Pest Control: Foxes, Racoons, Possums, and Cats...what to do?

[NickZac]

So I have a rabbit and a small dog. Most of the people in my neighborhood have dogs, and I would say half of them are under 10 pounds. Some of my neighbors also have rabbits (which they purchased after meeting mine ). There are many small children as well. The area has become very, very crowded with animals that have the potential to harm, and even kill, many of our pets, as well as small children.

The issues we face are predominantly foxes and cats, but racoons and possums also pose a threat. Many of the foxes and racoons will come right up to you, sometimes during hours that they traditionally do not function at. More than likely this is due to close interaction with humans and habitat destruction, but it can also be the initial sign of rabies or other potentially infectious diseases of which some can affect humans. During the past two months, I've been outside with my rabbit on our porch only to be approached by foxes and cats. Three of the times were foxes and one was a cat. Two of the foxes and the cat came within 10-15 feet of my rabbit and I.

Cats are an issue as well. It's hard to know if they are feral or a companion animal, which further complicates things. With that said, I have little respect for those that leave their cats outside to roam. They leave a wake of destruction in their path, killing damned near everything they encounter. Other than very large birds of prey, nothing hunts them and they are a problem as well as their population has exploded. Furthermore, they are extincting native animals.

Historically, I've shot racoons, feral cats, and foxes that had become local pests or were suspect, but the neighborhood is so close that even a suppressed .22 or .17 HM2 pose risks given the proximity. Subsequently, shooting isn't a safe and viable option despite it being one of the most ethical means of control. With children and small companion animals, poison won't work either and it tends to often kill the animals that you aren't targeting. Trapping isn't something that seems to be viable either as it also tends to kill animals you are not targeting. Furthermore, poisoning and (more-so) trapping likely results in unnecessary suffering.

Please realize that control of these animals are critical to ensure the safety of both our children and our companion animals. I do not enjoy killing animals whatsoever, but sometimes population control is necessary, and a lack of control can be detrimental (as evidenced by the extreme deer overpopulation issue in our state). It's also something that can help native species. Either way, something has to be done as the issue is getting out of hand. Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[Brittany85]

I don't think there is any reason ever to shoot a cat...Cats are not dangerous to children unless they are rabid for the most part (Or if a child has not been taught to avoid strange animals). If you have wild animals in your neighborhood you should call Pest Control. Do not take it into your own hands.
And don't let your pets outside unless on leash/ under supervision.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Yeah right, call them and maybe they show up and maybe, even do something. Had a Opposum raiding my Koi pond, so I set snares and eliminated the problem as subsonics wasn't the option due to the encroachment of civilization. The only thing in your situation would be a no-kill trap. Rabies would be the thing I'd be most worried about. A girl in California got the virus from a feral cat and is only the 3rd person to survive without countermeasures.

 

[NickZac]

The lethality of rabies is 100%, with the exception of only a few cases. With a safety issue like that there are often legitimate reasons to shoot any animal, including cats. That is not to say that it should be anything other than a last resort, but there are legitimate reasons. Cats can kill an entire coop of chickens in one night, and this can present massive financial losses to (already hurting) farmers. Animal/pest control will do nothing unless it is 1) an individual problem animal, or 2) an individual animal or animals suspected of rabies.

Some research indicates that certain (non-toxic) chemicals cause a scent which can make some wild animals stay away, but if this actually works can be debated.

I remember the case of that girl. IIRC they used something called the Milwaukee Protocol that included an induced coma, and it is being debated if it was the treatment used or just exceptional luck.

Many wild animals, including feral cats, present a rabies risk. They present a larger risk to younger children and adolescents, as they may get bit by an animal and not tell anyone.

Coincidentally, one of the few animals that almost never contract and carry rabies is the rabbit. ha!

 

[Niomi]

I don't have any rabbits outside right now, but when I did, I kept their hutches inside of a chain link dog kennel, put wire around the bottom to prevent them from digging out and preditors from digging in, and bird netting over the top to keep the hawks out. With cats etc. I think I would use something much stronger than bird netting over the top.

 

[lagomorph]

NicZac, I am a conservation biologist and I think you make some important points, but I disagree with some of what you say:

1. The risk of rabies in the US is quite low. There have been only 27 cases of human rabies in this country since 1990. To put that in perspective, there were over 42,000 fatal car accidents in the US in the year 2003 ALONE. Is lethal control of the animals you mention really justified, or even remotely necessary? You are far more likely to get killed by a car than a fox. Domestic animals are the rabies bridge between wildlife and people, so the best protection is to have your pets vaccinated for rabies. Rabbits are not vaccinated, possibly because a rabbit would be unlikely to survive an attack which could lead to rabies.

2. Cats have not caused the extinction of any animal in the continental US. They and other introduced predators have caused extinctions on island ecosystems, but that degree of risk does not necessarily apply to continental ecosystems. On some islands, certain animals have no defense against cats, because they evolved in the absence of mammalian predators. All of our mainland birds and small mammals, on the other hand, evolved in the presence of a whole suite of mammalian predators, and therefore are at far less risk of population decline due to domestic cat predation. Humans are a far greater threat than cats.

3. It is not true that nothing hunts cats. Coyotes kill adult cats, and fishers probably do, too. Many other predators will make short work of a kitten.

4. A domestic cat will not kill an entire coop of chickens in one night. You must be confusing them with certain other predators, which may do that. I have had both chickens and cats for years, have been involved in trap-neuter-return, and have studied wild cats (bobcats), so I am more than familiar with the issues regarding feline behavior and predation on chickens. Reports of a domestic cat, whether feral or pet, killing a single adult chicken, let alone a whole coop full, are extremely rare. They certainly will kill baby chicks if people are stupid enough to leave them out unattended, or in a coop that is not secure.

5. I disagree that lethal control of the animals you mention is necessary to ensure the safety of our children and companion animals. Have your pets vaccinated for rabies. To avoid contact with wild animals, do not attract them. Keep your trash and compost secured. Do not put food and feeders out for birds, because many predators become habituated to humans and human food sources by feeding on spilled seed or by hunting the mice, rats, squirrels, and birds that congregate around bird feeders. Do not leave pet food outdoors for the same reason. Keep your rabbits and any other prey animals secure. Teach your neighbors to do all of the above, as well. Please understand that we ourselves have created the problems you are describing. If a wild animal like a fox approaches you, yell, jump up and down, do anything else to scare it away.

6. All of the species you mentioned ARE native, except for the domestic cat. One important invasive species you neglected to identify as such, is people. So perhaps in your thoughts about the need to "control" other species, you could consider the tremendous damage we have done to native ecosystems, and how the impact of domestic cats pales in comparison. With regard to the native predators you mentioned, realize that our very own existence depends on the presence of healthy functioning ecosystems, which need these predators to stay in balance. Yes, some of them are abundant at the moment, but enthusiastic extermination campaigns are not the answer. We tried that before, and here in New England extirpated many native species. Fortunately, many have returned, due to reforestation and improved hunting and trapping regulations, but, in this increasingly crowded world, with less and less space for wildlife, we may not be so lucky if we extirpate them again.

If you want to ensure healthy functioning ecosystems for your children and generations to come, forget about lethal control of predators and learn to coexist with your wild neighbors. There are many websites offering good advice on peaceful coexistence with wildlife. Make use of them.

 

[NickZac]

lagomorph wrote:

NicZac, I am a conservation biologist and I think you make some important points, but I disagree with some of what you say:

1. The risk of rabies in the US is quite low. There have been only 27 cases of human rabies in this country since 1990. To put that in perspective, there were over 42,000 fatal car accidents in the US in the year 2003 ALONE. Is lethal control of the animals you mention really justified, or even remotely necessary? You are far more likely to get killed by a car than a fox. Domestic animals are the rabies bridge between wildlife and people, so the best protection is to have your pets vaccinated for rabies. Rabbits are not vaccinated, possibly because a rabbit would be unlikely to survive an attack which could lead to rabies.

2. Cats have not caused the extinction of any animal in the continental US. They and other introduced predators have caused extinctions on island ecosystems, but that degree of risk does not necessarily apply to continental ecosystems. On some islands, certain animals have no defense against cats, because they evolved in the absence of mammalian predators. All of our mainland birds and small mammals, on the other hand, evolved in the presence of a whole suite of mammalian predators, and therefore are at far less risk of population decline due to domestic cat predation. Humans are a far greater threat than cats.

3. It is not true that nothing hunts cats. Coyotes kill adult cats, and fishers probably do, too. Many other predators will make short work of a kitten.

4. A domestic cat will not kill an entire coop of chickens in one night. You must be confusing them with certain other predators, which may do that. I have had both chickens and cats for years, have been involved in trap-neuter-return, and have studied wild cats (bobcats), so I am more than familiar with the issues regarding feline behavior and predation on chickens. Reports of a domestic cat, whether feral or pet, killing a single adult chicken, let alone a whole coop full, are extremely rare. They certainly will kill baby chicks if people are stupid enough to leave them out unattended, or in a coop that is not secure.

5. I disagree that lethal control of the animals you mention is necessary to ensure the safety of our children and companion animals. Have your pets vaccinated for rabies. To avoid contact with wild animals, do not attract them. Keep your trash and compost secured. Do not put food and feeders out for birds, because many predators become habituated to humans and human food sources by feeding on spilled seed or by hunting the mice, rats, squirrels, and birds that congregate around bird feeders. Do not leave pet food outdoors for the same reason.  Keep your rabbits and any other prey animals secure. Teach your neighbors to do all of the above, as well. Please understand that we ourselves have created the problems you are describing. If a wild animal like a fox approaches you, yell, jump up and down, do anything else to scare it away.

6. All of the species you mentioned ARE native, except for the domestic cat. One important invasive species you neglected to identify as such, is people. So perhaps in your thoughts about the need to "control" other species, you could consider the tremendous damage we have done to native ecosystems, and how the impact of domestic cats pales in comparison. With regard to the native predators you mentioned, realize that our very own existence depends on the presence of healthy functioning ecosystems, which need these predators to stay in balance. Yes, some of them are abundant at the moment, but enthusiastic extermination campaigns are not the answer. We tried that before, and here in New England extirpated many native species. Fortunately, many have returned, due to reforestation and improved hunting and trapping regulations, but, in this increasingly crowded world, with less and less space for wildlife, we may not be so lucky if we extirpate them again.

If you want to ensure healthy functioning ecosystems for your children and generations to come, forget about lethal control of predators and learn to coexist with your wild neighbors. There are many websites offering good advice on peaceful coexistence with wildlife. Make use of them.

Thanks for the advice. We have been trying the non-lethal route with mixed results. At this point in time, it seems to be sufficient to avoid having to use any sort of lethal force. However, animal control has killed a few problem foxes but I was unaware of that until recently and other efforts have been focused on effective deterrence as opposed to ceasing existence.