Here kitty kity... LOL!!

[rosse]

A few days ago we were having a discussion about possible cats for hunting purposes and so on. I have a problem with very loud, very annoying birds that needs to be dealt with and I was hoping that a predatory cat may help the problem. I've always been intrigued by cats also, and had recently began to consider them as a pet option. With the aggressive bird situation though, I need to make sure the cat can hold it's own against the birds or stay clear of them when it's outside.

Since then I've been to 3 shelters to look.

When discussing the situation with one lady, she asked me if I've ever noticed wandering cats around my house / neighborhood and mentioned that it may be possible to lure them to my property with food. She said that cats that I can lure in may be more adapted to the situation then a singe cat I adopt.

So starting Saturday I've had a cans of Purina on a side door porch that cats would have walk up access to and shade and and there's a bowl of water also. So far no evidence of a cat eating the food.

So here's my questions...

-Is this a viable option? Is there a certain technique to luring cats to live around your house such as certain food? How will these cats react to me (could I touch them, pick them up, allow one inside, so on) compared to a kitten I buy. Is it possible for me to accidentally lure someones house cat away from them?

So far, I've seen about 50 cats I wouldn't mind adopting, but so many of them are de-clawed with I don't really want done.

Thanks in advance! BTW I can post some pictures of the feeding area setup when I get home today.

 

[rosse]

BTW, from what I understand the chances of finding a cat will go up in a tree or after these birds is slim to none, I'm more worried about the birds reaction to a cat and if it poses a safety problem.

 

[mrblanche]

Mockingbirds are quite capable of intimidating almost any cat. I think the suggestion of ear plugs is by far the best one.

But, then, I love the sound of the mockingbirds.

 

[ldg]

If the cats do come, and you are going to feed them, best have a trap to get them spayed and neutered or the population can quickly get out of control. Florida has a lot of low-cost options, though it depends upon your location. If they start showing up and you'd like help searching on where to get them fixed, feel free to send me a PM.

If you are not going to sterilize them, please pull the food up.

Another idea is if you don't move around much while sleeping, use headphones and an MP3 player to block out the noise of the birds at night.

 

[strange_wings]

I wouldn't leave food out. If a stray kitty eventually comes along, you're welcome to feed and care for it (care = vet care).

Right now if you leave food out you're more likely to attract a opossum or raccoon, or if dry food - feed the mocking birds themselves.

 

[rosse]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses.

One thing I don't need is sleeping advice though. LOL. I'm a very light sleeper and I only sleep about 4-5 hours a day. Music wakes me u in the middle of the night if I don't like, or haven't heard the song and I can't sleep with ear phone. If I thought sleeping aids were the answer, and I didn't want a cat, I wouldn't be here.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Mockingbirds are quite capable of intimidating almost any cat. I think the suggestion of ear plugs is by far the best one.

But, then, I love the sound of the mockingbirds.

You don't love the sound of very loud mocking birds outside your window at 2-3 AM I bet.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by LDG

If the cats do come, and you are going to feed them, best have a trap to get them spayed and neutered or the population can quickly get out of control. Florida has a lot of low-cost options, though it depends upon your location. If they start showing up and you'd like help searching on where to get them fixed, feel free to send me a PM.

If you are not going to sterilize them, please pull the food up.

Another idea is if you don't move around much while sleeping, use headphones and an MP3 player to block out the noise of the birds at night.

When you say population out of control, what kind of numbers are we talking and how quickly? How many births will a female cat give a year?

It seems to me that cats can be nothing but a good thing to have around. It's not too much of a burden to feed them. Bare with me, not a cat person.

I also have seen the options to have cats fixed, which is also affordable enough.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I wouldn't leave food out. If a stray kitty eventually comes along, you're welcome to feed and care for it (care = vet care).

Right now if you leave food out you're more likely to attract a opossum or raccoon, or if dry food - feed the mocking birds themselves.

Believe it or not, the guy who mentioned the hunter cat idea backed off his claim and told me it really wasn't THAT realistic when I told him I was seriously considering it. But told me that a raccoon would in fact make my trees unsuitable for any nesting bird since they will search for food on a nightly bases. and eggs are a favorite.

Don't know if I want a coon on my property though.

 

[rosse]

Update - no sign of the food being eaten, so I'm scratching the project.

I think this weekend (since my football team isn't playing!) I'm going to bite the bullet and tie the not.

It's such a tough decision choosing because you want a cat that has a good personality, and you also want it to be nice looking.

I really want a calico kitten, an ex-girlfriend had a calico and it was great. I don't know how good my chances are of finding one though. Are they hard to come by?

 

[carolina]

Just a question: Are you ready to make a commitment to this cat, to give vet care, food, time and love, independently of him/her being a good hunter or not, for the next 15-20 years of its life, no matter what? Adopting a cat, is a commitment for life... This cat should be, first and foremost a pet, and given all that it needs to have a good and healthy life.
Please, please think twice before doing this if all you have is to get rid of the birds.

 

[skullman80]

I really hope you plan to take care of a cat if you do decide to adopt and not just use it for hunting or whatever. If you adopt that pet deserves an awesome home and life, and I hope you are prepared to offer it.

 

[wiccankittylove]

The cat should be a pet in the first right, and yes you might not want a coon, but i have found coons to be a wonderful creature to have around to rid you of birds, and they can be domesticated if you get one from a breeder. They make wonderful indoor and outdoor pets, they use a litter box and are very smart. Im not saying you shouldn't get a cat, they are very very amazing animals but you mentioned not wanting a coon and so i thought id mention how amazing they can be as well.