feral cats

[annemarie482]

is anyone else having problems with feral cats?
and if so is there anyone you can call about it?
do cats protection cover this or are they for domesticated cats only?

[starfish]

do not know about the sspca but the rspca in england set traps and get them nutured and re locate them , its may be worth phoning then

[annemarie482]

they're driving me mad!
destroyed my puffin croft delivery in the half hour it took me to get home to take it in, just now one nearly gave me heart failure when i opened the bin to see one staring at me from the middle of a shredded bin bag, they're messing in my tattie patch and prowling the garden the neighbours were feeding them but have now gone on holiday so the brood has decended on me now.

[Liz]

If you contact Cats Protection they will help by setting traps to get them neutered as, if left, they will just keep breeding. They wouldn't be able to relocate them though as where would they go?

I know it must be a pain for you but it's not their fault that they are there. It's down to people not spaying and also 'dumping' poor cats in the countryside like they are rubbish.

[annemarie482]

oh i understand that, but theres double figures of them now!
who pays to spay them though? as they dont actually belong to anyone :/

[caz]

Contact the cats protection, they pay to get it done and provide the traps to catch them in. (or at least they used to)

[Liz]

oh i understand that, but theres double figures of them now!
who pays to spay them though? as they dont actually belong to anyone :/

I know they must be driving you mad! This is what happens though when cats aren't spayed. As caz said Cats Protection will pay for them to be neutered but I'm sure they would be glad of a small donation.

[wicker]

maybe upload a pic just incase any of them are someones lost pet

[annemarie482]

definately wild, been living and fed at the farm for a few years now.
all small scrawny and black

[Croftergirl]

Just think of it as free pest (rat, mice) control! Cats protection will give you humane traps to catch them n get them spayed, I think you do have to give them a donation tho.

[standstill]

Do what I did, put some food down to them and they will leave things alone. They are just hungry, as you said the others are gone away on holiday. Caithness Cats Protection are a wonderful group and will help get the neutered.

[Liz]

definately wild, been living and fed at the farm for a few years now.
all small scrawny and black

The poor things will get even more scrawny if they aren't neutered as overbreeding and interbreeding will cause illnesses and deformaties.

[123]

My unlce got a trap from caithnes cats protections and set it one evening and by the next morning had caught the cat. His own house was terrified and kept getting attacked by it

[annemarie482]

My unlce got a trap from caithnes cats protections and set it one evening and by the next morning had caught the cat. His own house was terrified and kept getting attacked by it

what did they do with the cat?
i'm phoning them tomorrow, neighbours have returned home and are in agreement these need to be dealt with.
there are 12-15 wild cats and now another new litter
they hiss and spit, and mess everywhere and are stealing food/ spreading bin contents etc at every chance they get.
to be honest, my kids are scared of them (5 and 3) and with how vicious the cats are, im not suprised the kids are scared!
i know this isn''t the cats fault, but this cant go on.
really hope they can help us.

[Dadie]

The cat is usually returned to its territory.........
Though its not unknown for one to be mistaken for a fox etc
If you have a marksman on the grounds....
The cat population can go down drasticaly in numbers overnight!
No rules on vermin control........though collared pests are a no no!

[Liz]

The cat is usually returned to its territory.........
Though its not unknown for one to be mistaken for a fox etc
If you have a marksman on the grounds....
The cat population can go down drasticaly in numbers overnight!
No rules on vermin control........though collared pests are a no no!

I can't believe that you are saying these cats (not vermin!) should be shot!!! Apart from it being against the law, what if the 'marksman' wounds any and causes even more suffering?

The only route is to catch them and neuter. If this had been done long ago there wouldn't be so many now!

[Liz]

what did they do with the cat?
i'm phoning them tomorrow, neighbours have returned home and are in agreement these need to be dealt with.
there are 12-15 wild cats and now another new litter
they hiss and spit, and mess everywhere and are stealing food/ spreading bin contents etc at every chance they get.
to be honest, my kids are scared of them (5 and 3) and with how vicious the cats are, im not suprised the kids are scared!
i know this isn''t the cats fault, but this cant go on.
really hope they can help us.

They will be returned to the same place once neutered as there is nowhere else for them to go unless you know of any farms or crofts who could take them? You could put a postcard up in the farmer's section at the vets and Pets At Home etc saying that mousers are available for free?

In the meantime if you and your neighbour could feed them somewhere away from your house they won't be coming to you looking for food.

[annemarie482]

phoned cats protection this morning, they will be phoning back later to arrange bringing out some traps

[Liz]

Glad you are getting it sorted.

[Dadie]

Vets and euthenasia for those trapped will cost, but, will reduce the numbers(lead shot is cheaper and the outcome is the same) and neutering those you are willing to have back(cpl will see to that) should combat the numbers a bit.Its not only the numbers but the things they harbour thats the problem...the usual fleas and worms are easy to combat with the routine treatment of pets, but, FIV and cat aids are not.