HELP! RACCOONS ARE VISITING OUR BACKYARD POND! - Page 3

nun ya · ‎03-09-2010

Check and see what is legal in your state, in some states it is illegal to trap and release, especially any rabies vector species. I know here in Pa, if you even touch a raccoon or a baby it will be destroyed and tested.

Honestly, if you build a buffet, they will come. it's nature.

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

@NUNYA wrote:
Check and see what is legal in your state, in some states it is illegal to trap and release, especially any rabies vector species. I know here in Pa, if you even touch a raccoon or a baby it will be destroyed and tested.

Honestly, if you build a buffet, they will come. it's nature.

It's legal here in NE. DH had to trap 13 feral cats and 2 possoms a few yrs ago and each time, Animal Control came and picked them all up. So glad that issue was taken care of! What a nightmare...ugh.

nun ya · ‎03-09-2010

@Susan Louise wrote:
@NUNYA wrote:
Check and see what is legal in your state, in some states it is illegal to trap and release, especially any rabies vector species. I know here in Pa, if you even touch a raccoon or a baby it will be destroyed and tested.

Honestly, if you build a buffet, they will come. it's nature.
It's legal here in NE. DH had to trap 13 feral cats and 2 possoms a few yrs ago and each time, Animal Control came and picked them all up.

Feral cats are different, they can be trapped, spayed/neutered and released. Opposums don't usually carry rabies, their body temp is too low. I'm not a fan of trapping , it leaves too many ophan animals without mothers or food. Usually another animal will take the territory anyway, so it's just a vicious cycle. Animal control here will not pick up any trapped animal, you trap it, it's your problem.

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

@NUNYA wrote:
@Susan Louise wrote:
@NUNYA wrote:
Check and see what is legal in your state, in some states it is illegal to trap and release, especially any rabies vector species. I know here in Pa, if you even touch a raccoon or a baby it will be destroyed and tested.

Honestly, if you build a buffet, they will come. it's nature.
It's legal here in NE. DH had to trap 13 feral cats and 2 possoms a few yrs ago and each time, Animal Control came and picked them all up.

Feral cats are different, they can be trapped, spayed/neutered and released. Opposums don't usually carry rabies, their body temp is too low. I'm not a fan of trapping , it leaves too many ophan animals without mothers or food. Usually another animal will take the territory anyway, so it's just a vicious cycle. Animal control here will not pick up any trapped animal, you trap it, it's your problem.

DH and I LOVE animals...however, we don't appreciate neighbors who are inconsiderate of others.
I will try and condense the story...it all started rather "innocently"...
A couple of years ago in early Spring, our neighbor across the street had a single cat living/sleeping in it's evergreen bushes. Within a month...there were 2 which mated. They started to make regular treks across the street to our neighbors next door on the east side of us.
It was easy to add 2 and 2 together. Those neighbors have their own cats which are 'indoor' cats. Our guess is the cats just happened to be passing by their yard and then started feeding them.
By mid summer, there were 7 cats...yep, the 2 adults and 5 from the 1st litter. Wanna guess where their litter box was located? Anywhere and everywhere in our backyard...gardens, lawn...AGH!!! How did we know? We have security cameras around the house...and then there is the evidence...{#emotions_dlg.blink}
Now it's one thing to clean up after one's own animals...but someone else's on a daily basis? AND several of them?
Well, we tried talking/reasoning with our neighbors that fed them. They thought we just h*ted animals. That couldn't be further from the truth! So, in the scheme of things, were we supposed to just "put up" with this?
The neighbor across the street didn't mind...no p*op at their home/yards...same with the neighbors that were getting the 'joy' from their furry visitors. So, of coarse we would be the awful neighbors to even think about complaining...how inconsiderate of us! {#emotions_dlg.rolleyes}
So by late October, there were now 13 cats (the adult cats had a 2nd litter) and 2 possums...ALL 13 cats used our backyard/gardens for their litterbox and there were now 2 possums that must be eating from the food left out for the cats too.
That was the last straw! We took matters into our own hands...trapped every last feral cat and BOTH possums. The local humane society picked up every single one...relocating the possums and bringing the cats to the shelter.
So, when would this insanity end if we didn't do this? How many cats would there have been by the following Spring? With at least 5-7 feral females in heat? Do the math...{#emotions_dlg.scared}
Our neighbors have nothing to do with us and we have nothing to do with them...no forgiveness on either party's part in the matter.
THEN, our neighbors to the west side of us have a mini pincher dog...what we call a 'yippie' dog. When it barks, it's high pitch. The dog would be left outside for hours. I'd be working in our gardens and I would start shaking from it going straight to my nerves after just 10 minutes.
I had to call the humane society on them too! After several written warnings, the neighbors just felt it is their dog and we are to just 'deal with it'.
So we did. DH set up a video camera with sound showing the dog barking...literally for hours (barely even taking a breath or for water) and we wound up bringing those neighbors to court...and we won! Either they were to put a no-bark collar on the dog, or to give up the dog.
So again, we are the inconsiderate neighbors who just don't like animals! {#emotions_dlg.rolleyes}
What happened to ethics? Being considerate of others...neighborly? Basic common sense?
If we had a neighbor that complained of an animal we had/or were taking care of, we certainly wouldn't be ignorant of others like what we have had to put up with...
We have common sense, and consideration for others and always try to be neighborly. We may be of a now rare breed {#emotions_dlg.blink}
DH and I hope to have pets someday...but not in this neighborhood! We'll wait til we can move to a place with 20 acres...where we can't see neighbors in any direction

nun ya · ‎03-09-2010

Actually Susan, what you did for the cats was a blessing and humane. Seriously. Not only for their own good but for your own neighborhood. I know all too well, what happens to cats that are left to multilpy. My neighbor and I, along with our local animal control lady, just trapped a momma and 5 kittens living under a porch. A local org spays/neuters them for free and then they go into foster. So, I totally understand your point. Some people don't realize that one female cat can have more than 20 kittens a yr. It's crazy.

Lila4Now · ‎08-13-2011

Be sure to check your local laws. In some places, if you trap them out of season, without prior permission, you can be arrested. Your local conservation department might be able to help you with your local laws.

1jenniferjuniper · ‎03-09-2010

Seriously?

Killing wildlife is against the laws where I live.

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

@NUNYA wrote:
Actually Susan, what you did for the cats was a blessing and humane. Seriously. Not only for their own good but for your own neighborhood. I know all too well, what happens to cats that are left to multilpy. My neighbor and I, along with our local animal control lady, just trapped a momma and 5 kittens living under a porch. A local org spays/neuters them for free and then they go into foster. So, I totally understand your point. Some people don't realize that one female cat can have more than 20 kittens a yr. It's crazy.

Truly, it boggles the mind. Thanks for really understanding

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

You will find that your state does allow hunting of many types of animals all year, each animals with its own month span to hunt based on mating patterns. Out of season hunting is only allowed for farmers due to pest and crop issues and may even allow private citizen to do so. You gun laws will restrict where you are allowed to shoot a gun within x yard of housing or not allowed in the city limits and so on. the best way to deal with pests is prevention and deterring not killing because the former is a solution not a temp fix.

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

I also realize this may be more of an urban problem than a rural one. Rural areaa have more animals and less people, so there really are that many issues out here.