We have 7 wild cats of various ages that live around our house, we feed them on our back porch and generally leave the garage door open for them to stay in when it's cold. This became problematic when a raccoon and opossum began to feed on the left over food on the porch and made themselves at home in the garage. This is dangerous because we don't want to be attacked, and don't want our cats being attacked. How do we get rid of the raccoon and opossum with our getting rid of the cats?
2007-12-29 11:07:13 · 9 answers · asked by problemswhoa 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
I probably should've clarified that we live out in the country. The cats would die if we did not feed them.
2007-12-30 05:17:16 · update #1
As long as you are supplying a free meal for wild animals they will continue to come. You are creating the problem...not the wild animals, they are just living in nature where they belong. Also, you should not try and rid the environment of native wildlife for the benefit of domesticated animals that have no place in the ecosystem in the first place. Either you put the food somewhere that is only accessible to the cats, don't put food out at all...or you continue to let the raccoons and opossum eat along with the cats. You can also round up the cats and take them to your local humane society. Raccoons and opossums are not usually aggressive toward people..unless you corner them or threaten them. They may possibly fight with a cat over food or if the cats threaten them..but if these are feral cats...I think they may be used to dealing with wildlife and are not just going to take on a raccoon, they will both try to avoid each other when at all possible.
2007-12-29 17:52:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You're choosing feral cats over the native species? You've got your priorities backwards. The most humane thing you can do for the raccoon and possum is catch the cats and bring them to an animal shelter. Life is hard enough for the wildlife without you subsidizing the existence of seven feral cats.
Even if you get rid of the wildlife there now, more will come in and take its place. And you're not doing the local bird and rodent community any favors. Why don't you just feed the raccoon and possum? They're no more dangerous than the cats.
2007-12-29 11:30:48 · answer #2 · answered by 1ofU 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You asked "How do we get rid of the raccoon and opossum with our getting rid of the cats?"
Quick answer - you can't. You created the problem when you started feeding animals outside. That is the natural habitat of wild animals. They have a right to be outside, it is their home.
If you don't want them in your garage (which is understandable, as they do not belong there and can damage things and be a danger to people), then close your garage door. If you don't want them eating on your porch, stop leaving food there. If you do not provide a free meal, they will move along. You do not have to do anything else to discourage them, but you can legally use any non-lethal means, including live-trap and relocation (if you get the proper permits for it).
If you want to have the cats as pets, be responsible and keep them indoors, where they don't have to fend off wild animals to get their food. Cats that are allowed to roam free can get hit by cars, attacked by other cats, dogs and wild animals, vicitimized by sick people who enjoy torturing helpless animals; they can get lost, ingest poison, contratct diseases (which they can transmit to you), and become infested with parasites (which they can also share with you). If they are not spayed and neutered, they can also add to the feral population. Please do the responsible thing and either take these cats indoors or find other people to adopt them. Feral cats, when tame enough to come to your porch for food and into your garage for shelter, are not too wild to become good housepets.
2007-12-29 11:22:54 · answer #3 · answered by margecutter 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The best way is to build a secure wall where the cats hang out so the wild animals cannot enter.
2007-12-29 11:38:54 · answer #4 · answered by Michelle T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will be tough as long as you continue to make the food available. You better come up with something soon because you will be getting skunks too. Cats can jump higher than these other animals so if you can put the food someplace to take advantage of that, then that will work.
2007-12-29 11:14:55 · answer #5 · answered by JayBug 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
So long as you are going to feed wild cats you are also going to risk feeding any other wild animals. It's going to have be all or none.
2007-12-30 03:45:12 · answer #6 · answered by BlueManticore 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Keep the raccoon and the possum, and get rid of the filthy fleabitten smelly cats.
Horrible creatures.
2007-12-29 12:05:45 · answer #7 · answered by attakkdog 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
You should contact a animal removal professional. Check in your phone book. A cornered raccoon can be very dangerous.
2007-12-29 11:25:29 · answer #8 · answered by hamrrfan 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
catch them in a cat's travelling basket, using tasty treats.
Close the basket.
Drive them at least 75 miles away and release the first.
then repeat with the second
2007-12-29 11:12:59 · answer #9 · answered by rosie recipe 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋