Feral cats

[lilpip1234 62]

been seeing an hearing about feral cats a lot more lately, an there's a few on the land we work just wondering what the law was at to controlling there numbers?

[fitchet 788]

i think its the same as any pest mate aslong as you have permission we used to let our irish staffy catch them in the old quarries

[RicW 67]

They're on General Licence. Recommended to use a CF to shoot them. Just be sure you haven't picked off some anti's favourite entire Siamese!

 

Ric

[judge2010 196]

got loads near us and the gypos use their lurchers on them.

[SportingShooter 0]

As Ric says, they are on the General License, but you have to be very careful to identify that it is without doubt a feral cat rather than a domestic cat or cats wandering around.

 

A domestic cat is the property of its owner and so if you kill it and they find out, its criminal damage regardless of whether it was on their land or not.

 

I've tried and failed in the past the find a definitive definition of what a feral cat is and how long a domestic cat has to be on land before it is considered feral. There are a number of feral cats on one of my permissions but I went through a lot of info and door knocking with the neighbours before I was satisfied I could control them.

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

As I understand it, a cat is not classed as property and if it's 200yrds off it's property it's considered feral

 

... not that I fancy killing them, 'cause I don't. If I had any doubt at all about the cat belonging to someone I just wouldn't do it. My grey got one once in a kids park, felt like the biggest tit going trying to pry the thing from my dogs' jaws infront of a bunch of crying kids. I go out of my way to avoid cats now.

[RicW 67]

Sorry Lurchergrrl, the law changed a few years ago. Cats are indeed property, as are dogs and livestock. Shooting or otherwise killing a pet cat is a civil offence - against property. If a dog is attacking livestock, the farmer or his representative may shoot the dog to protect his property. The dog owner could then in principle sue the farmer for destroying his property. Since this would then enable the farmer to sue the dog owner for destruction of his property . . . A-ar-gh. Let's not go there. If it's a scruffy moggie with no collar, mange, fleas and a bad attitude - blow it away and bury it. No names no pack drill.

 

Ric

[SportingShooter 0]

Sorry Lurchergrrl, the law changed a few years ago. Cats are indeed property, as are dogs and livestock. Shooting or otherwise killing a pet cat is a civil offence - against property. If a dog is attacking livestock, the farmer or his representative may shoot the dog to protect his property. The dog owner could then in principle sue the farmer for destroying his property. Since this would then enable the farmer to sue the dog owner for destruction of his property . . . A-ar-gh. Let's not go there. If it's a scruffy moggie with no collar, mange, fleas and a bad attitude - blow it away and bury it. No names no pack drill.

 

Ric

Thats interesting Ric, didn't know it was a civil offense

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

That's interesting Ric. Have you got a link to that information 'cause I can't find anything.

 

Guess it's a good thing the owner of the cat that my dog killed didn't know that!

[RicW 67]

According to "www.messybeast.com./ukferal.htm" feral cats are the property of the landowner on whose land they live. If you google "feral cats" there's a lot of info. Much of it bleeding heart stuff of course.

 

Ric

[ratattack 111]

You must be able to prove they are feral, as has been said they are classed as property if domestic cats. The safest way to be sure is to cage trap and examine for collar etc first.

[lilpip1234 62]

cheers for the info guy an girls cats have been on the land and breeding for a little over a year and starting to be a problem with free range chickens