[MajorHart]

Originally Posted by red dirt

I don't know about ducks, but guineas and cats are probably the best you could do to control snakes and other critters.

We live northeast of Stillwater and have problems with scorpions, ticks, black widows, and some copperheads. Cats help control the rattlesnakes and scorpions and guineas keep the ticks under control.

Many people keep their cats indoors - we have one and do that because they kill too many birds, robbing feeders and nests.

Everyday we chase outside cats away from stalking the birds at our feeders.

At night they kill roosting birds too.

I prefer to feed my cat inside and protect the birds too.

MajorHart

[peggydavis]

Hi Major Hart

We keep some cats indoors because I don't want anything to get them. We have a lot of feral cats in our area (very rural). We catch them in traps and take them to the vet to have them spayed or neutered. The feral cats are damaging to the bird population. We don't put out bird feeders anymore because it makes the birds easy targets for the feral cats.

[Jammie]

Ditto to what you both said. We have cats and they're strictly indoor cats. Well, they do get to play on the deck while we're at home. But it's just so unsafe to leave your pets outside. Besides the traffic, there are always some strays roaming around, poor things. And of course, they're used to a more combative lifestyle then house pets are.

It's also horrible to see a poor helpless bird attacked and killed. When we first got our tomcat, who is now 15 years old, he was out on the deck and caught a little bird. I made him let it go and informed him that "We don't kill." As unbelievable as it is, to this day he wouldn't hurt a bird or a squirrel or a rabbit or anything else. Not sure if it turned out that way because he was still a baby or what, but he doesn't even fight off flies.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Ditto to what you both said. We have cats and they're strictly indoor cats. Well, they do get to play on the deck while we're at home. But it's just so unsafe to leave your pets outside. Besides the traffic, there are always some strays roaming around, poor things. And of course, they're used to a more combative lifestyle then house pets are.

It's also horrible to see a poor helpless bird attacked and killed. When we first got our tomcat, who is now 15 years old, he was out on the deck and caught a little bird. I made him let it go and informed him that "We don't kill." As unbelievable as it is, to this day he wouldn't hurt a bird or a squirrel or a rabbit or anything else. Not sure if it turned out that way because he was still a baby or what, but he doesn't even fight off flies.

I'm a big fan of birds and I run off the cats hunting them in our area as well. I don't have anything against cats, in fact I love them about as much as I do any animal, but I hate to see a bird get killed; they are so beneficial and beautiful (all birds, even some that are considered ugly). Sometimes, I'll sit for hours in my backyard watching birds and enjoying every minute of it.

[Jammie]

It's really nice to see that there are so many others in the world who are sensitive to our animals friends.

[jsherman9901]

Originally Posted by MajorHart

I prefer to feed my cat inside and protect the birds too.

Thank you!! I appreciate cat owners who are responsible; unfortunately, many are not. I don't know where people got the idea that their cats should have the right to roam outdoors at will. My irresponsible neighbor has over 25 cats and lets them roam all over the neighborhood; our songbird population has suffered as a result (I have actually seen the cats killing birds). I can't get animal control to do anything about it

[Jammie]

That's awful!!! I'm not sure how good your local Humane Society is there, but I'd give them a try. We don't actually have one right here in town, but there is one an hour away (Sx. Falls) and they are VERY good and protective of all animals. Even snakes~EWWWWW!

[livingintulsa]

Originally Posted by igloo

I read that there are 5000 different types of snakes in the U.S. and 4998 of them are found in Oklahoma. I doubt those numbers are correct, but would anyone shed some light on any snake problems in OK? We are looking at a small farm in the Yale area if things work out. Thanks.

There are 46 species of snakes here in Oklahoma, and of them only 7 are potentially harmful to humans. Just remember to stay at least 3 snake lengths away from him, if he scared you, you can bet that you scared him too. Snakes do not hunt humans, they head out in search of food, be it small insects, mice etc. A snake will only strike when it feels cornered, or threatened.

[Mattie Jo]

what are those 7 snakes?

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Jammie

It's really nice to see that there are so many others in the world who are sensitive to our animals friends.

I think more and more people, minus the morons, are like that Jammie. And it's good to see. To me, animals are like children; they generally have no devious intent other than to feed themselves and just stay alive. This even goes for insects as well, although I'm not tolerant of pests like mosquitoes and such. I'd much rather "live and let live" than just kill something because I don't like the way it looks or if I'm in a bad mood. There are exceptions, of course, especially if I'm in harm's way or something like that (I'm not Hindu or Buddhist). But it is life, after all and God's gift.