Wild Cats

rabbit assassin

has anyone noticed the concerning amount of wild cats around?

And before the jokes start pouring in I dont mean the big black cats that are often seen to be playing with the vast amounts of wild boar and muntjac in our woods ! I dont know if they were strayed a few months back or what but they are almost like a large tabby cat in colour and are just awful lookin things altogether ! A few lads in the gun club have come across them while after pheasants and Im just wonderin where we stand legally on shootin them ?? They are definitely not pets from any residents nearby we are 100% sure and the local landowners said they have been there over the past 2 years and are breeding in the area. As I say they are just like a very large domestic cat. Has anyone else seen these in their areas ? A cousin of mine just outside Bray said he's spotted a few aswell when he was after rabbits durin the summer. Im from North Dublin myself !

landkeeper

it's a short step for any cat to go bush , they are a curse anywhere , wanton killers of small birds i have had to deal with 3 big feral toms in the last few weeks attempting to get into my penned up rare breed fowl, i just shoot them on sight now they are worse than any fox

Glensman

rabbit assassin wrote: »

has anyone noticed the concerning amount of wild cats around?

And before the jokes start pouring in I dont mean the big black cats that are often seen to be playing with the vast amounts of wild boar and muntjac in our woods ! I dont know if they were strayed a few months back or what but they are almost like a large tabby cat in colour and are just awful lookin things altogether ! A few lads in the gun club have come across them while after pheasants and Im just wonderin where we stand legally on shootin them ?? They are definitely not pets from any residents nearby we are 100% sure and the local landowners said they have been there over the past 2 years and are breeding in the area. As I say they are just like a very large domestic cat. Has anyone else seen these in their areas ? A cousin of mine just outside Bray said he's spotted a few aswell when he was after rabbits durin the summer. Im from North Dublin myself !

We often see them here, they come in to the rabbit call.
We've had a few in the snares at the pheasants too...

I shoot away at them as long as I am nowhere near houses (just in case it would be a domestic out on the prowl)

extremetaz

Far too many feral cats around us as well.

Herself actually happened upon a feral kitten in the road a few months back - both eyes gone on account of being born with the flu. She's a city girl so of course she insisted on taking it to a vet to have it PTS. :rolleyes:

Would shoot a feral cat sooner than I'd shoot any fox!

rabbit assassin

So we're not doin anything wrong or illegal by shootin them if we're positive theyre not pets? They seem proper adapted to the wild because theyre just as cautious as foxes or any other wild animal ! Couldnt believe the size of the lad I saw the other day when out for a shot , no wonder theres no rabbits around here :mad:

deeksofdoom

Some of the Toms can grow to an enormous size.

virminhunter

rabbit assassin wrote: »

So we're not doin anything wrong or illegal by shootin them if we're positive theyre not pets?out for a shot

Pets or not they shouldn't be roaming around the fields, if my dogs were out on farmland the farmer would be well within his rights to shoot them same thing goes for cats IMO. I've seen a fair few of these threads over the last couple of years and never saw anyone posting up any legislation, is there any?

Spunk84

I've shot over 30 this year in 6 fields behind the house and they are still popping up :0 don't cats carry aids or HIV??? Absolutely hate them with a passion, if it was a shot between a wild cat or fox I would let the fox run

I could be wrong so read this with a bit of caution but I think there's a law regarding cats that states they can't be pets. In Ireland the law considers cats to be free spirits with a legal right to roam.

extremetaz

Spunk84 wrote: »

don't cats carry aids or HIV???

You're thinking of the cat flu - that's what I was referring too when I mentioned flu earlier. It's not actually a flu of any kind at all but a feline STD (or combination of STD's more precisely) which has human flu-like sympton (sneezing, excessive nazal secretion, diminished lung capacity, etc...). It isn't tranferrable to humans or dogs - only spreads between cats.

Adult cats who contract it are often asymptomatic and are merely carriers.

Cat's born with it or those who contract it before their eyes open, often loose the eyes before they open (again, refer to my post above). Those which don't loose eyes will be stunted and weak due to being immunocomprimised.

All domestic cats are supposed to be vaccinate against the three component diseases that make up the cat flu on an annual basis.

I believe that cat's gestation period is just over 9 weeks - and they are prolific breeders so the flu can spread like wildfire through a feral community, and can subsequently pass on to domestic cats which aren't properly monitored quite easily.

Spunk84 wrote: »

... it was a shot between a wild cat or fox I would let the fox run

Amen to that!

Deleted User wrote: »

I could be wrong so read this with a bit of caution but I think there's a law regarding cats that states they can't be pets. In Ireland the law considers cats to be free spirits with a legal right to roam.

extremetaz

Compliments of Wikipedia:

Cat flu is the common name for a feline upper respiratory tract disease. It is a misnomer, since it usually does not refer to an infection by an influenza virus. Instead, it is a syndrome, a term referring to the fact that patients display a number of symptoms that can be caused by one or more of the following infectious agents (pathogens):

The scientific name of the causative agent is listed first; a related more common term is written in parentheses.

Feline herpes virus causing feline viral rhinotracheitis (cat common cold, this is the disease that is closely similar to cat flu)
Feline calicivirus - (cat respiratory disease)
Bordetella bronchiseptica - (cat kennel cough)
Chlamydophila felis - (chlamydia)

Avian flu can also infect cats, in which case it would be accurate to call the ensuing disease cat influenza.

EPointer=Birdss

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=65022366

We've gone over this a few times. :pac:

Birdnuts

Spunk84 wrote: »

I've shot over 30 this year in 6 fields behind the house and they are still popping up :0 don't cats carry aids or HIV??? Absolutely hate them with a passion, if it was a shot between a wild cat or fox I would let the fox run

They certainly breed faster then foxes - one female can have up to 3-4 litters in a year with up to 6 kittens in each. A female kitten can reproduce herself in less then 4 months. Thats rabbit territory!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

Spunk84

extremetaz wrote: »

You're thinking of the cat flu - that's what I was referring too when I mentioned flu earlier. It's not actually a flu of any kind at all but a feline STD (or combination of STD's more precisely) which has human flu-like sympton (sneezing, excessive nazal secretion, diminished lung capacity, etc...). It isn't tranferrable to humans or dogs - only spreads between cats.

Adult cats who contract it are often asymptomatic and are merely carriers.

Cat's born with it or those who contract it before their eyes open, often loose the eyes before they open (again, refer to my post above). Those which don't loose eyes will be stunted and weak due to being immunocomprimised.

All domestic cats are supposed to be vaccinate against the three component diseases that make up the cat flu on an annual basis.

I believe that cat's gestation period is just over 9 weeks - and they are prolific breeders so the flu can spread like wildfire through a feral community, and can subsequently pass on to domestic cats which aren't properly monitored quite easily.




Amen to that!

i remember up in ballyfermot in front of my nans house they went and took out dozens of cats out of an elderly person home as they where afraid of them scratching kids and infecting them with aids,hiv or the flu yoke you said. They went in with full hazardous suits and everything:eek:

CJhaughey

Deleted User wrote: »

I could be wrong so read this with a bit of caution but I think there's a law regarding cats that states they can't be pets. In Ireland the law considers cats to be free spirits with a legal right to roam.

You are wrong.
There is nothing in law about cats right to roam.

Hunter21

CJhaughey wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

I could be wrong so read this with a bit of caution but I think there's a law regarding cats that states they can't be pets. In Ireland the law considers cats to be free spirits with a legal right to roam.

You are wrong.
There is nothing in law about cats right to roam.

Little in the law that gives anyone the right to shoot them for no reason either.

terminator2

Spunk84 wrote: »

I've shot over 30 this year in 6 fields behind the house and they are still popping up :0 don't cats carry aids or HIV??? Absolutely hate them with a passion, if it was a shot between a wild cat or fox I would let the fox run

not sure why did you get rodgered by one lol:D:D

Spunk84

terminator2 wrote: »

not sure why did you get rodgered by one lol:D:D

wont comment on the terrible incident of that day :mad:

CJhaughey

Hunter21 wrote: »

Little in the law that gives anyone the right to shoot them for no reason either.

They are not protected wild mammals.
The only ones that are protected are:
Badger, Bat species, Deer species, Otters, Hedgehogs, Red Squirrels, Pine Martens and Hare species.
The rest have no protection, Fox, Rat, Cat.
I am sure if you are shooting them you have good reason otherwise why waste ammo?

extremetaz

Spunk84 wrote: »

i remember up in ballyfermot in front of my nans house they went and took out dozens of cats out of an elderly person home as they where afraid of them scratching kids and infecting them with aids,hiv or the flu yoke you said. They went in with full hazardous suits and everything:eek:

They don't carry HIV!! There is a Feline Immunodificiency Virus but it is not tranferable to humans. Furthermore none of the diseases I mentioned can be transferred to humans. However, but they can carry plenty of other nasty **** - see here - hence the haz-mat suits are warranted where the nature and condition of the animals is uncertain.

Hunter21 wrote: »

Little in the law that gives anyone the right to shoot them for no reason either.

I'm no fan of cats as I'm sure is obvious by now but having said that, herself has two domestic purebred toms (a persian exotic and a persian himalayan for anyone who's cares), so I've learned a bit about them.

The bottom line is this - speyed or neutered, appropriately vaccinated, and kept clean, they're grand animals and I can tolerate them. I'd even go so far as to say I can respect their predatory instincts - even in dumbed down domestic form, far seperated from their origins, they are very impressive animals when they decide to stalk something.


Ferals however are filthy, parasitic, disease ridden creatures.

Shoot them!

Do it quick.
Do it humanely.
But above all do it every chance you get.

meathstevie

The roaming thing stems from the fact that a cat is not an animal that falls under any control of animal legislation. For example if your cat strays into a road in front of a car and the driver swerves and crashes you will not be held liable for your cat's straying behaviour. If for example the same happened with a calf you would be looking at a completely different situation because cattle is supposed to be kept under control.

As for ownership, I'm quite sure one can own a cat from an emotional and a legal point of view so I would still thread carefully shooting one that can well be someone's moggie. If I'd see the same cat in fields a good distance away from any house or farm building I wouldn't be too hesitant shooting it.

Spunk84

a yea you wouldnt be shooting a cat if it was in range of a house or farm thats a given, or if it had a collar. You can tell a wild cat from miss browns kitty down the road;)