As I sit here, bleeding...

[Moutaineer]

Just a little vent really.

I have a stray cat situation (and hopefully, not blood poisoning.)

I now have TWO cats who do not belong to me living under my front porch. Both of these cats have, for no particularly apparent reason, migrated here from different homes about 2 miles away, in different directions, across rough country inhabited by mountain lions, coyotes and wolves. I do not fee them or provide them with succour and comfort in any way.

They both have perfectly good homes of their own. One of them we have trapped repeatedly and returned. It's owners are kind of snotty about it, but they also haven't offered to pay the vet bills for my cat who was minding her own business on her own front porch and was beaten up by their cat...

The second is a recent arrival. God knows why it picked us. Huge ginger cat. We trapped it this evening, it's owner, who is an old and dear friend, came down to collect it and said "oh, he's really sweet, I don't need to take the trap with me I'll just pick him up and put him in the back of the car."

I should have known better. Suffice to say, the two of us are suffering from some fairly significant lacerations (antiseptic and band-aids applied,) and the damned cat got away. He is now siting wailing piteously outside my living room window. But I doubt he will fall for the trap again.

Sigh.

Why us? I love cats, but my own house cats are miserable with the interlopers outside. and I really don't need any more cats of my own than I already have. Though I'm ready to kidnap the snotty people's cat and find it a new home.

[Chisamba]

Would it be mean to spray them with a water bottle or garden hose to make your deck seen less appealing? I mean s sprinkler, not a high pressure. Lol

[piedmontfields]

I have this problem with neighbor dogs. Yes, we have a nice property, no I don't want you on it! (some of our place is fenced, but not all 20 acres)

We do "freshen" the peanut butter bait on the electric fence for the garden this time of year. That usually keeps most of the free-range hollow dogs off the front of the property for a month or so. Is there a tuna fish version of this training technique for roaming cats???

[Moutaineer]

The orange cat actually turned up at his own home for breakfast this morning. Maybe we traumatized him enough...

The black cat greeted me warmly from his cosy nest in my hay shed this morning. Gah!

[Chisamba]

hahaha, you have a new cat . like it or not,

at least the view from your riding arena compensates, lol

[boots-aregard]

Are they good mousers? If so, quit sending them home.
Maybe you can give the other owners YOUR cats, and see if the trade works for everybody.

[Moutaineer]

I like my cats far too much to do that...

I have a nice home lined up for the black one if it's owners continue to be obnoxious.

[M&M]

Great thread title, by the way.

[Moutaineer]

I came home Thursday night to find that my DH had got home before me and decided to leave the back door open, then go shut himself up in his music room oblivious to all...

There was a very handsome and very angry hawk sitting hissing and flapping on the ceiling fan way up in the cathedral ceiling and a stray cat sitting on the kitchen counter.

Country living.

[Fatcat]

I came home Thursday night to find that my DH had got home before me and decided to leave the back door open, then go shut himself up in his music room oblivious to all...

There was a very handsome and very angry hawk sitting hissing and flapping on the ceiling fan way up in the cathedral ceiling and a stray cat sitting on the kitchen counter.

Country living.

Thanks for the laugh!

[piedmontfields]

That is a great scene! I have to say that stray cats without a secure location (barn/home/shed) in which to reside do not last where I live either, between hawks, loose dogs and coyotes.

[Quelah]

There was a very handsome and very angry hawk sitting hissing and flapping on the ceiling fan way up in the cathedral ceiling and a stray cat sitting on the kitchen counter.

I literally, really, spit on my keyboard

[Moutaineer]

Honestly, Quelah, I feel like Mrs. Weasley sometimes...

[fergusnc]

And of course I have to know...how'd you get Mr. Hawk to head back outside?

[Moutaineer]

All the lights off inside, porch lights on, kitchen door open. Stand up on mezzanine, wave net on long pole around him trying to avoid him flying into your face, talons flashing, to persuade him downwards towards the light. When you hear the thump of large bird hitting kitchen floor, run down he stairs (spouse remaining safely on mezzanine waving net around) praying that birdy has made it's escape through the open kitchen door, slam door, creep around ground floor of house to confirm birdlessness... hear thumping outside as bird chases stray cat across porch (truly..). Breathe sigh of relief and pour large glass of wine.

[M&M]

You definitely earned a glass this size...

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[AnnCohrs]

WOW - a hawk on the chandelier must be a FIRST!

[Chisamba]

Would i be correct in guessing the one followed the other inside?

[Moutaineer]

I really don't know, Chisamba. My theory is that DH had set the cat trap just outside the door he had left open (duh... who does THAT?) and the hawk was attracted to the cat food and then made a wrong turn.

I still have an orange cat and a black cat lurking. Both of them have sussed out the trap and are having nothing to do with it. Sigh. The black cat came bouncing up to me when I went out to feed this morning, rubbing around my legs and rolling on his back. He doesn't want to go home.