need a cat gun....

[The Annoyed Man]

@TAM: But what caliber do you recommend?

.308

[74novaman]

oh my.

[muleman]

Shelters are full....If you take them there they will be euthanized most likely. Trap, neuter and release is ridiculous. Neutered cats still mess in your flower beds, kill songbirds, scratch up your patio furniture, have fleas....you get the point. Cats can live just fine in the country. they kill rats, birds, snakes etc and prosper. I have barn cats...cats that I had neutered, vaccinate regularly and feed. but feral cats are not welcome.

As far as the 10 yr old daughter thing...that may be the best solution yet, get my 10 yr old daughter a new "cat gun" and pay her a bounty on each one she bags

22mag

[Dan20703]

[speedsix]

...isn't the internet amazing...look what they're teaching nine and ten-year-olds these days
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/cdc/ ... iculum.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mark olindale]

I think a .22 mag would be a excellent choice. See if you can find a nice Ruger .22mag. And please make sure you are shooting feral cats and not somebodys pet.

[jmra]

I think a .22 mag would be a excellent choice. See if you can find a nice Ruger .22mag. And please make sure you are shooting feral cats and not somebodys pet.

If somebody's pet is doing the same thing to his yard as the feral cat then I see little difference. Why shouldn't the cat be confined to your property just like your dog?

[Keith B]

I think a .22 mag would be a excellent choice. See if you can find a nice Ruger .22mag. And please make sure you are shooting feral cats and not somebodys pet.

If somebody's pet is doing the same thing to his yard as the feral cat then I see little difference. Why shouldn't the cat be confined to your property just like your dog?

I think you can usually tell if a cat is a neighborhood pet or feral. Animals do get loose unintentionally at times, so I would caution just saying you will shoot an animal in your yard because it is doing it's business.

[Keith B]

I believe it is a felony to shoot a house pet (cat or dog), without just cause.

Yes it is. TPC 42.09 (b) 2 is a state jail felony. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... /PE.42.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[alvins]

I forgot to mention that trapping is indeed a great solution- to the first 1 or 2 cats... these cats have all seen the trap and won't go near it even with fresh tuna in it.

Yes, I have one now, and guess what, he marks my door every night, discussting.

I have found some stuff at Tractor Supply (Shotgun Repels-All) that I put on the perimeter of my yard - keeps the roaming dogs out and I have not had but one stray cat get inside the secure area. And then it was only because my indoor cat was taunting it from the window. When we lived in Longview out in the county I used the same stuff to keep armadillos from coming out of the woods to tear up my lawn and garden. A couple of applications will usually break the habit and the animals will move on to somebody elses place. Repels-All is nasty - it would knock a buzzard offa manure wagon...

I am going to have to buy some of that stuff. My neighbors are not considerate enough to keep their pets from using my yard to do their business. I realize how many people love their cats and dogs, but they should respect their neighbors. I get tired of smelling cat urine in my flower beds and walking through dog poop while I walk through my yard. Heck, Friendswood has ordinances about keeping pets from roaming around unleashed and people in my neighborhood still do not care. I never allow my dog to roam into other peoples yards and do her business - and if she does I pick it up. I know killing these feral cats offends some, but at some point any animal can become a nuisance. And, after all, at the end of the day they are just animals. Some people care more for animals than they do for human life, I will never understand that. Rant off, now back to our regularly scheduled topic...................

I can tell you for a fact friendwood police dont enforce the leash law. My father complained to the friendswood police about peoples dogs chasing him when he went on walks. Basically they told him they dont enforce it because they get complains from the residents about them being animal haters. He asked the officer about not writing anymore speeding tickets since people complain about those and the cop told him to have a nice day.so now he he just maces any dog runs toward him barking and growling. ofcourse the owners get irritated and he has almost had to mace them too a few times. he has a chl but he wont carry his gun on walks and wont shoot a dog even if it threatens him.

[jsenner]

I have a problem with feral cats... yes, lots of them. I am also opportunistic in that I have decided this is a good enough excuse to purchase a fun little target shooting rifle. I did a little research and think I have decided on a 22 mag. I have a 22lr but don't feel like it's enough for cats and coons, out to 100 yds. I considered the 17HMR but read too much on how prairie dogs were crawling away so I think critters up to 20 lbs or so deserve something larger. I'm hesitant to go centerfire for this as I don't want a large mess to clean up after each shot.
What do you think? Is a 22 mag a good choice or have I missed something better?

I have a similar situation to yours, out in the country, cat population that seems to peak every 2-3 years to an uncontrollable level creating severe sanitation and livestock (chickens and such) issues.

I tried one of the Gammo air rifles, they pack a major punch for what they are but unless you hit accurately they make a nice clean surgical hole that causes the animal to run off and suffer so I stopped using it the first time that happened. I'll use a 10/22 with hollow points for close range shots, and I use a rossi ranch hand with light 45LC loads for longer distances, the idea being to do as much damage as possible even with an off shot to kill the animal as quickly as possible while minimizing post shot issues. If you can get decently close range shots then a 410 shotgun seems like a reasonable solution with some large shot.

[speedsix]

...kinda depends on what someone considers cruelty...shooting is humane in my viewpoint...doesn't fit the description necessary to make it illegal...

[speedsix]

I believe it is a felony to shoot a house pet (cat or dog), without just cause.

Yes it is. TPC 42.09 (b) 2 is a state jail felony. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... /PE.42.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, Keith. It looks like the same felony for those people abandoning and dumping their unwanted pets in the country.

...nope...(b)4 is a misdemeanor unless it's the third offense...that's the one for abandonment...