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Cat Forum / General Topics / November 2003Possum update
I've discussed my possum and raccoon problems here before: the varmints come inside through the cat flap and eat the cat's food ... and who knows what else they do. It got so bad that I took in a couple of dogs needing rescue to deal with the vermin. The possum will not be back: Brandy killed it tonight. It was the second time she had cornered the possum under the back steps. The first time the possum was fairly calm about it - this time it was in serious defense mode. Brandy was snapping at it from the left, Buddy was barking his head off on the right, and I was poking it with a ten-foot piece of plastic water pipe. The possum kept turning its head to bite the pipe, and Brandy responded by lunging at its neck - it then turned to drive Brandy off and I'd poke it again. One time Brandy managed to grab it by the neck when it turned to bite the pipe, pulled it out and shook it into submission, then she mauled it to death. Good riddance. Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was in the back yard for over an hour, but it's not there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with it. But I doubt the cats will have to go hungry over night any more due to *that* possum eating their food. As far as I know, the coon is still around. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) >I've discussed my possum and raccoon problems here before: the >varmints come inside through the cat flap and eat the cat's food ... >and who knows what else they do. It got so bad that I took in a >couple of dogs needing rescue to deal with the vermin. Ted, you may not have to worry about the raccoon coming back now that you have the dogs. Critters usually just don't like to come around when there's a barking dog outside...I'm surprised the opossum did. He must have been really bold. We had problems with opossums, armadillos and snakes bad but once we got a dog, they just sort of disappeared. Our house had been vacant six years before we moved back, and the snakes, mostly bullsnakes, in particular had really taken up residence here. I didn't want to kill them, we would never do that, but I sure don't miss 'em. Sherry >>I've discussed my possum and raccoon problems here before: the >>varmints come inside through the cat flap and eat the cat's food ... [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >really taken up residence here. I didn't want to kill them, we would never do >that, but I sure don't miss 'em. I let the dogs inside as a reward. At 10:00 PM I snapped a leash on Brandy's collar (she refuses to go out without that lead) and took her outside. A possum - possibly the same one - was eating *her* food. Brandy almost pulled me off the porch before I could unsnap the lead. The possum had a head start of at least fifty feet, and Brandy caught up with it about seventy-five feet out. She harassed it for at least a quarter hour - Buddy went to help, but came right back. Eventually, I loaded up my air rifle (that took at least five minutes) and took a shot at the possum through an open window - at that range, a hit was unlikely and damage even less so, but I did get its attention. The possum ran off into the fence row where the dogs couldn't get at it. I hope this doesn't have to escalate to firearms - I don't like them - they are expensive and dangerous, but slingshot, air rifle, and dogs have so far all failed. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) | I've discussed my possum and raccoon problems here before: the | varmints come inside through the cat flap and eat the cat's food ... | and who knows what else they do. It got so bad that I took in a | couple of dogs needing rescue to deal with the vermin. | | The possum will not be back: Brandy killed it tonight. I'm sure you are relieved. I'm still looking for the mouse Tom kindly brought inside and let go last week :-( How are the dogs getting on anyway? How do the cats respond to them? Carola Ted wrote: > Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was >in the back yard for over an hour, but it's not >there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with it. >But I doubt the cats will have to go hungry over >night any more due to *that* possum eating >their food. I had a german shepherd years ago that got hold of a opossum, he was throwing it around like a toy. I went out and stopped him and brought him back into the house. I went back outside to check the opossum and noticed that it was breathing. Feeling bad that it was suffering I went in to get the gun to finish it off, but when I returned it was long gone. They're really good at playing possum. LOL >As far as I know, the coon is still around. Careful with coons and dogs, we had 3 large dogs come in that had cornered a coon. All 3 of them needed surgery to sew back on parts of their faces! And the coon, from what the dogs owners told us, walked away with only an attitude. This is not to say all dogs will lose the battle, one of mine not long ago got hold of one (got it by the neck, as it was coming down a tree) and choked it to death, course I'm sure it helped that the dog is a pit/catahoula mix, with extremely strong jaws. Coons don't really care whether or not dogs are around when it comes to a free meal. They're smart enough and tenacious enough to figure out how to "get around" the dogs. Good luck getting rid of the cat food stealing varmints. Although killing is the typical response of the Human Species to many problems, there are other solutions. When racoons came around to to eat the food I left out for the cats, my solution was to leave out more food. The cats have plenty, the coons have plenty, they all get along, and I love having them visit. They don't get inside the house, but if I had a hole in the wall that the cats could get through, I would expect others to use it, but I wouldn't impose the death penalty on those that did. >Although killing is the typical response of the Human Species to many >problems, there are other solutions. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >the cats could get through, I would expect others to use it, but I >wouldn't impose the death penalty on those that did. I don't particularly want the varmints killed, but I do want them out of the house. These dogs were supposed to be chasers rather than catchers. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) >Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was in the back yard for over >an hour, but it's not there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with >it. But I doubt the cats will have to go hungry over night any more >due to *that* possum eating their food. It's illegal to kill wildlife, especially inhumanely the way you did. Opossums are harmless. It would not have attacked your cat, dog or you. They are all bark and no bite. You should not have left the catfood where the opossum could get it. You should have locked the catdoor at night or put a magnetic lock on it which only your cat could use. You inticed it and invited it in then you illegally and inhumanely killed it. I hope it just played possum and left. It is illegal to feed wildlife in most states. You indirectly fed wildlife knowingly. You have violated quite a few Fish & Game regulations. >>Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was in the back yard for over >>an hour, but it's not there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >is illegal to feed wildlife in most states. You indirectly fed wildlife >knowingly. You have violated quite a few Fish & Game regulations. 1) it isn't illegal here for dogs to kill vermin: coons, possums, and coyotes are vermin in that sense - anything that threatens livestock or its food supply is vermin. It isn't illegal for land owners to defend their livestock and its food supply. In this sense, cats are livestock as well as defenders of food supplies. So are dogs. Curious that you are unfamiliar with the sport of hunting: the object there is to kill wildlife, and the sport has state support. 2) You seem not to have noticed the part where the possum got up and left after the dogs got done with it. 3) Locking the flap at night defeats the purporse of having working cats that can get at indoor as well as outdoor mice. 4) Around here, they sell bird food for wild birds, and deer food for wild deer ... and coons and possums commonly help themselves to the garden and garbage ... and any animal food they can get at. Life in the country on the edge of a forest involves living with cats to control the small vermin and dogs to control the larger vermin. Some people start off not wanting one or both, but within a few years they almost all wind up with both cats and dogs ... and firearms. The vermin either learn to stay away or they die. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. Let me start this off by saying that I'm licensed with Fish & Game. I was also a temporary deputy warden. I know the Fish & Game regulations very well. >1) it isn't illegal here for dogs to kill vermin: coons, possums, and >coyotes are vermin in that sense - anything that threatens livestock >or its food supply is vermin. It isn't illegal for land owners to >defend their livestock and its food supply. In this sense, cats are >livestock as well as defenders of food supplies. So are dogs. A hunting dog may kill those animals IF you had a hunting permit from Fish & Game. You did not. There are also certain hunting areas which are generally not residential areas. Your cat is not livestock. It was not threatened. Your catfood was in the house. You should have secured it. >Curious that you are unfamiliar with the sport of hunting: the object >there is to kill wildlife, and the sport has state support. Hunting is legal with a permit in certain areas under certain conditions. You were not legally hunting. >2) You seem not to have noticed the part where the possum got up and >left after the dogs got done with it. You intended to kill it. You tried to kill it. Fortunately it did not die. It's still illegal to harm wildlife for no reason. It's illegal to treat wildlife inhumanely. If your cat went to your neighbors and tried to eat their cats food, could he kill your cat? No. Should he kill your cat? No. He should lock up his catfood. >3) Locking the flap at night defeats the purporse of having working >cats that can get at indoor as well as outdoor mice. I have a magnetic locking cat door. Only my cats can come in and out. I have an opossum in my backyard. I don't want her coming in my house. She's a working opossum who kills slugs, snails and roaches outside. >4) Around here, they sell bird food for wild birds, and deer food for >wild deer ... and coons and possums commonly help themselves to the >garden and garbage ... and any animal food they can get at. Yes >Life in the country on the edge of a forest involves living with cats >to control the small vermin and dogs to control the larger vermin. >Some people start off not wanting one or both, but within a few years >they almost all wind up with both cats and dogs ... and firearms. The >vermin either learn to stay away or they die. I live in Los Angeles in the city near the foothills. We have coyotes, deer, mice, rats, opossums, raccoons, wild birds, stray cats and stray dogs. I also have a gun. I have no desire to kill the animals. I have learned how to live with them in harmony. I don't lure animals or insects that I don't care for into my home. It's also illegal here in LA to lure wildlife to your property and neighborhood by leaving food and trash out. I lock my trashcan lids to keep coyotes and raccoons from dumping them over. I don't feed birds because I don't want poop all over my cars. Wildlife and I don't have a problem with each other. There's no need to kill them when you should merely deter them. You can kill opossums daily but they'll keep showing up as long as you have accesible catfod. I also do humane wildlife control. Sorry if I seem harsh but you were basically bragging about killing a harmless animal. I almost thought you were a troll. >I live in Los Angeles in the city near the foothills. We have coyotes, deer, >mice, rats, opossums, raccoons, wild birds, stray cats and stray dogs. I also [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >a >troll. Good info., Mary. I still maintain though, that if there's no reason for wildlife to come near the house (no food source), and the place is inhabited by dogs and people, they really don't care to be around. I really admire your attitude. We had a real problem when we first moved back, and after four years, it's only the occasional critter we see. We've actually grown very fond of some of them. (well not the skunks though, but "our" terrapins (box turtles) especially. We even have a big old cat fish with a wart on his head that practically crawls out of the pond when you call him for food. (here, fishy fishy fishy). Sherry Sherry >Let me start this off by saying that I'm licensed with Fish & Game. I was also >a temporary deputy warden. I know the Fish & Game regulations very well. If your arguments were valid, then cats would not be allowed to catch and kill mice. I don't think you will find many rural people who subscribe to that, or to the notion that dogs aren't allowed to attack vermin. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. > >Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was in the back yard for over > >an hour, but it's not there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > is illegal to feed wildlife in most states. You indirectly fed wildlife > knowingly. You have violated quite a few Fish & Game regulations. I tried to point out a week or so back to him that throwing out garbage into his back yard would only entice vermin onto his property but his reasoning was that they would be content with the food and not try and enter his house via the cat flap to get at the cats food. That fell on deaf ears. I'm still amused at what passes for logic in Ted's muddled brain. When that didn't work it seems he must have lost the ability for rational thought (assuming he had any in the first place) because what does he do? get 2 dogs!! .... where will it end? It reminds me of a story a friend told me about how his mother-in-law bought him a spaghetti jar as an Xmas present. The jar was too tall to stand on the kitchen worktops and fit under the wall cupboards. He decided to move up the cupboard a couple of inches for it to fit under but the effect looked odd so he moved up all the kitchen cupboards. This left an unsightly gap between the top of the wall tiles and the bottom of the cupboards. The tiles were no longer available so he ended up re-tiling the kitchen. An absentminded nudge of the elbow would have saved him quite a lot. Ted cant be that daft can he? I'm convinced he wanted the vermin to come to his house for whatever reason. Maybe his 15 cats have killed off every other living thing that walks crawls or has wings within a 5 mile radius that he wanted to replenish the stock. When that got out of hand he got the dogs. He did at least stop at 2. If more than 12 cats are kept on a domestic premises in the UK then it could be viewed as a cat sanctuary and planning permission is required. I can only assume Ted must live in some rat infested area to warrant 15 cats to keep the vermin down and is barking mad. Daz >I tried to point out a week or so back to him that throwing out garbage into >his back yard would only entice vermin onto his property but his reasoning >was that they would be content with the food and not try and enter his house >via the cat flap to get at the cats food. That fell on deaf ears. Here in LA it's illegal as per Building and Safety, Health Department, LA Animal Services and Fish & Game to leave garbage out which wildlife can eat. It's a misdemeanor which becomes a felony after two counts. Trash, petfood, unkept yards lure wildlife to certain neighborhoods. Here in LA it's coyotes and raccoons which most people don't like. They also don't like rats. Generally neighbors complain when people do this. >I'm still amused at what passes for logic in Ted's muddled brain. When that >didn't work it seems he must have lost the ability for rational thought >(assuming he had any in the first place) because what does he do? get 2 >dogs!! .... where will it end? That makes no sense. If he can't afford the magnetic cat door and collars, he can put in a motion activated light near the cat door and the opossum will leave when it turns on. >It reminds me of a story a friend told me about how his mother-in-law bought >him a spaghetti jar as an Xmas present. snip. An absentminded nudge of the elbow would have saved him quite a lot. Great story! >Ted cant be that daft can he? I'm convinced he wanted the vermin to come to >his house for whatever reason. Maybe his 15 cats have killed off every other [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >If more than 12 cats are kept on a domestic premises in the UK then it could >be viewed as a cat sanctuary and planning permission is required. Here in LA you can't have more than 3 in a residential neighborhood, even with a permit. Sanctuaries, kennels, groomers, pet sitters can not be located in residential zones. I'm amazed his neighbors don't complain. >I can only assume Ted must live in some rat infested area to warrant 15 cats >to keep the vermin down and is barking mad. > >Daz >Here in LA you can't have more than 3 in a residential neighborhood, even >with [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> >>Daz I think Ted lives in a very isolated area. But either Mary or Daz brought up a very good point...it's a bad idea to leave either cat food or garbage out. Once a coyote finds it, and becomes hungry and bold enough to come into the yard habitually, they *will* kill your cats. Sherry >> >Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was in the back yard for over >> >an hour, but it's not there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >(assuming he had any in the first place) because what does he do? get 2 >dogs!! .... where will it end? I thought I had you killfiled - ah, you permutated your address again. I pointed out that the food out the door was to keep them away from the house - they had been coming in for a long time before that. Outdoor animals have to be fed outdoors, or provided with a way to get at indoor food. Keeping the food indoors and not providing access would simply starve the cats (and dogs - they are live outside too). I suppose you want us to grow our gardens indoors too - the vermin have to be kept away from that too ... and stay home on garbage pickup day so we can rush the week's worth of garbage stored indoors out to the truck as it pulls up. Where I live, you *have* to have outdoor cats and outdoor dogs to deal with the vermin, and how they do it is pretty much up to their instincts. Hmmm, now how can I specify that filter so it catches a twit that is determined to defeat kill files. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. Now we know WHY you do what you do with your animals http://www.maem.umr.edu/~tdavis/ted1.htm  SignatureThe ONE and ONLY lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)? http://www.geocities.com/the_magic_mood_jeep/ http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep > >> >Or maybe not: the corpse is missing - it was in the back yard for over > >> >an hour, but it's not there now. Oh, well, I won't have to deal with [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." > somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 14:54:14 GMT, "Magic Mood Jeep©" <nobody@nowhere.net> wrote: >Now we know WHY you do what you do with your animals > >http://www.maem.umr.edu/~tdavis/ted1.htm That makes exactly zero sense. It's also an obsolete URL - the www.etc domain is an alias for gearbox.etc and I'm probably going to lose it soon to a reorganization. ~tdavis is also an alias for tdavis, and I plan to drop all the old aliases at the next gearbox rebuild. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. > ...the vermin have to be kept away... Wild creatures living in their natural environment only become "vermin" after the encroachment of humans. If anything needs to be controlled it's the cancerous expansion of the human species. > Wild creatures living in their natural environment only become "vermin" > after the encroachment of humans. If anything needs to be controlled > it's the cancerous expansion of the human species. Here here! That's the best thing I've read in this thread so far. I agree 100% >> ...the vermin have to be kept away... > >Wild creatures living in their natural environment only become "vermin" >after the encroachment of humans. If anything needs to be controlled >it's the cancerous expansion of the human species. Can't argue with that. It haw been stopped in much of this area: National Forests on two sides - I live just a few miles from the west edge of the east Mark Twain Forest and the east edge of the west one is on the other side of the county. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. > On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 01:56:03 -0000, "Daz" > > I thought I had you killfiled - ah, you permutated your address again. Don't flatter yourself Ted, I did that to prevent spam .... Doesn't seem to have worked on you though. Anyway, you read what I had to say in a reply from Mary so don't come it... I said you were a troublemaker a while back, I was right and I still have my eye on you ... ;o) > I pointed out that the food out the door was to keep them away from > the house - they had been coming in for a long time before that. > Outdoor animals have to be fed outdoors, or provided with a way to get > at indoor food. Keeping the food indoors and not providing access > would simply starve the cats (and dogs - they are live outside too). I understand that, well I thought I did, maybe I have it all wrong. Lets see if I have this right. You have 15 cats that are allowed to roam outside. You have a cat flap so your 15 cats can gain access to your house for food. Unwelcome animals that are indigenous to your area brave the 15 cats and steal the cat food via the cat flap. (For their bravery alone you should let them have it) You throw out garbage into your yard to feed the unwelcome animals so they wont steal the cat food. (how am I doing so far?) This hasn't worked so you obtain 2 dogs to prevent the unwanted animals from reaching the cat flap. You now have to throw the garbage further up the yard so the dogs cant get at it. Why are you still throwing garbage out into the yard? > I suppose you want us to grow our gardens indoors too - the vermin > have to be kept away from that too ... and stay home on garbage pickup > day so we can rush the week's worth of garbage stored indoors out to > the truck as it pulls up. You can get garbage cans with lockable lids. > Where I live, you *have* to have outdoor cats and outdoor dogs to deal > with the vermin, and how they do it is pretty much up to their > instincts. This is the bit that gets me apart from your idiotic methods of dealing with the unwanted animals. You have 15 cats. If only a 1/3rd of them killed one animal a day that is 37 kills a week, that's about 150 a month give or take. In one year your cats will have killed over 1800 native birds and other animals. I don't know the average life span of a cat so I looked it up, the consensus seems to be 12 to 14 years so lets be generous here and say your cats have an active life of 8 years. That's 14,600 animals that YOU are directly responsible for, over 14,000 animals that are native to your country that will be killed in the next 8 years because of you and your ridiculous obsession. What if they ALL killed 1 a day? ....... 43,800 ..... Are you concerned about that? If not, shame on you .... > Hmmm, now how can I specify that filter so it catches a twit that is > determined to defeat kill files. I don't hold out much hope for you doing that Ted if your methods of preventing vermin from getting into your house are anything to go by. Daz | This is the bit that gets me apart from your idiotic methods of dealing with | the unwanted animals. You're one to talk... stealing your neighbour's cat... | I don't hold out much hope for you doing that Ted if your methods of | preventing vermin from getting into your house are anything to go by. | | Daz Are your methods any better? You have to measure equally. Carola > | This is the bit that gets me apart from your idiotic methods of dealing > with > | the unwanted animals. > > You're one to talk... stealing your neighbour's cat... And I will do it again if the inconsiderate neighbour inflicts her animal on me and mine. > | I don't hold out much hope for you doing that Ted if your methods of > | preventing vermin from getting into your house are anything to go by. > | > | Daz > > Are your methods any better? You have to measure equally. They most certainly were, I was posed a problem and my actions solved it. Ted had a self inflicted problem brought about by him filling his yard with garbage and compounded the problem. Daz >> On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 01:56:03 -0000, "Daz" >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >You have 15 cats that are allowed to roam outside. No. >You have a cat flap so your 15 cats can gain access to your house for food. >Unwelcome animals that are indigenous to your area brave the 15 cats and >steal the cat food via the cat flap. Not all the vermin that try the flap are indiginous, or small enough to get in. >(For their bravery alone you should let them have it) The coon might be brave, but the possum is just stupid. >You throw out garbage into your yard to feed the unwelcome animals so they >wont steal the cat food. >(how am I doing so far?) Not very well, actually. >This hasn't worked so you obtain 2 dogs to prevent the unwanted animals from >reaching the cat flap. >You now have to throw the garbage further up the yard so the dogs cant get >at it. How is that supposed to work? the dogs aren't tied up. That was made clear when I said that I released Brandy on the front porch but the possum was around back. >Why are you still throwing garbage out into the yard? Answer yes or no: are you still beating your wife? >> I suppose you want us to grow our gardens indoors too - the vermin >> have to be kept away from that too ... and stay home on garbage pickup >> day so we can rush the week's worth of garbage stored indoors out to >> the truck as it pulls up. > >You can get garbage cans with lockable lids. You invent a raccoon proof garbage can that sells for a competive price - for that matter you could name your own price - and you will become quickly wealthy. There is one constraint that makes the problem unsolvable: the garbage pickup people have to be able to figure it out and have to be willing to do it ... and coons are smarter than most people when it comes to getting into things, and far more patient than garbage pickup men. >> Where I live, you *have* to have outdoor cats and outdoor dogs to deal >> with the vermin, and how they do it is pretty much up to their [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >In one year your cats will have killed over 1800 native birds and other >animals. I have 13 cats and only two hunt birds, and they aren't particularly successful - figure about 8-10 birds a year, and they were probably already dead (there are quite a few natural bird deaths each year, and cats are scanvangers at times). As for other animals, that does include frogs, but they certainly are not endangered, but mostly it's mice. You seem to be pouring a lot of sympathy onto mice. >I don't know the average life span of a cat so I looked it up, the consensus >seems to be 12 to 14 years so lets be generous here and say your cats have [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >What if they ALL killed 1 a day? ....... 43,800 ..... Are you concerned >about that? If not, shame on you .... Aside from making up your numbers, lumping mice and songbirds together in the desirable category, and applying cat behavior with mice to birds (a bit of cat watching would point out that cats very seldom catch a live and healthy bird, but do bring home dead, sick and already injured ones they find). Mouse killing is a Good Thing; eating (mostly) already dead birds is not necessarily a good thing because, while it does clean up the yard, the birds cats get are often diseased - West Nile comes to mind. Cats kill mice, and the occasional other animal or bird, if it's small enough. Cats are carnivores - they kill and eat meat. Dogs are also carnivores - they have killer instincts, though breeding has warped them considerably so that they are most active in the hunting and guard breeds. In any case, their killing of prey animals in morally neutral since they are not human. It is sometimes necessary to control them to prevent damage to endangered species, but there are no such animals involved here. >> Hmmm, now how can I specify that filter so it catches a twit that is >> determined to defeat kill files. > >I don't hold out much hope for you doing that Ted if your methods of >preventing vermin from getting into your house are anything to go by. I got busy and forgot to change it. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. > >> On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 01:56:03 -0000, "Daz" > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > clear when I said that I released Brandy on the front porch but the > possum was around back. You tell me Ted, you are the one doing it. You wrote, "I can't throw it as far as the planned radio fence will limit the dogs." What does that mean? > >Why are you still throwing garbage out into the yard? > > Answer yes or no: are you still beating your wife? LOL, Not as much as you are beating yourself up over those "vermin" > >> I suppose you want us to grow our gardens indoors too - the vermin > >> have to be kept away from that too ... and stay home on garbage pickup [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > smarter than most people when it comes to getting into things, and far > more patient than garbage pickup men. You don't want to invest in magnetic cat collars and now you wont shell out for a lockable dust bin, you tight wad! ... Are you sure your name isn't Ted Davistien or Edward McDavis? > >> Where I live, you *have* to have outdoor cats and outdoor dogs to deal > >> with the vermin, and how they do it is pretty much up to their [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I have 13 cats and only two hunt birds, and they aren't particularly > successful - figure about 8-10 birds a year, 13, well that puts a different light on things... sheesh! "And only 2 hunt birds" (as far as you know) I think you are living in a dream world Ted. Do you honestly expect me to believe that out of 15 cats, sorry, 13 cats only 2 kill animals? and they were probably > already dead (there are quite a few natural bird deaths each year, and > cats are scanvangers at times). As for other animals, that does > include frogs, but they certainly are not endangered, but mostly it's > mice. You seem to be pouring a lot of sympathy onto mice. I sympathise with any animal that is unnecessarily killed at the whim of someone like yourself who obviously doesn't feel any responsibility for their cats and what they get up to. > >I don't know the average life span of a cat so I looked it up, the consensus > >seems to be 12 to 14 years so lets be generous here and say your cats have [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Aside from making up your numbers, lumping mice and songbirds together Simple maths Ted, 5 X 365 X 8 = 14600. Not made up, cant argue with that unless you are still using the Jewish calculator. > in the desirable category, and applying cat behavior with mice to > birds (a bit of cat watching would point out that cats very seldom [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > because, while it does clean up the yard, the birds cats get are often > diseased - West Nile comes to mind. You are the only one with catagories, if if lives and moves a cat will attempt to kill it. A cat doesnt disriminate. Playing God comes to mind. > Cats kill mice, and the occasional other animal or bird, if it's small > enough. Cats are carnivores - they kill and eat meat. Dogs are also > carnivores - they have killer instincts, though breeding has warped > them considerably so that they are most active in the hunting and > guard breeds. In any case, their killing of prey animals in morally > neutral since they are not human. But you I assume are, and also responsible (although I have seen little evidence of that) to keep them under control. It is sometimes necessary to > control them to prevent damage to endangered species, but there are no > such animals involved here. Because they are not endangered now doesn't mean that with more people like you with similar attitudes, they wont be. > >> Hmmm, now how can I specify that filter so it catches a twit that is > >> determined to defeat kill files. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I got busy and forgot to change it. Busy doing what pray, chasing rodents? Do the right thing Ted before its too late, keep your cats indoors and stop this obsession with decimating your country's wild life. Look what you did to the Indians, they only just survived. Daz |
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