Cat Pictures Are So Cute

[Cowboy]

I"m not a big cat person but I do like to have them in the barn. When my daughter was married in October, she took the cats with her to live in the barn where she is now. I waited a few weeks to see if any strays showed up and when they didn't, I found out that one of the Animal Shelters close by will allow people to adopt cats but they would also give away "mousers" to people with barns for free. These were the cats ranging from didn't like to be handled to almost wild. I called and they came out and set up cages in the barn, told us to feed them for a couple of weeks and then let them out. Seems to be working well and I think it is a good program. Much better than the alternative.

[blunthead]

That would be my partner. I shoo, he gets the paintball gun. He doesn't aim for them, just in their general direction, although if they ever do catch one of the cardinals he might not be as forgiving.

So, what are the colors of your neighbor's cats, Mod?

My neighbor has outdoor cats which have been wreaking havoc with the ecology in my yard. I don't like it but I like my neighbor who has been a Godsend, so I'm not sure what to do beside try not to think about it. I am personally against owning cats which are allowed outdoors, though part of my reason is my presumption that spayed cats are more vulnerable to predators. Someone recently told me that that's not true. Oh yeah, my neighbor told me. Another part of my reason is that cats will roam and get lost and then are usually doomed. Unless they actually don't roam and get lost if they're spayed. I'll have to ask my neighbor. And there's the reason about cats wreaking the ecology, and doing so cruelly. Sometimes I wish nature was way different. I hate to say it but maybe laws need to be written per no outdoor-cat ownership.

Oh, and GNT, "...rake the litter pan..."... Just 'cause yer a gnt doesn't mean yer cat has to be one of the Big ones.

Big cat

[Moderator]

So, what are the colors of your neighbor's cats, Mod?

My neighbor has outdoor cats which have been wreaking havoc with the ecology in my yard. I don't like it but I like my neighbor who has been a Godsend, so I'm not sure what to do beside try not to think about it. I am personally against owning cats which are allowed outdoors, though part of my reason is my presumption that spayed cats are more vulnerable to predators. Someone recently told me that that's not true. Oh yeah, my neighbor told me. Another part of my reason is that cats will roam and get lost and then are usually doomed. Unless they actually don't roam and get lost if they're spayed. I'll have to ask my neighbor. And there's the reason about cats wreaking the ecology, and doing so cruelly. Sometimes I wish nature was way different. I hate to say it but maybe laws need to be written per no outdoor-cat ownership.

Oh, and GNT, "...rake the litter pan..."... Just 'cause yer a gnt doesn't mean yer cat has to be one of the Big ones.

Big cat

Black and splatter yellow.

In the past, my cats were always allowed to go outdoors and were spayed/neutered. Unfortunately, we had at least one fisher (a member of the weasel family) in the neighborhood and cats are a favorite food of theirs. I suspect I lost more than one cat for that reason. Only able to confirm that with one cat, though. This cat has been primarily an indoor cat because even though the fisher was trapped, there may be others and that's not the only predator, as well as that he had needed insulin shots in the past. He's in remission now but still indoors unless we take him out on a leash or sneaks out the door when we let the dog in/out.

[Spideyman]

I"m not a big cat person but I do like to have them in the barn. When my daughter was married in October, she took the cats with her to live in the barn where she is now. I waited a few weeks to see if any strays showed up and when they didn't, I found out that one of the Animal Shelters close by will allow people to adopt cats but they would also give away "mousers" to people with barns for free. These were the cats ranging from didn't like to be handled to almost wild. I called and they came out and set up cages in the barn, told us to feed them for a couple of weeks and then let them out. Seems to be working well and I think it is a good program. Much better than the alternative.

Thank you, Cowboy. I hope they will help keep your barn safe and secure for the barn animals.

[not_nadine]

Had to look that up!

[Jojo87]

My parents cat also do the same chattering noise if it's inside and sit near a window when a bird happen to fly by or be near.
It's a outdoor cat so mostly it's in the woods and hunt mice or sometimes unfortunately birds too. We really don't like when the cat come
home with little birds or a squirrel. Yes it's a too good hunter. My sister have two cats and they are indoors cat. But when they're here in my home
town if my sister is coming for a visit, we let them out and sometimes they also come with a mouse or something. But they haven't catch any birds yet.
So even if they are indoor cats it's hunting instinct in them.

[blunthead]

Black and splatter yellow.

In the past, my cats were always allowed to go outdoors and were spayed/neutered. Unfortunately, we had at least one fisher (a member of the weasel family) in the neighborhood and cats are a favorite food of theirs. I suspect I lost more than one cat for that reason. Only able to confirm that with one cat, though. This cat has been primarily an indoor cat because even though the fisher was trapped, there may be others and that's not the only predator, as well as that he had needed insulin shots in the past. He's in remission now but still indoors unless we take him out on a leash or sneaks out the door when we let the dog in/out.

The main thing is your cat is kept safe, and is not allowed to hunt the neighboring animals to extinction.

I had a cat with diabetes, had to get a urine sample every morning, figure the dose, give him insulin for I can't remember how long. Ultimately we, vet and I, couldn't control his blood sugar though. I had him for about 16 years.

[atomicinchworm]

Really, that article indicated to me that they have no idea how many small critters cats kill. I also suspect, that in TNR colonies (trap, neuter, release) that are fed, they don't do as much hunting. I'm sure they still do some, but not nearly as much as cats left to fend for themselves.

My boys are essentially frat boys. Kramer is super lazy, and also pretty inept (see the mouse incident that Todash was referring to). And fat (he's lost some weight after packing on the pounds when we went to Colorado for two weeks to help take care of my mom, and they were free fed. He seriously went from like 14.5-15 pounds to 17, the porker.) Percy could probably be a hunter, but, despite the fact that he's very enthusiastic about everything, his aim is not so good. He does really like to hunt the bug that land on the glass, as he is thankfully devoid of hunting opportunities indoors.

I called and they came out and set up cages in the barn, told us to feed them for a couple of weeks and then let them out. Seems to be working well and I think it is a good program. Much better than the alternative.

The barn cat programs are really good. They give cats that would otherwise be euthanized a pretty good shot at a decent little kitty life.

[Lily Sawyer]

The next thing I knew, this big black thing literally leapt straight up from below the window and grabbed a bird.

One of the Siamese I grew up with did this from a curled-up sleeping position on a chaise lounge on the side porch, and landed on the back of an unfortunate dog. He and his buddy were passing through, walking past the cat, and he wasn't having any of it. The dogs never showed up again in our driveway.

I also had a ratty old barn cat once who was very sick and I nursed her back to health who used to bring me gophers in tribute.

This is Mao! The two of you bonded a lot more than you were aware of while she was ill. She made the association between you and feeling better, so she brought you love offerings. Mao did the same thing and ramped it up to virtual daily worship after I nursed him back to health when he had to have surgery.

He's a fast little bugger. He nails hummingbirds. I used to cry when he'd bring them to me. One year he almost decimated the lizard population, so I started getting him to spit them out (they were usually alive and apparently tasted yucky) and then pick him up and bring him inside. I'd still do the Yay-Rah Cheerleader Thank You Good Kitty dance, but at least the lizard had a chance to escape and the yard environment didn't take a hit. Most of the time he brought vermin, though.

I'd walk out my front door and these gopher guts would be literally splayed out all over and she'd be sitting there all patient, waiting for me to praise her. I would tell her thanks, and to clean up the mess before I got back. She always did.

Nothing says "Good Morning" or "I love you!" quite like disemboweled varmint. Ewwwwww. Been there and done that...but Mao was a slob. He wouldn't clean up his messes. I always had to bring out the hose and power-wash the welcome mat or patio.

I still love them, though. Cats are such wonderful beasties, interesting and amusing and lovely and never, ever boring.

[blunthead]

Who says cats aren't negatively influenced by watching Stephen King movies...?

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