do cats protect your yard from snakes?

Question

I have small children. And we live in a wooded area. Would cats at least help with snake contol. What about sulfer of moth balls? Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

Oh definatley snakes , mice, rats anything small and a brave cat might go after gophers and racoons . a cat or two would probably solve your problem farmers and large ships have used cats since the begining of there trade for your same problem . if you put out sulfer or mothballs it could just get a cute animal sick or even your kids if they find some and are curious as to what it tastes like a mothball looks alot like a gobstopper or mints so depending on the size of your yard you may need a couple cats to keep it completley clear but besides cats are cute and if you raise them close to you they will always be a very loving and caring pet.
Hope you get some it always feels good to bring love into the house

Answer 2

I don't know what type of snakes you want to get rid of. If you are talking about just average little garter snakes, cats and dogs both can help keep them out, if they are inclined to, but are no guarantee. The best thing to do would be to familiarize your children with what a snake is, and not to pick it up, or to do it the "right" way. Beware though, because even a garter snake can give a nasty bite.

If you are talking about more dangerous snakes, like rattlesnakes, then a cat or dog is not likely to keep them away, and could be in danger of harm from them.

I don't know what else might help. Maybe some other person answering will have more information for you.

Best of luck.

Answer 3

The snakes your cat might kill are not the kind that would hurt you or your kids. If there are venomous species in your area the cat is more likely to be killed than the snake. If you're worried about your children's safety why don't you research the snakes in your area and educate your kids about them and the dangers they might pose? When people are bitten by snakes it's usually the persons fault. If you're trying to kill the snake you are probably going to get bitten. If you find a snake and you're not sure if it's a dangerous one you should call the local wildlife department in your area. They will usually come remove the snake at no charge.

Answer 4

snakeproof your fence. theres a few different ways, but the easiest is -

by adding 2 ft high aluminimum sheeting to the bottom of the fence (outside). this way the snakes cant grip to climb over.

using a cat to catch snakes might not be the best idea - if it gets bitten it could die or you could be up for lots of money in vet bills. Ive had plenty of cats with infected snake bites and dying from them come into my surgery.
a pet cat will cost you around $2000 per year for immunisations, feeding, worming, defleaing .. not including vet trips.

a fence would be cheaper in the long run.

you also need to keep your house free of rats and mice.. the smell of these will attract snakes.
also clear your garden of any place that a snak would like to hide - low bushes, piles of wood or rubble... etc.
.

Answer 5

I had a male cat that killed snakes. But I would think a female would be better. I've also heard that chickens will kill snakes too... they peck at it until it's dead. Never had any luck with moth balls... I live in a wooded area too. But a 3 inch or so wide strip of lime helps. That would be lime that you put on your yard to sweeten the soil. It burns their undersides and keeps them out of the yard. Also... keep your grass mowed. The taller the grass the more they like it. Hope that helps!

Answer 6

Do not rely on your cat to protect you from snakes. Snakes KILL cats not usually the other way around. Sulfur and moth balls are not much use against snakes.

The best defence against snakes is to clear your home of places where snakes like to hide - wood piles etc. and most importantly get rid of rats and mice the snakes natural food source which they will follow into your home.

Answer 7

Definitely cats are the best and healthier choice. Cats would kill snakes for fun, even without any intention to eat them. And I think snakes would not get close, because they know that.

Answer 8

A snake could eat your pet - By Jessica Marszalek

MISSING your pet pussycat? Well it could be slithering away in the belly of a snake, according to wildlife experts.

Queensland Museum curator of reptiles Patrick Couper today said pythons were capable of eating animals the size of a wallaby and regularly fed on people's pets around Australia.

Mr Couper was speaking after a woman in Rockhampton, on Queensland's central coast, watched in horror as her cat was devoured by a two metre coastal carpet python.

But although many pet owners would be shocked at the snake's choice of lunch, Mr Couper said snakes regularly ate pet chickens, budgies and were certainly capable of eating small dogs and cats.

"Carpet snakes are a reasonably common element of suburban gardens and encounters between snakes and cats are probably relatively common,'' he said.

"You often hear of missing cats.

"Now I would think that in certain cases you could attribute that to maybe the cat had been taken by a python ... but these things would happen largely at night and the cat would just be put down as missing.''

He said he had heard of some cats that "freak out'' at the sight of garden hoses and believed this could be because of the cat's residual fear of snakes.

Mr Couper said pet birds were also a favourite for snakes.

"The snake gets through the bars, eats the bird and with that extra lump in its stomach can't get out,'' he said.

"So a horrified pet owner comes out in the morning and finds a brown tree snake with a bulge in its stomach sitting in the cage.''

Rockhampton Zoo reptile keeper Wil Kemp was called to catch the cat-loving snake from the woman's backyard on Friday and is caring for it at the zoo while it digests its prey.

"He still has a really big lump in his belly,'' Mr Kemp said today.

''(But) he's pretty happy for a snake that's eaten a cat.''

Answer 9

Moth balls really don't work on snakes. My cat catches and kills snakes all the time. I'd say that they help. He also kills rats which if you have small children would be a good thing.

Answer 10

I have never seen a cat tackle a poisonous snake. They do tackle and kill small rat snakes. But definitely,all doemstic animals can detect and warn you if they smell or see a snake.