OT - Cat Killer!

[thill]

I've got a question for you pet owners.....

It appears that a dog in the neighborhood is killing all the cats one by one. No one has seen it in action, but it's up to about a dozen cats this month. Generally, they have been found dead outside their respective fences in the mornings looking all scruffed up, like a dog shook them to death.

The dog idea is the current theory. Were it a coyote, I think they would simply disappear. If it were a fox, some would come back injured.

In our case, our cat has a G. Shepherd and a Rottweiler guarding it, so he's probably safe, but what would you do?

-TH

[rsd612]

Not sure where u live but the foxes (No Pun Intended) around here can get rather aggressive. Just A thought.

[Pat Kelly]

I've got a question for you pet owners.....
what would you do?

Not let the cats roam the neighborhood.

We have 4 cats, all adopted as strays or from the Shelter and they (with the exception of 1) go outside into a screened-in cat-house I built. The fourth is an old cat that roams the yard but stays there...it's wandering days are long over, and she spends more time indoors (she lets us know when she wants outside) now due to arthritis etc.

Compassionate cat owners don't let the animals roam for just the reason you describe.

[cmason164]

I'd find that dog and buy him a beer and steak dinner!!!

[rgminer]

I hook that dog up with a bottle of Tinks #9 Kitty in heat and offer him a bounty for each one it brings in...

Seriously, many years ago we had a problem with foxes killing cats on our farm. They are ruthless killers, no cats are going to get away from them.have any of the dead cats been fed upon or are they just being killed?

[h2oboss]

Could be any of the options you mentioned. Sounds like a coyote to me, that's usually the first thing you hear about is missing pets when a 'yote moves into an area. I'd also think you would hear quite a bit of commotion if it was a domestic dog or fox. Bird of prey maybe?.....but again think you would see signs of it being eaten. Last option could be some sort of wild cat, like a bobcat? Sounds far fetched but maybe you have a 'cat that has moved into the area and it's defending/clearing out it's territory. Not sure were you live but they are quite rare in the B/W area. I'm not sure why whatever it is is not eating them. Or maybe it's a Chupa Cabra?

Might want to try a game camera on your property line.....

To be perfectly honest (I'm in no way trying to dismiss or trivialize your neighbor's loss of a pet) cat's should not be allowed to roam free......they kill everything, many times just for the fun of it or to impress there owners (they have a tendancy to leave their kill on your sidewalk, front stoop or rear porch, etc)....Song birds, game birds, rabbits, squirrels, and anything else they can stalk/pounce are fair game to a cat. They are the perfect predator.

Furthermore, I wouldn't assume your cat is safe b/c you have dogs. As you proabably know, cats are solitary type animals that definately are much more night oriented than dogs. Your cat could slip in and out of your yard w/o your dogs even knowing. Especially at night when dogs are usually sleeping and cats are usaully out and about.

Chupa Cabra!!!:eek2:

Good Luck!

Anthony

[swampfox]

Cats are way up on coyotes' prey list, it's probably best to keep your cat close to home.

[cmason164]

Chupa Cabra!!!:eek2:





LOl... The dreaded Chupa Cabra:watchout6:

[RiverCat09]

I second the coyote. They have been moving back in the area in the last 10 years. Several have been spotted in Rock Creek Park of all places. I would keep kitty inside if possible until you sort it out.

[THOMAS70]

Can I borrow him for a few weeks, I'm tired of having cat tracks on my clean truck..

[Steve F]

Tony, in Frederick County it’s a law that you must keep your cat and dog on your property at all times. Now with that being said I worked for Animal Control for 24 years I investigated many animal killings and a lot of them being cats. A dog will shake the hell out of a cat and just leave it lay after killing it but a fox will drag it away but not necessary eat it. We don’t have a lot of coyotes in Frederick so I’m not sure what they do but I do know they like cats….

[Bob H.]

We have a fox running around getting the cats that are allowed to roam at night. Another fox would be great.

[crabby and son]

I don't think it is a dog. It's pretty difficult for a dog to sneak up and catch a cat. Most likely a coyote but could be a fox. If you know this is going on in your neighborhood and you still lose your cat....................Gary

[stingray]

If it's happening at night, I side w/ the fox theory. My two cats are trained to come in just before dark (that's when they get to eat:D).

[goinsfishin]

It's JoeDaDog's alter-ego, he magically teleports himself hundreds of miles in his sleep to chase those rascally Land-Kittens......

Seriously, I think you have a coyote or fox roaming around.....the chance of a domesticated dog catching a healthy cat unaware is pretty slim......they just don't have the hunting/stalking instincts that a wild animal has developed.

[Brianczaw]

I agree with "don't let them roam at night." I think it's interesting that many cat owners(at least in my area) let their cats just wander(using my mulched areas as a litter bed). Then if my dog happens(occasionally but rarely) off our lot into theirs, they are the first on the phone.

[CJacobs2]

Simple don't let your cats out. There are leash laws for dogs why not cats. There must be 15 on my block and it drives my dog crazy when they come in my yard. Not to mention they climb all over the truck. Why do cat owners think they can let their cats roam?

[thill]

We live in deep woods. There are TONS of foxes, coyotes, coons, skunks, possums and even black bears around here. The cats around here are used to them.


Have any of the dead cats been fed upon or are they just being killed?

Nope. These cats aren't cut at all, they are just crushed and left for dead. That's why I'm pretty sure it's a dog.

Contrary to people's wishes, some dogs DO become cat-killers, and when they do, they get addicted. It becomes a game, just like chicken-killing. Over the years, I've had both. And you can't stop them once they start. It's a craze. Only a shotgun stops it, and only if it kills them.

Ever see much of this, SteveF?

[Brianczaw]

I know my dog would chase a cat just as he chases the squirrels..

[Choptank River]

Most likely a Coyote, you need the services of a trapper as sounds like you don't live in an area that can be hunted?

[thill]

Oh, I can hunt in my yard, and until I put up a fence, other guys did it for me! And coyote has open season status in VA:
Coyote
Season: Continuous open season on private lands. Coyote hunting on National Forest Lands and Department Lands is permitted from September 1-March 10 and during the spring turkey season and spring squirrel season on certain areas (see area listings for spring squirrel season).

-TH

[BUDC]

As a rule, Wild animals kill for food. Dogs kill for pleasure. If you were dealing with wild animals, the cats would not be found as the hunters would take them with them.
If you find out which dog, let me in on a couple of days rental. :thumbup:
budc

[thill]

Hmmm.... I had wondered what happened to this thread!

Bud,
That's what I think, too. But catching it in the act is difficult at night. Besides, most of the stray cats are gone, now!

-TH

[samie]

Find a stray, attach by the leg with a rope tied to a stake, hide out and wait.

[A Disciple]

We have a dog that would do just what you are describing. She is a Bouvier. She loves cats. We had to get our cat a new home when she came to live here. The breed has reputation for this. A few years ago she went on walkabout and wound up in jail after assaulting a cat. That one cost us about 800.00 dollars and since then I keep a lock on the gate. I do not have cats pooping in my flower beds and rats make a wide berth around our back yard. Female Bouviers are large 90 plus pounds with a coarse black coat. Males are even larger. You cannot see their black almond shaped eyes, perfect for night stalking. They are bred for herding cattle and maybe thats why the willingness to kill perceived threats so readily. My wife loves this animal dearly and shes never been threatening to any of us but I dont trust her around strangers. I keep her away from our young grandchildren. Id have to kill her if there was an accident.

[thill]

A.D,
I did a basement remodel for some folks who had a Bouvier. He was a big, tall dog, and on occasion would break out of the yard and bite people. Really. Most of the time, they would see the dog missing, and start running through the neighborhood. Often, they would hear a commotion, and find the dog cornering some innocent pedestrian. I've never seen a dog that attacked people who were NOT on their territory without provocation. That was one big, mean dog.

I worked in their home for a couple of months, and got to be friends with the dog. He never gave me any trouble, and towards the end, I'd even take him for long walks at the end of the work day. He loved it, and it seemed to lower his stress level considerably. I think he was mostly frustrated because the owners had little control of him, so they kept him locked up all the time.

Even so, I am absolutely CERTAIN that any cat that got anywhere near that dog would be found in pieces.

Bouviers are the classic French Police dog. Like any K-9 dog, they DO NOT play around! I'd put them along with a Rhodesian Ridgeback as one of the more fearsome "sleeper" dogs for the mailman to contend with. That is -NOT- a poodle!

-TH

[martineta]

Yote would eat the cats not leave em dead.