Feral Cat Infestation!

glenn57 wrote:

soo……. how many of these so called “feral” cats are just maybe farm cats looking for dinner??????

serious question!!!!!!!!

It’s usually pretty obvious right away when dealing with cats in traps. The wild ones go nuts. I’ve actually had a tame cat purring at me while in a foot hold trap one time. I was near multiple farms so it’s entirely possible it was just a farm cat but it was definitely tame and friendly. I’m not that cold hearted. I kneeled down, pet it a bit then released it from the trap. His foot was sore but not broken, I’m sure it was just fine. He scampered off to kill more endangered song birds or something.
I did have one fool me one time. It seemed really tame until it wasn’t….. luckily I was wearing heavy Carhartt bibs or my legs would’ve needed stitches.
Physically it’s generally pretty obvious if your handling a feral cat. They’re skinny and dirty compared to a domesticated cat and almost always have fleas.

We had cats on our farm but would not consider any of them tame. They were there for one reason. The only thing they got fed was a couple quarts of milk at the end of each milking. Sometimes we had up to 20 around. In all the years I think we only had one you could pet. It was my aunts before she moved off the farm. It didn’t stay tame for long. Only time they got handled was if we found a batch of kittens then dad would give them a distemper shot.
It sure was a hell of a time when me and my brother would let our 3 Chesapeakes in the barn at the end of milking. We would run them cats ragged till the ole man started yelling. Good times.

Ice Cap wrote:

Local police or sheriffs as they are the ones responding to any issue. I know a couple of local cops and from what they tell me is as long as I’m not discharging a firearm in city limits do what I need. The cats are a big issue and they are getting calls all the time.

Not cat related but about 9 or 10 years ago a local cop stopped over when I was in the front yard and asked me if I had seen a chicken running around. I told him it was in my neighbors yard. He said if I helped him catch it I could have it for dinner. I told him I tried to catch it and couldnt. I said if we could chase it into my backyard I could take care of it. The chicken never left my backyard. He just wanted it gone because he said like 5 people had called 911 because of a damn chicken.

JEREMY wrote:

He just wanted it gone because he said like 5 people had called 911 because of a damn chicken.

The people calling that in should be charged with being stupid and wasting an officer’s time.

A cat or dog is treated different than wildlife according to the police. They will charge you with animal cruelty if you are caught, and in our great state, a pellet gun is considered a firearm, so there’s another felony charge to deal with. I can speak from experience and practice the 3 S’s. Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

Craig Sery wrote:

A cat or dog is treated different than wildlife according to the police. They will charge you with animal cruelty if you are caught, and in our great state, a pellet gun is considered a firearm, so there’s another felony charge to deal with. I can speak from experience and practice the 3 S’s. Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

Better let me gimruis know that. And I’m only saying that due to how he likes to preach laws to any one breaking one. ( and no hate gim, I’d do the same )

Floyd Ragan the game warden in the Slayton area many years ago was on the record as saying he shot any cat that was more than a quarter of a mile from the nearest farm place.

steelslinger71 wrote:

Floyd Ragan the game warden in the Slayton area many years ago was on the record as saying he shot any cat that was more than a quarter of a mile from the nearest farm place.

I remember that from when I in that area in the late 70’s..

Craig Sery wrote:

A cat or dog is treated different than wildlife according to the police. They will charge you with animal cruelty if you are caught, and in our great state, a pellet gun is considered a firearm, so there’s another felony charge to deal with. I can speak from experience and practice the 3 S’s. Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.

The hunting regs specifically state rules about dogs outside of hunting season.

If you have a link on rules about this can you please post it. Someone’s pet in the city is not considered the same as a wild free roaming version.

Also a BB or pellet gun is not considered a firearm in Minnesota. A quick search showed this. Unless something has changed.

A BB gun is not a firearm. And a pellet gun, airsoft or other air-powered gun isn’t a firearm either.

The Minnesota Supreme Court said:

“The issue before us in Haywood was not whether a “firearm” must be a weapon. Rather, the issue before us in Haywood was whether a BB gun that used “compressed air,” and not “gunpowder” or some other “explosive force,” was a “firearm” under Minn. Stat. § 609.165, subd. 1 (2014). 886 N.W.2d at 489-90 (stating “[w]e… hold that an air-powered BB gun is not a firearm”). We did not consider or decide whether a device must be a weapon to be a “firearm.” Today, we conclude that a device must be a weapon to be a “firearm” under Minn. Stat. § 624.713, subd. 1.”

State v. Glover, 952 NW 2d 190 (Minn. Supreme Court 2020)

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JEREMY wrote:</div>
He just wanted it gone because he said like 5 people had called 911 because of a damn chicken.

The people calling that in should be charged with being stupid and wasting an officer’s time.

Depends on if it’s a hen or a rooster. A rooster can tear up a kid’s legs pretty bad with their spurs. Even an adult can be cut up by them.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Craig Sery wrote:</div>
A cat or dog is treated different than wildlife according to the police. They will charge you with animal cruelty if you are caught, and in our great state, a pellet gun is considered a firearm, so there’s another felony charge to deal with. I can speak from experience and practice the 3 S’s. Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.

The hunting regs specifically state rules about dogs outside of hunting season.

If you have a link on rules about this can you please post it. Someone’s pet in the city is not considered the same as a wild free roaming version.

I’m not going to argue, this was pre 2020 so not sure what has changed. I shot a feral cat in my yard with a pellet gun after it attacked my son. Was charged with two felonies and after several thousands of dollars and a year plus of court it was resolved. Not saying it was the smartest thing to do but when it was my 4 year old son I’m sure many dads in here would’ve done the same

damn right!! hope it all worked out good for you!!

Wow Craig that’s quite a story.

Red Eye wrote:

It sure was a hell of a time when me and my brother would let our 3 Chesapeakes in the barn at the end of milking. We would run them cats ragged till the ole man started yelling. Good times.

I hope for your sake you’ve matured a bit since then. That ain’t even in the same ballpark as dispatching a feral cat. You do what you gotta do but to take joy or find entertainment by pitting one animal against another is bottom of the barrel stuff.

gim wrote:

Wow Craig that’s quite a story.

No kidding! I sure hope for his sake there arent any long term ramifications of this.

Craig Sery wrote:

I’m not going to argue, this was pre 2020 so not sure what has changed. I shot a feral cat in my yard with a pellet gun after it attacked my son. Was charged with two felonies and after several thousands of dollars and a year plus of court it was resolved. Not saying it was the smartest thing to do but when it was my 4 year old son I’m sure many dads in here would’ve done the same

Looks like you were charged with section about harm to a “pet or companion animal”. Did they argue it wasn’t a feral or that all cats are pet or companion animals?

dirtywater wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Red Eye wrote:</div>
It sure was a hell of a time when me and my brother would let our 3 Chesapeakes in the barn at the end of milking. We would run them cats ragged till the ole man started yelling. Good times.

I hope for your sake you’ve matured a bit since then. That ain’t even in the same ballpark as dispatching a feral cat. You do what you gotta do but to take joy or find entertainment by pitting one animal against another is bottom of the barrel stuff.

Nothing like shunning some actions of a young dumb kid. Lol

Reef W wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Craig Sery wrote:</div>
I’m not going to argue, this was pre 2020 so not sure what has changed. I shot a feral cat in my yard with a pellet gun after it attacked my son. Was charged with two felonies and after several thousands of dollars and a year plus of court it was resolved. Not saying it was the smartest thing to do but when it was my 4 year old son I’m sure many dads in here would’ve done the same

Looks like you were charged with section about harm to a “pet or companion animal”. Did they argue it wasn’t a feral or that all cats are pet or companion animals?

There isn’t a feral cat in mn. Peta got that changed along time ago. Hence the reason it’s illegal to dispatch stray cats.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Nothing like shunning some actions of a young dumb kid. Lol

I did every dumb thing in the book when I was a kid and another handful as a young adult. Some things you gotta actually take seriously and ask yourself “why did that bring me joy at the time?” Torturing animals is not something I’d be laughing about on the web but that’s just me.

I hope for your sake you’ve matured a bit since then. That ain’t even in the same ballpark as dispatching a feral cat. You do what you gotta do but to take joy or find entertainment by pitting one animal against another is bottom of the barrel stuff.
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Does that go for hunting dogs too? Just curious where you draw the line there?

I did every dumb thing in the book when I was a kid and another handful as a young adult. Some things you gotta actually take seriously and ask yourself “why did that bring me joy at the time?” Torturing animals is not something I’d be laughing about on the web but that’s just me.
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Shucks. Couple farm boys chasing cats with there dogs is definitely not what I’d consider over the top. Dumb yeah, but we all did very dumb stuff when we were young. When those cats kill bunnies and we cheer them on, is that cruelty ? Cause those cats get nasty.
What about shooting random cats because you see them in a field. That one i get pretty iffy about.

Bearcat89 wrote:

There isn’t a feral cat in mn. Peta got that changed along time ago. Hence the reason it’s illegal to dispatch stray cats.

Did they though, nobody could find the statutes in the other thread could they? The DNR seemed to think it was legal at some point but this document with a quote from them isn’t dated so I don’t know when it was. I’m interested in how a law about “pet or companion” animals was actually applied but after looking at his case this seems to imply the cat had an owner…

Edit:
I can’t get pictures to work at all…

One was of the Jason Abraham (MNDR Furbearer Specialist) supposedly saying “Feral cats can be freely hunted; hunter is responsible for determining if the cat is owned or wild”

Second was transcript of court case and says “because of involvement from the — I almost said family of the victim, by the pet owner here, the family’s been quite involved in this case”

Reef W wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
There isn’t a feral cat in mn. Peta got that changed along time ago. Hence the reason it’s illegal to dispatch stray cats.

Did they though, nobody could find the statutes in the other thread could they? The DNR seemed to think it was legal at some point but this document with a quote from them isn’t dated so I don’t know when it was. I’m interested in how a law about “pet or companion” animals was actually applied but after looking at his case this seems to imply the cat had an owner…

Sorry, I shouldn’t say there isn’t feral cats. There is a large number of feral cats, but they are now protected in mn. And chargeable if you kill them. This is straight from the pine county dnr. Unless the cat is causing problems and has been documented. Just like any other problem causing critter

Bearcat89 wrote:

And chargeable if you kill them. This is straight from the pine county dnr.

See my edit, screenshots won’t post. Charged with what is my question, it has to be tied to a law you’ve broken. Craig’s case might answer that, or maybe not if the cat supposedly had an owner.

Reef W wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
And chargeable if you kill them. This is straight from the pine county dnr.

See my edit, screenshots won’t post. Charged with what is my question, it has to be tied to a law you’ve broken. Craig’s case might answer that, or maybe not if the cat supposedly had an owner.

Not sure. And I probably won’t be finding out. I’m not much of a cat killer. That’s probably a good follow up question to the dnr.

Here’s another dumb scenario. A feral cat is killing song birds and its OK but if you did it, you would be charged a federal crime. They can’t have it both ways.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I did every dumb thing in the book when I was a kid and another handful as a young adult. Some things you gotta actually take seriously and ask yourself “why did that bring me joy at the time?” Torturing animals is not something I’d be laughing about on the web but that’s just me.

Shucks. Couple farm boys chasing cats with there dogs is definitely not what I’d consider over the top. Dumb yeah, but we all did very dumb stuff when we were young. When those cats kill bunnies and we cheer them on, is that cruelty ? Cause those cats get nasty.
What about shooting random cats because you see them in a field. That one i get pretty iffy about.
[/quote]

Oh come on – he probably let the dogs loose in the barn the cats climbed up the poles and it was over. You act like he had them in an octagon till death. Aint no different than a coon hound running through the woods treeing a coon to get shot between the eyes. Wait till you figure out what coyotes due to fawns or wolves to elk.

Illegal to dispatch feral cats? I rank that right up there with being unlawful to pi$$ on the ice.