Mosey, Actually I did change Mother Nature. I converted that feral cat from a bird killer to a coyote snack. I don't have a problem with cats per se, I'm not one of those "I can't stand cats!" people. I have had pet cats but I choose to intervene when cats start using my bird feeders as cat feeders. I really wouldn't shoot just any cat, especially if it resembled a friends animal. I'd mention that I'm having a problem with cats and will shoot them and that if theirs might wander as far as my feeder they might consider some sort of intervention at their end. Then that said, I'd shoot any cat near the feeder.

The one I shot had been living around my property for a few years and was getting bolder and bolder about killing the birds we feed. I figure it was a bad thing for ground nesting birds like Bob White quail and killdeer too.

Dumped pets are a problem in our area but not always a bad thing. A good friend and neighbor ended up with a dumped dog that has turned out to be the best little dog imaginable. It wants to go everywhere with him. It rides in a box on the fender of his tractor and wants to go in his truck everywhere he goes. Smart, pretty obedient, great personality, and friendly. It seems to be (sure looks it) a pure bred Tibetan Temple Dog, the breed name escapes me just now.

My stray dog policy is if I know whose it is and it isn't a problem I don't shoot it. If it is just passing through, I let it go. If it hangs around too long, bothers stock, or is in a pack of 3 or more that is grounds for summary execution without appeal. There are just too many cast off pets and too much irresponsible breeding mostly on the part of folks with wishful thinking in place of reason. A lot of these get dumped around here.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]