Butcher, All I was trying to say is every situation is different. I really don't like how the rescue groups have developed around here. They served a purpose for a while but now have created a self-sustaining business. They twist the truth a little too much for me. I also have friends that live in what was not long ago an area of family farms. Every farm had some barn cats for rodent control. As the developers bought up the farms and plowed down the barns the cats were left to fend for themselves. The new homeowners in the area are trying to deal with the packs of feral cats. As you point out probably the biggest problem is how people treat the domestic animals they no longer want or need. They all think that "setting them free" in the woods is good for them. They don't realize most of them don't know how to fend for themselves and suffer terribly. The ones that do survive equate people with food and create packs that cause problems... KaptJaq
Butcher and KaptJaq I read both your posts as feeling the same way, no worries. I worked at a humane society years ago. Most the feral cats brought in we in pretty bad shape. Most domestic pets will not make if they are dumped and left to fend for themselves. BTW, college towns seem to have more dumping than other towns, ie: summer break when the kids go home for summer.
Yeah, I generally get a few blood stains in the snow too once or twice per winter...I guess that over the many years, this is the first time seeing a hawk in the area and in action (although I obviously know they are around). Heck, if they go just a mile up the road, they can get to the fish hatchery and have trout and salmon like the eagle in my avatar does. That pic was taken on the river just outside the hatchery. Time to get the feeders back in place.
Several years now we have had a prairie falcon visit us in the summer. I have watched him attempt a run through our feeding location. It has left evidence only once. I credit that to having enough obstacles that it forces it to slow down when it buzzes the tower so it can maneuver and not crash. I would however like to see just once what a successful target acquisition looks like in person.
I found a kitten when I lived outside of Clemson. I could not find a shelter to take her because they were all full. They said the same thing you did about college kids. They get the animals then dump them. I ended up giving the cat to my mom who spoiled her rotten for her whole life.
This guy visited my house today. Unfortunately she left a bit of a mess of feathers. Big snowstorm going on at the time.
Put some bundles of brush hanging up by the bird feeders or stick some tall sticks in the snow by the bird feeder, then put some cheasp nylon net or trellis material on the slicks. The hawks can't swoop in where there are obsticals.
When it was farms all around here and I grew up on one so I'm rather familiar with how much hard work and commitment it can be, if you had problems with feral cats if you caught them you'd try to domesticate them as it was better to have them eating provided food than helping themselves to your market stock. If you couldn't catch them then you had to eliminate them. Same category as rats and mice. Now that the farms have all bankrupted and been driven out for all the reasons that they have and this turned into a bedroom community almost overnight cats that still get dumped here go wild and no one has the patience nor time to try to catch and domesticate them any more so they call animal rescue leagues and animal controls to eliminate their "cat problem" for them. Policy here is to catch them, fix them and return them. I had one fixed and I got it to eat cat treats off my shoe but never got it any more trusting than that. I was working 14 hour days at the time with my own business and couldn't catch it and have a wild cat in the house alone frightened. All the feral cats here disappeared when we had a bunch of coyotes that settled here for several years. One advantage to the hungry coyotes was we could garden without rabbit fences . But then the mole and squirrel population exploded ....... The balance of nature sure changed out here when the farms all failed.........
The animal rescue league here euthanizes everything. Supposedly after 7 days. They don't have the resources for anything else. If a rescue is bad enough shape that requires extensive veterinary care - into the incinerator. They used to incinerate on Tuesdays and that doesn't smell nice. Neighbors complained so much about the smoke and smell they built a new building on the edge of town where fewer people would be impacted by they practices. There are also rescue/foster homes where people try harder and longer to find homes . The rescue options don't work together because of opposing philosophies and they're more or less competing over the limited source of funds be they donations / taxes.
Here, we have rescues that are successful. So much so, that hundreds of dogs are brought into this state for adoption from high kill shelters down south. Cats are not brought in, but are not killed unless violent or diseased. Even elderly animals are kept. Maine has strict animal laws. No dogs allowed to roam. Any pet at the rescue is neutered. No free puppy adds. Even mixed breed dogs go for $100 to $300. You still can find free kiiten adds, but the ones at the shelter will cost you. No need to shoot feral cats here. Feral cats, and most outside cats are at high risk to be eaten by fishers, coyotts, and other preditors who numbers are high even in populated areas. This had become a huge problem here. I have six Himalayan cats and none are ever let outside. My two labs are supervised or kept in a fenced in kennel area when they go outside. The snow is way too deep now, so they are limited to the yard area.
