Farm Cat... what breed?

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moomoo1024
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Farm Cat... what breed?

Post by moomoo1024 »

Hello! I live on a farm where we raise daliahs, have a large garden, and many animals used for pet porposes. Our 2,500 flowers are supposed to be blooming, but we are having a problem with lots of rabbits eating all of them down to the roots! It is costing us thousands of dollars of upfront costs on the bulbs, not even taking into account the huge amount of profit that we are loosing out on AND water costs. In addition, we have lots of rodents (rats, mice, ect.) that are quite bothersome as well. We have never owned a cat before but are considering getting one from a shelter to help with our problem. We get no snow where we live and probably only about 4 frosts during the night in the winter total, so it could live outside year round. Of course we would feed it and give it a place to sleep. So my question is: What breed can I get that is hardy, large enough to take down rabbits, and willing to hunt? I relize that a lot of this depends on the personallity of the cat, but what breeds should I look into? Thank you VERY much for helping!
OHWS
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Re: Farm Cat... what breed?

Post by OHWS »

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Last edited by OHWS on Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Farm Cat... what breed?

Post by bobbys girl »

There are so many reasons for NOT getting a cat or cats for what you want!

If it was me I'd go for a couple of Jack Russell Terriers - not the pedigree 'Parson Russell' that has had the fight bred out of it. A couple of 'Jacks' will do the job for fun. They will take rabbits, rats, mice and any poor little sxd that runs away from them. A pair is better because they urge each other on. They can empty a barn of rats in no time and, unlike cats, they seldom eat what they catch (if you feed them of course) so there is less chance of them catching anything from their prey.
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Lilith
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Re: Farm Cat... what breed?

Post by Lilith »

I agree with bobbys girl. I did once have a wire-haired 'Parson' Russell and she WAS more sedate (for a terrier) but once, when only a pup, she discovered a nest of partridge chicks. Before I had chance to grab her she was in there, snapping and killing; poor little devils didn't stand a chance; it was quite horrible, but that is the terrier instinct.

I don't think a cat or cats would make much immediate impression on your rabbit problem, and also, even if you start out with neutered cat/s, with access to food and shelter, this may attract un-neutered cats, stray, feral or even dumped by their owners (it happens :( ) who will breed unless you neuter THEM, and you could find yourself with a cat problem on top of the rabbit problem.

If you live in a farming area, do you know anyone with terriers or ferrets who might be happy to come for regular rabbiting sessions (are the burrows on your land?) to get the population down, or even lend you a terrier for a while?

Good luck :)
moomoo1024
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Re: Farm Cat... what breed?

Post by moomoo1024 »

Thank you so much for all of your advice! We have 3 dogs all ready and so a forth isn't an option... also none of my current dogs are able to catch them. None of them are young enough or driven enough to catch up with a sprinting rabbit. They are more of the "I will bark at that rabbit for a few minutes and then take a nap on your lap" type :roll: . None of my neighbors have hunting dogs and the problem is so extensive that I would need my own to deal with it, but thank you. OHWS, I will go down to the local shelter and see if they have ferals... I belive that there is a "clear the shelters" day in my area soon, so I will head down there in a few days. Once again, that you so much! :D
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Crewella
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Re: Farm Cat... what breed?

Post by Crewella »

I adopted a 4 year old stray entire tom cat a few years ago, had him neutered and he became a complete softie but still liked to hunt (mostly mice and rats) and raid dustbins as he had been an urban cat. We then moved to a rural area and he now spends the whole of the spring and summer hunting rabbits - he eats a lot of his kills but he does also share the spoils and often calls the rest of the gang when he brings something home.

I guess I'm trying to say that, if you can't get a terrier, it's worth a try - and that the important thing is to find cats with a strong instinct to hunt, I'm pretty sure cats will adapt to whatever prey is available. With rabbits, though, it might help to get a bigger sort of cat - my Daz is a big lad and weighs somewhere between 5-6 kilos, the rest of the gang are 3-4 kilo cats and none will tackle a rabbit (though that's a bit unfair of me as most are older 'senior' cats, so you'd hardly expect them to!). You definitely need more than one - lots of farms and stables keep colonies of cats for pest control, but please be aware that you do need to take a keen interest in their wellbeing, make sure that they are healthy and be prepared to neuter any blow-ins that might turn up and join the gang so as to keep the population under control. It would make your life a little easier if they were farm cats that are used to interacting with people rather than true ferals, as they will be easier to treat for parasites and any injuries. You're much better off with 'moggies' than any breed as they are tougher and less prone to health issues, but please do be aware of the responsibility that you are taking on and make an effort to understand their needs and behaviours. Not all cats are gregarious, so do be guided by the shelters as to what cats would be suitable for your circumstances.

Good luck!
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