Invading wildlife

[British Red]

Some of you may remember the pictures of our woodshed. Its an old tumble down wriggly tin outbuilding. I floored it out with pallets to keep the logs off the ground and help them dry better


4) The wood shed by British Red, on Flickr

BB was getting logs for the stove today and a furry shape shot from behind her. We get allsorts in the shed - birds nesting, animals sheltering from the rain so it wasn't much of a surprise.

Then she heard a squeak..and another.

She spotted the culprit and called me and I said "Is it rats? I'll get a gun".

She said "nope, can't you see them?"

She pointed underneath the pallets


Woodshed Invaders by British Red, on Flickr

I peered a little more closely


Kitens in Woodshed by British Red, on Flickr

Later the dad was on patrol - an old feral black Tom that we tolerate for his ratting prowess. Mum is a tabby - probably a barn cat or other feral we haven't seen before.

They aren't messing with us or our veg beds so I guess we'll leave them be

 

[Mesquite]

Nice kittens, less than a week old looking at them

You do realise you'll be a cat lover eventually Hugh...

 

[Wayland]

Or a cat breeder...

 

[British Red]

You do realise you'll be a cat lover eventually Hugh...

Nah, they are vermin. If they control other vermin and leave my stuff alone, they can hang out in my shed - if they become a pest, they get dealt with as a pest.

Don't believe in animals in houses though...anthropomorphising animals is just...daft really

 

[Andy BB]

Nah, they are vermin. If they control other vermin and leave my stuff alone, they can hang out in my shed - if they become a pest, they get dealt with as a pest.

Don't believe in animals in houses though...anthropomorphising animals is just...daft really

Oh, I dunno. One doesn't have to anthropomorphise a dog (or even a cat, or hamster, rat, gerbil etc etc etc) to enjoy having one as a pet. And having had houses - and big dogs - for 40 years, have never had a break-in! And its healthier too - people with pets have lower stress levels

 

[Toddy]

Ah wee things Looks like a warm, dry place they're in there

I try desperately not to anthropomorphise beasties, I really do. I'm still traumatised by a green fur gonk an Aunt gave me as a child; I didn't have a clue what to do with it then, and I haven't a damned clue now what the hang it was ever intended for; but I digress.....I miss my cat, I really, really do. As my family say however, while I might have a cat shaped space in life, they have peace and quiet 'every' night

I think you're way with the cats might be better BR, but they do suffer worms, fleas, too many pregnancies, wounds and subsequent infections.

It's reckoned that cats were domesticated by humans to keep down rodent pests near the granaries of the past from ancient Sumer onwards
Even their genetics bear witness to human interaction. Those wee feral kittens, if handled often and gently from now on will grow up unafraid of humans and might make good pets.
No other animal shifts so swiftly that way. (.....the orang utan does, I think, not quite sure of that one, but it's kind of got smarts........) the idea is that human selection of the tamest ones has changed the domestic moggie into a kind of perpetual kitten in it's brain.

Lovely to see them looking as though they're thriving. The tabby can be pregnant again within weeks though, and you might soon find yourself overrun with moggies.
If you contact Cat Action Trust or whatever your local organisation is, they'll spay and return the cats for you. Donations always welcome, but they feel the work is important and will do what they can anyway within their budget and volunteers ability.

I have to admit, while I like dogs, and assorted other beasties as pets, I do prefer a cat as my pet.
HWMBLT and Son2 are adamant though; I can't have another one :/ and suddenly there are cats needing homes all over the place!

atb,
M

 

[British Red]

Doubt we will be overrun Mary tbh - the neighbours have a "zero tolerance" policy on nuisance ferals. I'm in a "live and let live" state of mind with these - if someone wants to take them away, good on em - but they can spey em (or put them to sleep for that matter) but they don't get to bring them back - I have no use for domestic pets to be honest - guard dogs, sheep dogs, hunting dogs, fine by me - even barn cats. I won't have 'em in the house though (well, not unless theres a foot of snow). Dogs are just as healthy, if not more so, kept in a well insulated kennel or nice dry barn. Indeed some thick coated varieties really shouldn't be kept in "human warm" conditions.

To be honest I see these as a bit of wildlife - sort of like a family of stoats or whatever. Sure they may get in a fight - so do all wild creatures.

Now I'm not that "up" on cat welfare - if they are better off caught and put down, I'll give the local mob a call? I was just going to let be to be honest - if they take the rats and mice, they are okay by me

 

[Toddy]

They won't rehome them, and they don't euthanase unless severely injured or diseased.
They do spay and return them to the site. Natural attrition takes over then but there's no surge of numbers of the ferals so they all stay a fair bit healthier.

Our dogs, the guide dog pups aside, lived in their kennels with huge long leashes to roam the gardens. Inside only at the back door if it was thoroughly miserable weather out.
HWMBLT's dogs lived in the house, slept beside him, ate near the table; frankly I was glad to see the last puppy away to finish training. I could not get used to this dog at my feet 'all' the time, in my kitchen when I was cooking, beside us when we were eating, wanting to sleep on the beds. I thought it was just me, and since I couldn't accept it, then I'd best not have a dog as a pet. Yet I can accept a cat everywhere but on the worktops and tables the cats knew not to jump up in the kitchen and it was never a problem, even Tamsin's kittens and the orphaned litter I raised, didn't do it.

Different folks, different strokes, I suppose

cheers,
M

 

[British Red]

Best bet I gues is to ask around. If they are going to pose a problem to others, better to get it dealt with now I suspect.

 

[Toddy]

On t'other hand a litter of kittens learning to hunt will take care of a lot of mice and voles this Summer especially if Mum's a good teacher

From the sounds of it your neighbours keep their numbers in check anyway, and I freely admit I like cats and would prefer familiar ones around my gardens.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Shewie]

You can probably get £20 a pop for them in the free ads Red

 

[gsfgaz]

or a nice curry ... haa haa

 

[JonathanD]

Nah, they are vermin. If they control other vermin and leave my stuff alone, they can hang out in my shed - if they become a pest, they get dealt with as a pest.

Don't believe in animals in houses though...anthropomorphising animals is just...daft really

Now Red, yes the cats will reduce your rodent population, that's a given. You also know they will reduce your bird population, that's a given too. More cats, more of the above. Less cats, more natural predators like S'pawks, Kessies, Stoats, Weasels. Now get a grip and get that gun. You know ya should

 

[British Red]

Yeah one or two are alright Jon - didn't much care about the old Tom prowling around now and again - not sure I can cope with a brood of the fluffy vermin though

 

[JonathanD]

[video=youtube;xryBXI-wVtE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xryBXI-wVtE[/video]

 

[British Red]

.

 

[sandbender]

"...if they take the rats and mice, they are okay by me..."

I have had cats around for years, they could come into the house but usually no further than the kitchen/scullery.

It is perhaps counterintuitive to most but if you put out some food for them they will kill more rats and mice than they would otherwise. I read this in old book somewhere and experience would suggest that it is true. If the cat is hungry it takes its time to be sure of a kill, with a full belly it'll hunt for fun.

The only birds my cats would take were pigeons and the occasional pheasant, smaller birds were maybe too fast and with a barn full of rats and mice they were otherwise occupied.