourhood cat a sprinkler might work, any feral cat i ever shot wouldn't take a bit of notice of a drop of water, a woman that lives across the road from me keeps ducks, a feral cat used to take a duckling every second day, she/we tried everything to stop the cat, in the end i shot the cat when she asked me to, and that was coming from a woman that loves cats

skipz

Qualitymark wrote: »

The most effective way to get rid of cats is a motion-activated sprinkler, which sprays them with water when they come into the garden. Move the sprinkler head around and conceal it a bit. Scares the bejaysus out of the cats, and keeps them away.
.

I would'nt say it would have any effect with these cats at all. The lad lives down at a harbour, only house there, and its got a few cats that are well established ferals. These cats are hardy little f*ckers!
Dont forget he has pigeons too.
Anyways, there doesnt seem to be any concrete laws/rules on the subject so id say ill give it the go ahead.

Grizzly 45

Qualitymark wrote: »

I had a pet cat die after being caught in a gin trap once - a horrible death. Shooting is likely to be equally horrible, with animals dying slowly from gangrenous wounds.

Apart from the fact Gin traps have been illegal for decades now to,use or sell,and as others have said a properly placed bullet or shotgun blast with a BB load will make sure of the job.

Tackleberrywho

Qualitymark wrote: »

I had a pet cat die after being caught in a gin trap once - a horrible death. Shooting is likely to be equally horrible, with animals dying slowly from gangrenous wounds.
Not sure how familiar you are with shooting. Head shot cats or heart lung shots are dead as a door nail.
An old woman I know had 25 feral cats on her farm, she was afraid of falling and breaking a hip over them as they raced around the farmyard and were vicious hiss and spit. So they met "Mr Ruger .22lr"

Before you catch any cat, make very, very sure that you have established its ownership beyond doubt. I feel for your friend with his pigeons, but would personally suggest to him that he solve his own problems.
I agree with the identity, a person may not have the ability or know how to efficiently hunt and terminate a feral problem so getting help doing it is fairly normal

He could go down to his local vet and get a loan of a trap, trap the cats and bring them to the SPCA (but only if he is certain they are not pets).

yes if it is a domestic cat and not feral, this should be attempted if possible, I have trapped cats for folk that were tame(ish) a country feral cat would as they say in the country "ate ya"

There is an old saying, If a man dies, his dog will lie down and die beside him.
if a man dies his cat will eat him

Tackleberrywho

Qualitymark wrote: »

The most effective way to get rid of cats is a motion-activated sprinkler, which sprays them with water when they come into the garden. Move the sprinkler head around and conceal it a bit. Scares the bejaysus out of the cats, and keeps them away.

If your neighbour wants to add to the effect, he should link up a hose to the upstairs tap, then sit in a window, hose in hand, ready to let fly as soon as any pusscat comes over the wall.

Or he could borrow a dog for a few days - cats tend to avoid places where they have had frightening experiences. He won't even need to keep the dog, just having it in the garden for a few days should do the job.

the Most effective way of getting rid of a cat. did you never see Tom & Jerry

jap gt

its cheaper and easier shoot them, anyway tom and jerry were a cat and mouse

tfox

jap gt wrote: »

its cheaper and easier shoot them, anyway tom and jerry were a cat and mouse

and the dog, Spike I believe

Tackleberrywho

jap gt wrote: »

its cheaper and easier shoot them, anyway tom and jerry were a cat and mouse

There was also a dog


When i had my gun dogs not a cat in the parish

jwshooter

Qualitymark wrote: »

Shooting is likely to be equally horrible, with animals dying slowly from gangrenous wounds.

you have never seen me shoot so ..

Tackleberrywho

jwshooter wrote: »

you have never seen me shoot so ..

nor I, look at the hunting pics thread Quality

dwighet

a boomerang works well for me

Tackleberrywho

dwighet wrote: »

a boomerang works well for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_prtbj4MtDU

Sorry Dwighet, i could not resist!

leupold90

Similar question came up on another forum. One psoter described feral cats as 'Gods' ballistic gelatin'.

CJhaughey

I didn't have much success the first few cats I shot with the shotgun and 6 or 7 shot, BB was a revelation in the shotgun, very effective. But the rifles work best of all.
I have had good success with .22lr Winchester subsonic in my Anschutz the 40g pills hit very hard, they have a huge hollow point.
Lots of hours put in have reduced the feral cat population considerably around my area.