Barn Cat Help

[big brown horse]

We had a weasel problem a few years back. I took the pee thing to the next degree. I used my own! Collected in an old coffee can and poured all around the chicken pen!
It was very late in the game so I am not sure how well it actually worked.

They also say dog hair or feces will deter weasels. I know dog hair amongst my greens in the garden seems to help a lot with the rabbits.

DrakeMaiden, I have two St. Bernards, so if you need dog hair or the other item mentioned above, I've got you covered! Not sure how the postal system would enjoy that though!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

LOL you guys are so funny!

But I did read that it is true that female cats are better hunters, so there ya go!

LOL SKR8PN . . . a moat! But yes, water is a limiting factor for weasel habitat. Too bad we have a pond.

Beekissed -- cool, I didn't know about the motion sensor owls. Seems kind of a silly thing to have around, but if it works, might be worth looking in to. Might second as a good Halloween decoration. Thanks for the offer of bringing Jake by. If I lived close enough, I would love to have his help!

Also, yes, rat terriers were bred to hunt both rats and weasels around chicken coops. I want one now. OK, kind of. I really want a bigger dog though.

BBH -- I may take you up on the dog hair! I don't think I want the other dog product laying around, though. LOL

Thanks you all for the good ideas and a great laugh this morning.

We made it through yesterday and last night. for today. Our cat has now paid for her keep. She has a special knack for detering predators. When we adopted her (she was found at the dump) she came to us subclinically sick and no vet every cured her, though we have treated her for several possible diseases. I think she might been exposed to toxic metal waste or something? Predators won't touch her and she has proved a good rat catcher. I think just her smell keeps some things away. She has finally made me proud of her! I never would have believe it!

 

[big brown horse]

Sounds like you got yourself a LGC!! Livestock Gurdian Cat!

Are you sure you don't want that other canine by product?

 

[FarmerChick]

LGC!
I like that!
Tell people you have that and they won't know what it is..HA HA
but you have a special one!

 

[rebecca100]

How is she sick? Poor thing.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Thanks, BBH, but NO THANKS!

Well, she came to us having sneezing fits. She still has them. She has been treated several times and we just gave up on solving her sneezing fits. She also has drooling issues.

She is very sweet and gentle, but she is probably our best rat killer. I suspect she lived off of dump rats before we got her.

 

[ducks4you]

" Tame cats just don't have the drive left in them."
For SHAME, big brown horse!!!! My cat, "Favorite" who OWNS my barn was thoroughly I N S U L T E D by your comment!! She keeps almost ALL of the mice population (in the barn) in check--only her 15 lb. brother, "Clever" gets to come into the barn to help (and eat!)
ALL of my 4 kitties are catchable and petable, and they ALL are outside and house cats. I would NOT recommend ferrel cats unless your can't find someone's unwanted litter.....I think you probably can!! When you read the stories about untamed cats that rip open your arm when the vet is trying to give them a rabies shot, you'll probably consider starting with pre-handled kittens.

As far as your weasel problem--I'd get a rat terrier, too. They're bred to get tunnelling vermin. ALL terriers are a little vicious, like PitBull (terriers.), but they're good hunters. One of my dogs is 1/4 PitBull, and though she isn't mean, she doesn't trust easily and bristles growls and barks at unknown people/animals.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

See I really like pit bulls. I also wouldn't mind a terrier, although it wouldn't be my first pick. My husband does not like either of them. :/ He is a spoil sport.

I guess I'd like to re-home a cat that would otherwise be kicked to the curb . . . so ferral or just unwanted . . . doesn't matter.

ETA: But I see your point, Ducks4You!

 

[big brown horse]

" Tame cats just don't have the drive left in them."
For SHAME, big brown horse!!!! My cat, "Favorite" who OWNS my barn was thoroughly I N S U L T E D by your comment!! She keeps almost ALL of the mice population (in the barn) in check--only her 15 lb. brother, "Clever" gets to come into the barn to help (and eat!)
ALL of my 4 kitties are catchable and petable, and they ALL are outside and house cats. I would NOT recommend ferrel cats unless your can't find someone's unwanted litter.....I think you probably can!! When you read the stories about untamed cats that rip open your arm when the vet is trying to give them a rabies shot, you'll probably consider starting with pre-handled kittens.

As far as your weasel problem--I'd get a rat terrier, too. They're bred to get tunnelling vermin. ALL terriers are a little vicious, like PitBull (terriers.), but they're good hunters. One of my dogs is 1/4 PitBull, and though she isn't mean, she doesn't trust easily and bristles growls and barks at unknown people/animals.

Sorry D4U!! Did not mean to offend your cat. Yes, there are good mousers that were raised from a kitten, sorry if I offended anyone elses cat too. This week I can't say anything right!

My house cat (from the pound, I got him as a 4 year old) also catches a few mice on occasion, but he lacks the fatal instinct. But it was my barn cats, who were all part of a catch and release program designed for ferral cats, (which are everywhere in the city of Houston spreading diseases) that really paid their rent. If you read my post you will see that with time, I gentled them. But they were not perfect "well handled as kittens" types.

Warning here comes the rant:
I still stand behind ferral cats b/c of people out there who wont neuter or spay their cats leave me no choice. I'm doing the responsible thing by having them fixed, gentled (as much as I can) and then given a JOB! Sure I would love to get a kitten that I picked out and gentled etc. but I wouldn't be able to face myself in the long run...too many unwanted and ferral cats out there. Not my fault, but I am going to be part of the solution. And I never got one that lacked that rat catching drive, never.

My vet at the time had a very good procedure for giving my cats shots. First of all they all had their first set of shots when they were trapped, spayed or neutered. When she came out she wore her leather gloves and placed (rather held down) the cat on a bale of hay so he could scratch and bite it not her. I never saw her get a scratch once. Usually by the time they needed their second set of shots, they were pretty used to being touched, so she didn't have to do that hay bale thing very often. She even gave me a discount on the "ferral" cats...who all had a part of their ear nipped off for easy identifying them as members of the program.

Out of all my indoor outdoor house cats, only one or two became wonderful mousers...and it aint the current one.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I agree, BBH. I think ferral cats can be tamed to some degree and I think it is good to give them a purpose that they are instinctively good at. If you can't re-home the ferrals in barns . . . who will want them? JMO. And since I have plenty of gentle house kitties, I don't think I need or want another. :/

Ducks4You . . . I hope you are not offended. This is just my opinion. I do understand your point.