How do I rid myself of a feral cat?

There is what appears to be a feral cat hanging around my house. I have now seen it on both sides, it runs off the moment it sees me. I need to be rid of it. I called the boro and they said there was some place I could call who would come out and do a catch-and-spay/neuter then release. I told her I didn't want it "released" I want it gone. She gave me the number of a trapper, the boro has no animal control to catch and dispose of it.

Any ideas on the best way to be rid of it? I plan on getting some chickens soon and don't want a cat coming by to attack them, I also don't want it killing any rabbits or other small wildlife in my garden. I don't want it to suffer, but I want it gone. Think the Russian boxer's comment on Apollo in "Rocky 4." Leaving it a "snack" is my preferred option. Shooting it will not work, houses too close together. I don't want to trap it as traps are costly and then there is disposal.

catfood in a hav-a-heart trap will catch it. IMO it is cruel and un-neighborly too to just release it near somebody's house out in the sticks, but people do that all the time, the bastards.

You can get a trap in most big box stores.

Squirrel-catcher-with-hav-a-heart I know drowns them in the trap by dunking it in a filled plastic garbage can. Another person would deem that even crueler, but I think it might be the way to go.

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the boro has no animal control to catch and dispose of it.

do you have packs of wild dogs roaming the neighborhood too?

Quote: odiousgambit

do you have packs of wild dogs roaming the neighborhood too?

They might do dogs or the county might as well. Cats seem to have some kind of weird status this way. It is not going into my car to be released anywhere, I am allergic to cats and last thing I will do is contaminate my car.

I don't know maybe spray it with a hose or some firecrackers far away to not really hurt it. Just be careful to make sure there isn't traffic around before you scare it. It might be someone's pet yet so I wouldn't go past scaring it away.

Quote: AZDuffman

Leaving it a "snack" is my preferred option.

It seems that all 50 states will not let you leave a snack for cats (feral or pets) even if you select something that you think will result in a humane death. Bludgeoning them even if your aim is true is not legal either. Undoubtedly you will find someone with a phone camera ready to upload you to youtube.

Can you play a recording of an angry dog for a few days?

This one is 12 hours long.

Use pepper spray. Get a can and spray it on places
the cat goes around you're property. Get some fox
urine at Walmart or Amazon. Cats and other small
animals hate the stuff, works like magic. Don't hurt
the cat, it's not necessary.

It's almost the 4th of July.

(warnings on the news to keep your pets inside as they may run away)

Are you sure your neighbor is not feeding it.

Alas, I need to be rid of seven of them.

Everyone that tells you that it's illegal to kill cats has been lying to you, and they themselves have been sadly manipulated by cat-lickers (mentally deficient cat-supporters) that use examples of illegal shoot-to-maim cases to manipulate everyone into thinking that it's illegal to kill a cat at any time anywhere. ALL LIES.

It is perfectly legal to destroy any animal on your property (or with the written permission of the property owner); someone's pet or not; that is threatening the health, well-being, and safety of your family, animals, or even the value or integrity of your property. Also true even in most densely populated cities, firearms laws permitting, if not then 700-1200fps air-rifles with vermin-pellets are commonly used. The newer ones even come with a sound-suppressor design built right-in, being designed specifically for shooting vermin cats in urban areas, the demand is that great. The only animals exempt from you taking immediate action, legally, are those listed on endangered or threatened species lists, regulated game-animals (hunting season only, except for designated "small game" on your own lands which is year-'round no-license in most states), and any bird species under protection of MBTA (the Migratory Bird Treaty Act). Even then variances can be given should there be sufficient problem but this requires further study by authorities. Since cats are listed in the TOP 100 WORST invasive species of the world in the "Global Invasive Species Database" issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=24&fr=1&sts=sss , this means they have no protection whatsoever from being shot on sight, they are not on any protected species list anywhere in the world. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact.

Just remember, the cat MUST die for it to be 100% legal. A DEAD CAT IS A LEGAL CAT. Even if you have to slit its throat afterward to be certain -- no different than a bow-hunter that is given a full day to track down a deer and slit its throat. That too is legal, not a good kill, but legal. Luckily, cat-lickers and their cats taught me to be an expert marksman, so I never had to resort to using anything other than a gun to finish-off the hundreds of cats infesting my lands, never wasted even one bullet. (Hint: outfit your rifle with a good scope and laser-sight, inexpensive on ebay. This will ensure a totally humane, instant, and LEGAL kill each and every time. Though use a fatal chest-shot, a head-shot is not always a sure thing.)

In fact, here's a publication from a study done by the University of Nebraska on the best ways to humanely deal with a feral-cat problem wherever you live. This documentation includes the best firearms, ammo, and air-rifles required to HUMANELY destroy cats. deenawinter.files.wordpress D0T com SLASH 2010/12/ec1781.pdf

Though in the case of cats, I would strongly advise against a head-shot. Use a precision chest-shot to a vital organ -- out of the HUNDREDS of these vermin that I had to shoot and bury on my own lands to stop them from annihilating all the wildlife, these vermin cats always died in under 3 seconds, often less than 1, not even enough time to make a sound. From my own experience, and on the advice of others, I tried a head-shot once. Apparently a precision aimed head-shot to a cat, right between the eyes and even angled to split the spinal column, does not involve one of their vital organs. I guess a cat's brain is NOT one of their vital organs. Who knew! (I surmise this is the origin of them having 9-lives. People trying to destroy cats by harming their non-vital brains.) It was the only time it took 3 more shots for a cat to die. I never repeated that "experiment". (Mostly due to more than one on-sale bullet costing 1/3rd of a cent each was even too much to waste on any one cat.)

Where cats have already learned to evade all trapping methods, then inexpensive generic acetaminophen (overseas paracetamol) pain-relievers are a more species-specific vermin poison (harmful to reptiles though) -- a method condoned by even Audubon, Smithsonian, and National Geographic today. Stray cats have been listed as "vermin" in the USA since the early 1900's. (I learned this from a cat-licker, thanks cat-lickers!) This is why it is even legal to use any and all vermin poisons on them. For an even more species-specific vermin poison check into the toxicity of "Lilium" species of flowers too. Be certain the plant contains the word "Lilium" in the scientific-name (other plants with the word "Lily" in the common-name may be toxic to other species besides cats). Common N. American "Day Lilies" also work, they are the one exception to the rule that the name "Lilium" needs to be in the scientific name. Lilium species of flowers are 100% fatal to cats ONLY, even a bit of pollen on their fur that they lick-off will do. If they even drink a bit of water in which a bunch of Lilium flowers have been kept -- that too is fatal, but totally harmless to all other species of animals (including dogs). Much safer for the environment and all other animals than the rat-poisons and antifreeze that cat-lickers have forced everyone into using on their cats. These plants when harvested and dried for year-round cat-eradication use is even better, as the unknown toxin is concentrated during the drying process (the blossoms and pollen being most toxic), and the dried plants are even more palatable to cats. An excellent mulch for anyone's garden or a ground-up additive for any tins of food left lying around.

However, you really need to dispose of that cat safely and hygienically so that wildlife won't die from the deadly diseases cats spread even after their death. Leaving ANY cat out in nature, alive OR dead, is no better than intentionally poisoning your native wildlife to death. I know this. I fed a shot-dead cat to some wildlife under my care, those animals and their offspring that they had while under my care then died from some disease in that cat-meat. Cats truly are complete and total wastes-of-flesh. They can't even be used to feed wildlife safely.

In all cases, be sure to bury or incinerate the carcasses so all the myriad diseases that cats carry won't go on to infect more wildlife nor humans. Bury or incinerate any gloves you've been using to protect yourself as well after the last cat is dead and gone. Returning these highly-destructive disease-infested invasive-species back to the land (other than buried deeply) is not an option. They must be destroyed, and ideally should be destroyed where you can safely retrieve that carcass and dispose of it as hygienically as possible.

I don't see anyone dumping cats where I live anymore. They don't even adopt more than can be kept under lock & key 24/7/52. When driving through the area I don't see even one cat on anyone's doorsteps anymore. I always keep an eye out to see if there are more free-roaming cats that will have to be shot. And if I'll have to leave fish-oil trails on all the roadsides again, leading right to my IR surveillance system and laser-sighted rifle. (You can read some of the most effective methods I invented to rid my lands of hundreds of these vermin in only two seasons, posted here: americanhunter.org/blogs/arkansas-will-trap-feral-cats The eradication of these disease-infested invasive species vermin was so complete and effective that cats are non-existent from my area for nearly FIVE years now. Not seen nor heard a single one.)

Leaving ANY of their invasive species cats outside in my area means certain death for their cat, their cat's further existence can be counted in hours. You'd think everyone else could learn from this simple lesson. The quickest way to solve an unwanted animal and irresponsible pet-owner problem is to let everyone know that you will quickly and humanely destroy every last one of their unwanted, uncared-for, or unsupervised animals for them. They either grow up fast or, far more plausible, dump their animals elsewhere to become someone else's problem.

Quote: NatureAdvocate

cat-lickers

Ha!

We have a pet cat but hope you don't put us in that category!

Interesting. You are absolutely right that wildlife, nature, and informed pet lovers and humane societies all know that feral cats are very much to be desired to be eliminated due to what they do to birds etc. I can't verify some of your other assertions.

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The quickest way to solve an unwanted animal and irresponsible pet-owner problem is to let everyone know that you will quickly and humanely destroy every last one of their unwanted, uncared-for, or unsupervised animals for them. They either grow up fast

I wonder if you can put up a sign to say this? We had a problem last year, but we do have county animal control; they trapped them when we asked them to.