Subject: Re: I shot a cat
Date: Dec 31 19:07:53 1996
From: Denny Granstrand - osprey at nwinfo.net


Tweeters,

I have three cats and four bird feeders, not counting the seed I put on the
ground for the ground-feeders. I also have a b-b gun by my office window
that overlooks the bird feeders. When I see one of our cats near the
feeders, I load the gun, throw open the window and fire a random shot to
scare the cat away. When the cats hear the window open, they go from 0-100
mph in about a tenth of a second.
The other day, Chewy, cat number two, heard me pumping the b-b gun even
before I opened the window and flew the 75 feet to the deck touching the
ground only three times.

Several times I have caught a cat at the feeders. After a firm scolding and
a snow bath, they learn that the feeders are not a good location to hang out.

Last week I drove into my driveway and saw Sassy, our fattest cat, stalking
toward the feeders. Even though I ran yelling at her, she stalked to right
under the thistle feeder, sprang straight up, grabbed a goldfinch off of the
top perch - 50 inches off the ground, and landed right on top of it. By
that time I was able to grab the cat and free the shaken but still alive
goldfinch which flew away, minus only a few feathers. Since her scolding
and snow bath, Sassy hasn't shown the slightest interest in the feeders. My
wife thinks it is ridiculous to try to train the cats to stay away from the
feeders but it is amazing how much cats dislike snow baths!

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA