[dennd1906]

Our call ducks live a happy life in our garden with a pond and duckhouse and generally all is well in the duck world. That is until the dreaded ferral cat returns.  Over the last two years it has had about 10 of our ducks and possibly a couple of chickens.  I have saved one duck from the cats razor teeth when it couldn't get itself and duck through the gate and we have even caught it once in a fox trap. However not realising at the time that it was a cat taking the ducks and not a fox we let it go.  How stupid, it has been back ever since, stealthly and completely silent, just picking them off and disappearing without a trace.
Now enough is enough, how do we get rid of this pest?  It stays clear of the trap and is never consistent with when it returns so we cant wait around for it.  Has anyone any ideas how to save my ducks?

[sabrina]

Get in touch with the CPL they will help you catch it and take it away, failing this you may have to have it shot as it has found a good food supply. You could try and put food down for it, tame it this way.

[OhLaLa]

I've never known any cat to take any foul. Your comments don't tie up:

.........I have saved one duck from the cats razor teeth when it couldn't get itself and duck through the gate and we have even caught it once in a fox trap. However not realising at the time that it was a cat taking the ducks and not a fox we let it go.......

You say you've saved one duck and then you say you caught the cat but didn't realise it was a cat doing it - so you didn't actually see the cat with the bird in it's mouth then?

Firstly - IF it was the cat - you can't blame all the losses on it. Fox etc may (will) well have had it's fair share.

Secondly, if the cat does get moved on, and the area remains unsecure - the fowl will still be easy pickings for preditors, who I have no doubt are already visiting.

---------------

I think you need to secure the area with good fencing.

[dennd1906]

Thank you Sabrina, calling the CPL is a good idea I will try them.

OhLaLa, my writings didn't explain very well.  We caught the cat after the first 2 or 3 ducks went missing, thinking we were out to catch a fox.  We were disappointed that we had caught, what we thought was someones pet cat, albeit a hissing, very wild one.  That's why we let it go.  After that I saw the cat with a duck in mouth trying to escape through the gate, but luckily for the duck it had to drop its prey. 

Unfortunately a cat will always return until stopped or food supply stops and we have seen it in the garden on many occasions on the prowl.  We are certain it is not a fox, foxes and cats catch their prey in different ways.  If you have ever seen a cat catch a bird or mouse you can see what quick and efficient killing machines they are. Foxes are quite clumsy in comparison. The problem isn't determining what is taking the ducks, it's catching it and getting rid of it. 

We have been informed that it is well known (although not to us until now) that ferral cats are preditors to fowl.  If a single fowl goes missing without trace perhaps you should give the fox a break and start looking for a ferral cat!

[CameronS]

I've never known any cat to take any foul. Your comments don't tie up:

It does happen i lost a stuning maran cockeral and three hens to our neighbours cat - so it cat can take birds. that was a little bit of a harsh statement.


If the cat is known to be feral and is endangering your livestock you are legally allowed to dispatch of the cat - but as you are able to catch the cat in Foz traps i would call the Cats protection as sabribna suggested

[Roxy]

I thought it was against the law to shoot/trap a cat - feral or not?  I am not defending the cat, but, if its feral, it sees the ducks as a source of food, as does a fox. I am surprised at any cat tackling a fully grown bird, duck or hen.

I speak now as a feral cat owner, and a poultry owner too!!  Last year, I lost young bantams, aged 6-8 weeks,  maybe 6 or 8 in total.  I never saw it actually kill a chicken, although, it did chase them while I was there, once or twice.  but I am certain it was the tom cat!!  This year, all the chicks wlll stay fenced in until they are old enough to cope.  The cat has never touched anything full grown round the farm, and walks through the flock of hens.

I was upset, and annoyed at the loss of my chicks, but would never want to hurt the cat for doing what is natural to it.

A word with the CPL may be the best thing, and hopefully they can live strap, and take it elsewhere - hopefully miles from you.

[plumseverywhere]

My super dooper ratting cat, Snowball has brought in rabbits almost larger than herself, weasels, huge birds and rats. Yet if my chooks go anywhere near her she legs it!! Sounds like you have one very hungry feral - call the CPL for sure.

[wildgeese]

Can confirm that a cat can take a duck; my very small cat once brought in a very large duck, freshly killed, off the river; it was easily as big as she was. Second the CPL as a first recourse.

[OhLaLa]

No doubt the 'yes they do, no they don't' debate will continue (as they usually do).

All I can state is : Feral cats abound in this area. NEVER had one take any fowl, NEVER heard of anyone else having a feral cat take fowl.

[daddymatty82]

my chooks have almost killed a tom cat from up the road  lol all good fun when you think a fox is in garden and only neibours cat is beaten up by 6 chooks try explaining that to cats owner and vet.

[CameronS]

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/qa/452145/Am_I_allowed_to_shoot_feral_cats.html

There is nothing to stop you shooting a feral cat provided you are absolutely certain it is feral.

In answer to your question

I thought it was against the law to shoot/trap a cat - feral or not

apparently you can

[Roxy]

Thank you Cameron  - shall I tell my 20 feral cats to take care, or will you?

[darkbrowneggs]

One of my rescued toms ate 13 guinea fowl chicks the first day he was with me and then spent several days stalking one of my very large and cross broody marans, and trying to jump on her even with a very large Marans cockerel in the same orchard.

After a few weeks he did settle down with the fowl (I think he knew which side his bread was buttered) but anything wild was fair game - rabbits obviously, grey squirrels were a regular, stoats and weasels, magpies.... and a brace of rabbits, and 7 lbs of cod fillets from next door .... I could go on.

[SallyintNorth]

My own cats have always had the greatest respect for adult hens.

I have seen my hens take a dead mouse off one of my cats and eat it in front of him.  (And yes it was a cat that wanted to eat that mouse himself.)

That same cat was a terror with the red-legged partridge when they were brought in en masse for the shooting season.  I offered to recompense the owner of the shoot as I knew the cat was taking at least 2 a day, but they said not to bother.  (Mind we had 19 of their Texel wethers grazing our land and paying no rent.)

I have never seen any of my cats take an adult pheasant, either.  Well, not a live one ...I used to get given braces of pheasant periodically; as I carried them home to hang in the stable I found it easiest to simply hang the pheasant-with-attached-cat, then peel off the cat! 

The only chicken any of my cats has ever taken was - next door's Sunday dinner defrosting one...   

[feldar]

On a lighter note my nieghbours cat a siamese cross caught a seagull dragged it through the cat flap then let it go!  :Dyou can only imagine the mess and smell of seagull sh*t took us over an hour to corner it and release it after it nearly pecked our hands off
so beware of cute kitty!!