[Fifitrix]

Well some of you know about this cat as I've posted my worries before about it getting at my chooks but tonight it got my chicks.  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:

I went out for a special treat with my daughter so my hubby found them.  It had bitten Padme's head off.  2 other chicks came running to him so he thought that only 2 survived but when we came home I found 1 hiding in the garden.  It's really badly injured with huge teeth marks in it and lots of dried blood.  I don't know if it'll survive and will be taking it to bed with me! :roll:

What's the point.  This cat comes into my house and gets the chicks.  Could I report it as a nusance to the coucil?  I know it's only doing what it's instincts tell it but it's devastating our family.  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :evil:  :cry:

[Porffor]

OMG what a nightmare! I'm so sorry and hope the little one makes it (but know this is unlikely). I have no idea how it stands on the cat coming into the house. Really hope something can be done. Do you know who owns the cat? I read about it before but can't remember. sorry.

[PJM]

Sorry to hear about your chicks, Fifitrix. Was it actually in your house? Not much you can do as no one will take responsibility for cats, I get sick of hearing "they are only doing what comes natural. I had a problem with one round about Christmas time, and I gave it a good hosing down, from the pipe by the back door, and have not seen it so much since, so try that they hate water. But you need to give it a good fright or it will just keep coming back. If it was in your house, how did it get in while you were out?

[Jellyhead]

Big hugs from over here. Blimey what a brave cat. I agree that it needs a huge fight. Theres no point in having a go at the owners cos they have no control over what the cat does when it goes out, my mother-in-law has the cat from hell coming through her cat flap and eating her own 2 cats food. It also bullies her cats. She has go herself a water pistol now :twisted:

[poultrygeist]

Sad news fiftrix. I remember your previous postings. It might be worth a call to the council just to check how you stand. Don't know if they have dog and cat wardens anymore.

I agree with everyone about trying to set a trap. I think you were going to do this before but there were difficulties ?

It will carry on thinking it's the top cat of the area until you show it you are. Once you do, your territory becomes a dangerous place for it. If it thinks you'll give it a good pasting, it SHOULD become cowardly. Failing that, set a trap it can't easily get out of and scare the living daylights out of it !!

Time to be creative and slightly evil. I would never condone hurting it but I would positively encourage a good combination of water, loud noise and humiliation.  :twisted:

Put your upset into thinking of ways of ridding yoruself of this nuisance.

Good luck.

Rob

[Fifitrix]

Thanks everyone.

The cat bashes it's way in through our cat flap despite the fact that we invested in an infrared one that only lets our cat in.   :evil:

He sprays in our house and steals our things but actually when he got the chicks yesterday they were outside in a run.  He managed to flip the run upside down.  We were only out of the house 30 minutes.  :cry:  :cry:

The neighbour who owns the cat, despite the fact that there was a dead chick on her carpet said 'oh well there's nothing we can do about it' (yes I guess she's right  :roll: ) but then said 'your children have got to get used to it you know'.  

So I'm left with this hopeless feeling of depression because is this how it's going to be?  Is he just going to get the rest?  Naturally I won't be putting them in the run again anytime soon but at some point they will have to go out and I thought my biggest problem would be the other chickens  :roll:  :roll:

Phew I think I'll get off the chicken therapy couch now, thanks for listening!  

Our little fighter has survived the night.  She has a great chunk out of her and has pooed some blood but she's very perky and has eaten and drunk.  She really perks up when she's with the other two but I understand I can't put her in with them as they will peck her wounds?

[GrannieAnnie]

So sorry to hear about your chicks.

The biggest fright you could give this cat is half a house brick round its head!

Sorry, I'm not usually nasty to animals, and it might be instinct, but upturning your run is going a bit far!!!!

Our cat just stands there and looks at them all!

[too many girls]

sorry about your chicks Fifi, regarding cat, shoot it, if a fox gets our chickens we have no problem getting rid of it, why should a cat be different? it's doing the same thing, causing destruction and heartache,  i'd give the neighbours a warning that if the cat comes back you will deal with it, if they don't like it tell them to get used to it............

[too many girls]

good job i live on a farm, i'd be the neighbour from hell.......

[SnooziSuzi]

No!  DO NOT SHOOT IT!  :evil:

Knee jerk reactions are not the answer here.   It won't solve your problem long-term because if it's not this cat it will be another one, or a fox, or a dog.

I am a cat lover, I've got 2 and one of them kills birds.  Tough sh*t it's what they do.  

People keep dogs because they will defend the house and garden but no-one is calling for dogs to be rounded up and shot when they get out of their gardens.

I have a problem with other peoples cats coming to our house and scrounging my cats food, sometimes if the back door or a window is left open they get in and have, in the past, sprayed too so please don't think that I see cats as all sweetness and light - I know they're not.  It's my choice to leave the doors open and the windows and I know the risk I'm taking by doing so.

We managed to get on top of our cat problem by filling a super soaker with water, pumping it up and everytime another cat comes near we just give it a facefull of cold water.   Another trick you could try is orange juice (although I don't know what it will do to the inside of your super soaker  :roll: ) because they don't like the taste and if you keep up the routine they soon get the message.

Ultimately, and I don't want to be harsh here, the chickens are your responsibility and if a regular house cat could get into the run then just think of what a fox could do - they're 5 times the size and muscle of a cat.

I feel for you and your families loss, but you can't just blame the cat I'm afraid.  :cry:

[Foxy]

Fifitrix

How sad, I really sorry, and the feeling of hopelessnes must really be getting you down!

Right you need to change the cats behaviour as it thinks your house is part of its territory. firstly, close you cat flap completely, your cat for now will have to ask to go out or keep in.

Secondly change the catflap -once they can get in one they will keep doing it -a different one will stump it.

Thirdly, buy a huge F......O.... pump action water gun -the biggest one you can find and also a klaxon of some sort.

Now every single time you see the cat you pump water at it and use the klaxon! You need to create a feeling of anxiety about your property which will change behaviour, and boy wont you feel good!!!  

see here...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WATER-PISTOL-WATER-WARRIORS-TIGER-SHARK_W0QQitemZ200235635313QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200235635313&_trkparms=72%3A988%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Have fun!!!!  

[too many girls]

ok maybe shooting it is a bit much, but snooze, if they tell the neighbours they will deal with it, surely the neighbours will at least try and do something about it? i have 5 cat's, mungo jerry once pinched a chick from next doors farm, (right under the nose of the farmer) he bought the dead chick home, ( mungo jerry that is not the farmer) i put him in an old budgie cage with the chick, rattled it around a lot acompanied by shouting, took the chick out and left him in there for a couple of hours, he associates chicks with the cage now,  i went round to see the farmer (took his dead chick with me) and apologised, he was very reasonable and said " well there's nowt we can do about it" that was 4 years ago and mungo jerry's  never been near another chick (he's wary of the budgie cage too) i think the neighbours should take responsability for their cat and at least apologise and offer to pay for replacement chicks.

[too many girls]

that's quite an expensive solution foxy,
ps cost of a cartridge 14 p only joking...

[SnooziSuzi]

 That's a really novel way of dealing with it TMG's!  

Ultimately, it does come down to, as you say, aversion techniques.   If you make it so that the cat associates a bad thing happening with coming into your territory then it will soon get the message, but you have to be consistant and do it every time you see the cat, otherwise they will keep taking chances.

[poultrygeist]

I think it's important too to get the cat to associate the bad experience with the place rather than with you. If everytime it comes in your garden something bad happens, it won't come in. If YOU cause it bad experiences, it'll wait til you're not there.

Good luck with it. Be creative. But be nasty.

BUT DON'T SHOOT IT !!!    (except with water! ...lots of it)

Rob