[Brokaws-area]

The thing that took care of our feral cat population problem, ILP, was an influx of coyotes. No more cats, and very few rabbits. They also eat up all the roadkill every night, no more squashed possums in the road for days on end. Unfortunately, they also destroy populations of ground nesting birds like turkey, pheasant, and quail.

Although the coyotes are native to our continent, they are newcomers to this neck of the woods, a niche being left by local hunters destroying most of the large predators like red wolf, bobcat, and eastern cougar. These guys would've taken care of your feral cats in a heartbeat.

And forget trying to lure a coyote into a havaheart. They're much too smart.
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[Brokaws-area]

B.W. regarding bacterial and viral loads of cats: While taking my wildlife rehabilitation class, the instructor told us to forget trying to save any bird that had been caught by a cat. Even if the skin is not broken, the bacteria from the cat's mouth, combined with shock, will kill the bird.
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[I_Like_Plants]

Coyotes are native to here, and the ones I have seen are beautiful, fat and sleek and sassy. I always wish them good hunting and hope they get plenty of cats and little yappy dogs.

Cat bites are indeed serious, they're kind of like being injected with the shit off the floor of a bus station bathroom, but a bit dirtier.

Some nice trapping ideas on YouTube, havaharts work well it seems and a person can make a trap too, cheaper that way, with a spring sliding door.

[jboogy]

Presenting thespian extrordinaire and all around cat-hater I.L.Plants in a scene from his critically acclaimed role as Spartan dude in the major motion picture 300.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPVDq5r_ ... re=related

[jboogy]

Presenting thespian extrordinaire and all around cat-hater I.L.Plants in a scene from his critically acclaimed role as Spartan dude in the major motion picture 300.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPVDq5r_ ... re=related

[yeahbut]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cornelian', '
')
However, the feral cat problem was created by people. Do we address the cat problem first, or the people problem which causes it? I find it interesting that people seem to focus their hate on the victims of humanity's sins, rather than on the perpetrators.

Hatred directed towards the victims of our own behaviour, I think, is always driven by a sense of deep self-failure and self-loathing.

[I_Like_Plants]

Load of crap, Yeahbut, load of crap.

Cats piss on our doorstep, crap in our yard, eat our birds, spread hair everywhere, and besides......

They're FUN to kill.

[AWPrime]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', 'i')n fact, this is the trap:
http://www.biconet.com/traps/tincat.html
$15, caught 1000s of mice (and one pissed off ferret-ermine thing), zero ongoing resource inputs, zero environmental/ecological impact.

[AWPrime]

That is nothing new, all deep bites have a higher risk of causing serious infections.

Odds are that you just got very lucky with that monkey.

[TWilliam]

I was remembering back in ancient times when I had taken first aid training that the issue is less about bites and more about deep puncture wounds. Basically if it penetrates completely thru the skin then it's a high potential risk for infection because our primary defense barrier has been compromised, and because puncture wounds tend not to bleed profusely, which means reduced flushing of any potential bacterial invaders.

Any puncture wound is potentially serious, whether from an animal bite, a nail, honey locust thorn, etc. Anyone else here remember tetanus shots?

[Twilight]

I have to say, the cat bite thread was a forum highlight, a good example of genuinely useful knowledge.

I have been to places where stray-anything that comes wandering in gets shot, just as common sense policy. You can see why. Funnily enough, they are a whole lot more sustainable than suburbia, where the beasts are temporarily tamed and artificially concentrated. It's all very well saying humans are the problem, but we are a problem that would like to hang around all the same, if you see what I mean. And that means being prepared to deal with legacy issues.

[PeakOiler]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')y cat is fat
So now I'll dine
And eat all up
This cat of mine.

[AWPrime]

Shannymara, I have read the link. It is just that it isn't exceptional, heck a reptile bite is often worse. So as TWilliam has said, seek treatment if one get deep puncture wounds, no matter what the species.