Shelter Cats

[Uncle Joe]

While I agree that introducing cats at shelters is a bad idea and not likely to work, I disagree that the cat will largely die in short order. Cats feral rather easily and are generally very resourceful. Will they survive long term? Probably not but they’re hardly helpless animals.

As for legality, the op was merely asking about the feasibility and I see nothing to suggest he was planning to actually implement anything.

[blue indian]

Absolutely not.

Cats that are let out of the house to roam free pose a real threat to local wildlife. They kill everything and don't even eat it. They will kill birds, any small mammal, frogs, lizards, toads, salamanders, spiders, snakes...etc.

I really hate when I see cats roaming around because their owners just let them out to get "fresh air" or "exercise". This is ignorant and harmful to the local ecosystem. DONT DO IT!! (im talking to you cat owners).

[Ethesis]

Absolutely not.

Cats that are let out of the house to roam free pose a real threat to local wildlife. They kill everything and don't even eat it. They will kill birds, any small mammal, frogs, lizards, toads, salamanders, spiders, snakes...etc.

I really hate when I see cats roaming around because their owners just let them out to get "fresh air" or "exercise". This is ignorant and harmful to the local ecosystem. DONT DO IT!! (im talking to you cat owners).

the English cat cam experiment showed cats kill a lot of insects.

They also steal food from each other.

However, wild cats are a definite niche.

Where I live we have a serious rat problem for lack of enough cats.

The rabbits i dont mind as much, but the rats get into attics.

[TexasBob]

......Where I live we have a serious rat problem for lack of enough cats. The rabbits i dont mind as much, but the rats get into attics.

There are much better ways to control an urban/suburban rat problem than by creating a stray cat problem also.

[Time Zone]

I really hate when I see cats roaming around because their owners just let them out to get "fresh air" or "exercise". This is ignorant and harmful to the local ecosystem. DONT DO IT!! (im talking to you cat owners).

Hike your own hike. I think it's cruel to keep them indoors 100% of the time (unless they're declawed, which is another story entirely). Cats love the outdoors, which should be no surprise. Mine have only ever caught chipmunks (and the occasional shrew), which are a serious yard pests, digging holes everywhere. So I appreciate what little dent they can put in the population, though cleaning up afterwards isn't always fun, when they bring you a "present". Just one of my two cats can catch them, and I'd say it averages less than 2 per year. Hardly a wholesale slaughter of wildlife.

[TexasBob]

Hike your own hike. I think it's cruel to keep them indoors 100% of the time (unless they're declawed, which is another story entirely). Cats love the outdoors, which should be no surprise. Mine have only ever caught chipmunks (and the occasional shrew), which are a serious yard pests, digging holes everywhere. So I appreciate what little dent they can put in the population, though cleaning up afterwards isn't always fun, when they bring you a "present". Just one of my two cats can catch them, and I'd say it averages less than 2 per year. Hardly a wholesale slaughter of wildlife.

Your cats may be an exception but cats do have a major impact on wildlife. Personally I would rather see more wildlife around my house than my neighbors cat.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380

[BuckeyeBill]

There are much better ways to control an urban/suburban rat problem than by creating a stray cat problem also.

When I lived in NYC, I saw rats big enough to kick the crap out of a cat.

[egilbe]

Cats were thought to be witches familiar in the middle ages. Cats were killed out of hand. The population of rats exploded and brought the black plague. Don't kill cats and you won't die a gruesome death is the lesson here.

[Fredt4]

Unfortunately rats didn't cause the plague. But it's a good story to tell. Cats naturally belong outside and keeping them indoors is something I don't understand. True they are killers but that's an activity that's controllable. Indoor cats are a class of cats created by certain people and while it's possible it does have certain costs as far as the cats are concerned.

[egilbe]

The fleas the rats carried, carried the plague. No rats, no fleas, no plague

[blue indian]

the English cat cam experiment showed cats kill a lot of insects.

They also steal food from each other.

However, wild cats are a definite niche.

Where I live we have a serious rat problem for lack of enough cats.

The rabbits i dont mind as much, but the rats get into attics.

You need more snakes. Not cats. But the cats kill snakes so...

[TexasBob]

Unfortunately rats didn't cause the plague. But it's a good story to tell. Cats naturally belong outside and keeping them indoors is something I don't understand. True they are killers but that's an activity that's controllable. Indoor cats are a class of cats created by certain people and while it's possible it does have certain costs as far as the cats are concerned.

How do you keep an outdoor cat from killing?

[illabelle]

How do you keep an outdoor cat from killing?

Bell on the collar? Or maybe one of these?

[Fredt4]

Bell on the collar? Or maybe one of these?

"It's scientifically validated and was shown to reduce birds caught by 87%!"

It's a device that help you control, not prevent, killings.

[Sarcasm the elf]

How do you keep an outdoor cat from killing?

I think you misunderstand the purpose of having an outdoor cat...

[TexasBob]

I think you misunderstand the purpose of having an outdoor cat...

Fredt4 says he can keep his outdoor cat from killing things and I was asking how he does that. The purpose of having an outdoor cat is to mostly annoy your neighbors and have them deal with your cat's poop in their garden instead of in a litter box in your house.

[Fredt4]

Fredt4 says he can keep his outdoor cat from killing things and I was asking how he does that. The purpose of having an outdoor cat is to mostly annoy your neighbors and have them deal with your cat's poop in their garden instead of in a litter box in your house.

You so misquote me. I said that it's controllable. Several others have so indicated. Enjoy.

[Fredt4]

Fredt4 says he can keep his outdoor cat from killing things and I was asking how he does that. The purpose of having an outdoor cat is to mostly annoy your neighbors and have them deal with your cat's poop in their garden instead of in a litter box in your house.

You so misquote me. I said that it's controllable. Several others have so indicated. Enjoy.

[Lone Wolf]

My Dad and I were debating the merits of this a few weeks ago. You've seen the billboards for adopting a "Barn Cat". What about the AT Clubs adopting and placing "Shelter Cats" to control the mouse population. Would this work?

dumb idea.....

[rocketsocks]

Coyotes love cats, so do fox, wild dogs...ect