Feral Cats-Guana Cay

[gazeboman]

Interesting read for those interested in Guana and the issue of feral cats
http://henge.bio.miami.edu/coastalec...20Trapping.htm (http://henge.bio.miami.edu/coastalecology/Abaco%20Feral%20Cat%20Trapping.htm)

[SamFamAustin]

Guess what Sammie does for giggles these days? I am a professional possum, feral cat, and raccoon trapper. It's a tough job, putting out the bait, and we have the guv'mint animal control people haul off the cages when we got some in the Havahart trap. My best year, last year, was 17 varmints in a little over a month, or about one every 2 days.

Out local animal control policies are that the possum and coons go up to the wild end of our island about 7 miles to the north; some can make the trek back to town but many possum get eaten by large raptors in the winter (I only trap in the winter). Nothing will fool with our raccoons, which can exceed 30 pounds they get so large (these require two animal control officers they are so dangerous). The cats all go the local Humane Society, where the good ones are saved and the sickly ones euthanized.

One point that the article mentioned, which is very true, is that real "feral" adult cats are hardly ever trapped, as they are way too smart. So most of the cats I catch are abandoned (read "dumped") domestic short-hair cats or new litter juveniles. Fortunately, the adult males don't live very long because they are very territorial and will often fight other males to near death.

One trapper I know, who worked in Colorado, said sex is about the only way to get these wild, larger male varmints. Somehow, little Sammie isn't ready for that one! :)

But it's a fun hobby and to know that "it's as humane as possible" makes me feel like I'm doing some good. It's fun to watch from the porch as you drink beers or cocktails and wait for the FWUMP of the trap's spring-loaded gate. They need a better hot-line here though, because the cops are getting tired of me calling 911 for yet another varmint. :eek:

-mongo sammie

[patw]

This post made me decide to post a story about what happened to us with a feral cat.
Sidney was cooking crawfish on the grill. He had two marinated steaks and had them in a zip lock next to the grill. He walked in the house to rinse out a pan that he had used to carry the craw fish outside. He was inside for maybe 15 seconds. He went back out to the grill and the steaks had disappeared! All that was left were cat paw prints where the steaks had been. The next time we grilled out, we saw a huge feral cat hiding under my golf cart. I think he was waiting to get another free dinner. :mad:

[culp]

Ha! Same thing happened to us at Shorecrest II.

[trubahamian]

The smartest and best cat I ever had was a feral kitten. He was a bright orange tiger and I called him Tigger.Once he was completely tame he acted just like a dog and I could whistle or call him and he came everytime.Whether it was begging for table scraps "his preferred cuisine",runnig out to greet my truck or sleeping on my chest at night that cat actually thought he was a dog.He never did have any offspring though because I had him fixed

[SamFamAustin]

Mang, your Abaco feral cats have some expensive tastes! Baiting those cats is going to take some serious big bucks. "Gimme a pound of regular ole chuck hamburger for our dinner and a prime sirloin for kitty bait." :)

[trubahamian]

Say table scraps Sammie...not his own steak!lol! Truly though,it was his craving for high protein that killed him at 7 years old.After suffering from renal failure due to his insistance to eat nothing but protein,I had him on dialysis for 6 months before I could bear to let him go. Thank God my neice is a Vet,but even so it cost me an enormous amount of money.He was a great cat and I never really cared much for cats one way or another until him.

[SamFamAustin]

LOL, Tru, I was talkin' about those giant feral cats that steal steaks right off the table or the grill while you're not looking - not your wonderful character of a noble cat!

I've seen dogs do that but never a cat, which means only one thing - those Abaco feral cats have some serious cojones. It seems some of the larger wild cats have a taste for sirloin, rib eye, fillet mignon, T-bone, and New York Strip!

Thus my funny about high-dollar "bait." Obviously, a well-rounded, nutritious cat food will not do, only catch the innocent kitties that way. As Marie Antoinette once said, "let them eat steak." Boom and catch them in a trap. Haha. :D

[S/V Toucan Dream]

Well, my poor (money-wise) sister-in-law that lives alone in the woods outside Gainesville in an old, old single-wide trailer had a rat problem. So, she set a rat trap in the living room. Late at night, the trap went off and so did the critter. A small possum was running around the room with the trap in it's front paw. He came in through the rat hole. She was afraid to shoot it with her 410 because of wiring and plumbing. Eventually, the trap fell off and the possum went back out through the hole. She then got a live trap and set under the trailer. She's up to five caught and released way down the road. She has also since that event moved out into her 12 x 24 storage shed that we insulated, wired and plumbed up. It's nicer digs than her old trailer and no critters coming in at night.

I told her that they taste just like chicken, but she didn't believe me.

[yellowfin]

if there are so many feral cats then why are there so many rats on the cay?

[Jerry S]

Just got back from two weeks on Guana, saw a litter of kittens under every other bush but I have yet to see a rat. Not to say there are not any there, just not running rampant.

[Russell123]

Hi gazeboman its really a good one i really enjoy it

[Patti Puzo]

We noticed that the cat poplulation has really grown after this trip too. Lots of black and white cats...especially after dark. Only saw one curly tail during this trip.

[gazeboman]

On my last trip I took the time to observe the ferals mostly in the far south end. What I saw were several sick ones. The problems these ferals present are: loss of the geckos and hence more ants, loss of a great portion of the bird population, and most importantly is not if but when will the disease go rampant and affect the human population.:(

[SamFamAustin]

Have-A-Heart traps run about $200 per trap, rather expensive but in my mind, the best way to do it.

[gazeboman]

Have-A-Heart traps run about $200 per trap, rather expensive but in my mind, the best way to do it.

The Hava-heart knock offs are a little less here in my local farm store at $80.

[SamFamAustin]

The Hava-heart knock offs are a little less here in my local farm store at $80.

That's a great price!

Come on, we have lionfish roundups, right?

[cookie909]

I know you guys are baiting me, but here goes...

Gazeboman sez: "On my last trip I took the time to observe the ferals mostly in the far south end. What I saw were several sick ones. The problems these ferals present are: loss of the geckos and hence more ants, loss of a great portion of the bird population, and most importantly is not if but when will the disease go rampant and affect the human population."

1. What disease are you talking about? The incidence of disease in feral cats is just as low as in pet cats. However, since feral cats are fearful of humans, the likelihood of a cat bite or scratch to a human is much lower than from a pet cat.

2. The sick cats you saw would not be sick if TNR is implemented. (TNR = Trap, Neuter, Return) The behaviors and stresses associated with mating, such as yowling or fighting, stop. Cats in neutered colonies also roam less and do not fight over mates. The population stabilizes, cats become healthier and gain weight, are quieter, and the humans are happier.

3. Getting rid of the cats will create a vacuum effect. Cats choose to reside in locations for two reasons: there is a food source—(intended or not)—and shelter. When cats are removed from a location, survivors breed to capacity, or new cats or rats move in. This vacuum effect is well documented. The key is to stabilize the population, not create a vacuum.

4. Studies have also shown that cats keep rat populations down. The mere presence of cats deter rats -- the cats do not necessarily have to catch and kill them. In fact, a police station in Los Angeles uses a managed feral cat colony to keep rats out of their station. Cats also keep the roach population down.

5. Bird population... Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to development, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought -- not feral cats. Feral cats that do catch birds get the weak or injured, which culls and genetically improves the species. But a managed cat colony that is fed regularly will generally not seek food elsewhere.

6. The real problem the ferals present is overpopulation. Anytime you get an imbalance in population, it will affect other species like birds, lizards, rats etc. The real solution is TNR to stabilize the population. BTW, I just bought 10 live traps for $49.95 each... will take to GTC at the end of this month for a TNR clinic.

:)

[SamFamAustin]

Great insights there Cookie and the "T" in TNR means to trap them. Lots of traps, before they get educated to avoid them - a problem around here because we're more likely to trap the stupid, hungry domestic cats (like mine :) ) and the young ones. I hope you can help get a bunch of $50 traps into the Abacos.

Most vets have some kind of policy about which ones are to be adopted, released back into the wild, or even euthanized. The hopelessly sick ones such as with lesions and parasites are usually put to sleep because they are too expensive to treat.

This might not work in the Abacos, but sometimes our town health officials do "trap and transport" about 7 to miles away from town, which might sound cruel but we get so many raccoons, coyotes, possum, and feral cats we've overwhelmed our local humane society and our respective budgets - which approached $50,000 last year including untold amounts of free volunteer work.

Thanks for helping with the situation, and I hope that the locals and regulars can spot lots of "shaved belly" cats, meaning they've been neutered. :cool:
-sammie

[greenebud]

In our area the TNR cats have their ears notched to identify that its a TNR in case it ends up in a trap again.

[cookie909]

We use a drop trap for trap-savvy cats -- easy to build:
http://droptrapdesign.blogspot.com/

I'm trying to get someone to build one for me in GTC! Any takers???

BTW, Dr. Bailey does not spay through the belly, but on the side, so when they sit or lay, incision doesn't get infected. So you may see some shaved sides. We also tip or notch the ears on the ferals, so look for those too.

[gazeboman]

I know you guys are baiting me, but here goes...

Gazeboman sez: "On my last trip I took the time to observe the ferals mostly in the far south end. What I saw were several sick ones. The problems these ferals present are: loss of the geckos and hence more ants, loss of a great portion of the bird population, and most importantly is not if but when will the disease go rampant and affect the human population."

1. What disease are you talking about? The incidence of disease in feral cats is just as low as in pet cats. However, since feral cats are fearful of humans, the likelihood of a cat bite or scratch to a human is much lower than from a pet cat.

2. The sick cats you saw would not be sick if TNR is implemented. (TNR = Trap, Neuter, Return) The behaviors and stresses associated with mating, such as yowling or fighting, stop. Cats in neutered colonies also roam less and do not fight over mates. The population stabilizes, cats become healthier and gain weight, are quieter, and the humans are happier.

3. Getting rid of the cats will create a vacuum effect. Cats choose to reside in locations for two reasons: there is a food source—(intended or not)—and shelter. When cats are removed from a location, survivors breed to capacity, or new cats or rats move in. This vacuum effect is well documented. The key is to stabilize the population, not create a vacuum.

4. Studies have also shown that cats keep rat populations down. The mere presence of cats deter rats -- the cats do not necessarily have to catch and kill them. In fact, a police station in Los Angeles uses a managed feral cat colony to keep rats out of their station. Cats also keep the roach population down.

5. Bird population... Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to development, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought -- not feral cats. Feral cats that do catch birds get the weak or injured, which culls and genetically improves the species. But a managed cat colony that is fed regularly will generally not seek food elsewhere.

6. The real problem the ferals present is overpopulation. Anytime you get an imbalance in population, it will affect other species like birds, lizards, rats etc. The real solution is TNR to stabilize the population. BTW, I just bought 10 live traps for $49.95 each... will take to GTC at the end of this month for a TNR clinic.

:)



First, one must realize that the issue of feral cats is an emotional issue with two sides- pro-feral and anti-feral. Both sides often make unsupported and greatly exagerated claims. With that in mind one of the most neutral informational sites I have found is:

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_cat

Some highlights- Feral cats on islands will devastate the local ecology.
Feral cats on islands have completely eradicated some bird species. Akthough rare, Zoonosis, the transfer of cat diseases to humans can occur. Read the entire article. A search of "feral cats" will show the entire spectrum of pro and anti feral issues.

Cookie909-No bait just encouraging an informational discussion on an issue that needs some attention: The diseased cats I observed suffered from extreme loss of hair -patchy, not the entire body, also sickly looking, sort of wasting look. Other than that I am not qualified to identify it further.

Both sides of the issue have vastly differing opinions as to whether or not a feral population is effective for rat control. I honestly don't know. I do know that the ferals have all but eliminated the gecko poulation on guana. On my walks, mostly on the south end, I saw two dead ones, (geckos) both in the process of being eaten by cats. Where I used to see them everywhere-my last three weeks on guana I saw only two live ones on the north end, and small ones at that.

I would certainly support and participate in any TNR effort on Guana.

[fishguru00]

"First, one must realize that the issue of feral cats is an emotional issue with two sides" Sounds like the War of the Roses...

Danny DeVito says in War of the Roses, “Cat people should marry cat people, and dog people should marry dog people.

[haziewaller]

Only 10???

Seriously, do they fold, or collapse? Otherwise, transporting them will be really awkward. How many can you gt on a golf cart?

[SamFamAustin]

You're no kidding about the emotions! I'll stay out of this fight because I already went through heck in THREE other forums and in THREE other towns. I finally gave up and told my buddies that if I saw a feral cat problem, I'd just go kill them myself and not tell anyone.

And you didn't hear that. :rolleyes:

[gazeboman]

You're no kidding about the emotions! I'll stay out of this fight because I already went through heck in THREE other forums and in THREE other towns. I finally gave up and told my buddies that if I saw a feral cat problem, I'd just go kill them myself and not tell anyone.

And you didn't hear that. :rolleyes:

Ah Sammie! We need to get together over some cold Kaliks some day and share our experiences!

The feral issue shouldn't be a 'fight" but because of the emotions it often turns out that way!
It is a normal human condition to attach some emotion to an animal that once had an attachment to humans. Heck I have cats-and dogs! But a feral cat has lost that human attchment & should be considered just like another wild animal. When bears get overpopulated they present a detrement to the other animals around them, AND humans. When that happens they are controled to protect the natural balance and the humans. No difference with ferals.
Thank you all for the "soap box opportunity". I will now retire with my glass of wine and reflect on the 100 days I have left in my countdown!!
Goodnight to all!:)