Thank for the suggestion, but it just isn't going to work when the temperature in below freezing. I've had my outside faucets off and insulated since Dec, 02.
Dan, I found a way to train cats that requires a little money and less time. I get my training materials at WallyWorld, under the brand name of Winchester Super-X, they always learn on the first lesson.
Chris - I agree that it's tacky and it wasn't funny - and I'm not a cat person. But, it's also true I'm afraid! The only way to get a cat to do what I want is to shoot it. I won't shoot the cats though. I'll either continue to put up with them for the kids' sake, or I'll find new owner for the cats.
There ain't no way to make a cat do anything it doesn't want to...except sometimes by bribing them with food. They are certainly independant creatures. I guess that is one of the reasons that cats are not considered "personal property" in most places, unlike almost all other pets and livestock...
Maybe a little friendlier persuasion than a lead bullet would be a bb gun. It would sting the offending party without being quite so terminal... [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
chrisjbell - "There ain't no way to make a cat do anything it doesn't want to...except sometimes by bribing them with food."
That is true. But, as soon as you stop giving them food as a reward for a certain action, they go back to doing what they want. Early on, I had Tiny "trained" to poop a the pile of sand in the woods by giving her treats. She got to where she would go straight to the sand as soon as she saw me coming with the treats, take a poop whether she needed to or not, and then go to the spot where I gave her treats and wait for me to get there. Tiger rarely ever did though. Once I quit bringing treats, both cats went back to pooping wherever they wanted.
Chris - I've thought of that before. But, all I have is a pellet gun powered by those pre-charged cylinders. I'm afraid it would be more than just a sting, might even kill if I hit a cat in the right spot. Besides, I can't sit out there all night waiting for them. They sneak around during the night and sleep most of the day.
I agree that a pellet gun would be too strong. I used to have a neighbor that hated cats and once shot a kitten with a pellet gun. I don't know if his intention was to sting it or kill it but all he managed to do was injure it by lodging a pellet in the it's hip.
We have a couple of stray cats that like to perch on my new boat tarp. That does not fly with me, so to discourage them I have taken to popping them with my bb pistol. It does not shoot hard and is so inaccurate that I don't aim it, I point it. I try to be sly so they don't associate seeing me with getting stung. Rather I want them to associate getting on my boat with getting stung. So far the jury is out on whether my attempt to "train" them is working or not. Regardless of whether it works or not, at least I know that I am not maiming them or killing them. I have no need to do either as would be the case with a lead bullet.
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