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Thread: Gopher Cat
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  1. TopTop #1
    JohnK
     

    Gopher Cat

    Hi All,
    Does anyone know how to find a cat that hunts gophers, or how to train a cat to hunt gophers?
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  2. TopTop #2
    calafia
    Guest

    Re: Gopher Cat

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by JohnK: View Post
    Hi All,
    Does anyone know how to find a cat that hunts gophers, or how to train a cat to hunt gophers?
    Your best bet would be a feral kitten. Ask Forgotten Felines about how to tame one, it does work. And the odds of him/her being a hunter are good. Cats either hunt or they don't. I found mine as a kitten near my house and he is a fiercely good hunter even without a mother to train him. It's a pure instinct.
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  3. TopTop #3
    NudeTea
     

    Re: Gopher Cat

    feral cats will hunt, but don't count gophers in: it's the cat that comes home with the bloody nose by my experience.


    Quote Posted in reply to the post by JohnK: View Post
    Hi All,
    Does anyone know how to find a cat that hunts gophers, or how to train a cat to hunt gophers?
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  4. TopTop #4
    jesswolfe's Avatar
    jesswolfe
     

    Re: Gopher Cat

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by NudeTea: View Post
    feral cats will hunt, but don't count gophers in: it's the cat that comes home with the bloody nose by my experience.
    My ex got one of the cats in the divorce. She is about 15 years old and has no fangs. She hunts gophers successfully. She suffocates them. And yes she has a lot of cattitude!
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  5. TopTop #5
    Claire's Avatar
    Claire
     

    Re: Gopher Cat

    Well, I guess I can say that the good hunters I know have a pretty intense expression in their eyes. That's all I know about choosing a hunting cat.
    However I do have a lot of experience encouraging my cats to hunt them.
    Whenever one of the cats comes to the backdoor with one I make a big deal, announcing to anyone that will listen and act proud as can be. (After all, they did bring it to me.) If they eat it right away they get huge Kudos, but if they play with it I act (am) peaved. If they are taking their time I make all sorts of crunching noises and it often does the trick. That may sound gross, but torture is worse.
    I make a huge show of disapproval if they ever get a bird, rescue the poor thing if possible and give it a place to slowly come out of shock, if need be. The only bird they can't resist now is the rare one that flies inside and flutters against a window. It must be too tempting. BTW a broom is a good rescue tool. They often recognize it as sticks and will perch on it while you carry it outside.
    My cats too often catch a lizard. I show Huge disappointment telling them, NOOO, we don't do Lizards! They're too easy!! And I think they catch fewer that way while proudly showing off all the gophers, or at least their entrails. I actually look for back-entryway rugs that are gopher-gut color, or "aubergine" if you prefer. A beautiful, pale color doesn't cut it for long.





    Quote Posted in reply to the post by JohnK: View Post
    Hi All,
    Does anyone know how to find a cat that hunts gophers, or how to train a cat to hunt gophers?
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  6. TopTop #6
    enigmaha
    Guest

    Re: Gopher Cat

    Hi John,

    If a pet cat's stalk-to-kill instinct is encouraged, rather than discouraged, other denizens of the natural world will likely be targets, too. Birds and lizards will be unwitting victims and we don't want them to meet untimely ends.

    I was having a gopher problem in my garden a few years ago and found out about a product made of castor oil that they sell at Harmony Farms. It comes in a canister that attaches to your garden hose. Turn on the hose and the spray is mixed with the water as you water the areas where the gophers are a problem.

    This product is environmentally friendly. It's harmless to plants and other wildlife (including insects).
    The gophers leave the area because they don't like the smell!

    It really worked when I used it! The gophers left my garden!

    I think this is a better solution than risking the casualties that would occur from cultivating the killer instinct in a cat and allowing it to have free rein.
    Our bird populations are already in serious jeopardy these days.

    Good luck!

    Andrea



    Quote Posted in reply to the post by JohnK: View Post
    Hi All,
    Does anyone know how to find a cat that hunts gophers, or how to train a cat to hunt gophers?
    | Login or Register (free) to reply publicly or privately   Email

  7. TopTop #7
    Barrie's Avatar
    Barrie
    Supporting member

    Re: Gopher Cat

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by claire ossenbeck: View Post
    Well, I guess I can say that the good hunters I know have a pretty intense expression in their eyes. That's all I know about choosing a hunting cat.
    However I do have a lot of experience encouraging my cats to hunt them.
    Whenever one of the cats comes to the backdoor with one I make a big deal, announcing to anyone that will listen and act proud as can be. (After all, they did bring it to me.) If they eat it right away they get huge Kudos, but if they play with it I act (am) peaved. If they are taking their time I make all sorts of crunching noises and it often does the trick. That may sound gross, but torture is worse.
    I make a huge show of disapproval if they ever get a bird, rescue the poor thing if possible and give it a place to slowly come out of shock, if need be. The only bird they can't resist now is the rare one that flies inside and flutters against a window. It must be too tempting. BTW a broom is a good rescue tool. They often recognize it as sticks and will perch on it while you carry it outside.
    My cats too often catch a lizard. I show Huge disappointment telling them, NOOO, we don't do Lizards! They're too easy!! And I think they catch fewer that way while proudly showing off all the gophers, or at least their entrails. I actually look for back-entryway rugs that are gopher-gut color, or "aubergine" if you prefer. A beautiful, pale color doesn't cut it for long.
    One of my cats came home with a gopher this afternoon. It was already dead but she continued to play with it, throwing into the air then pouncing on it. One of the other cats, age 18!, took it away from her & brought it into the house where he quickly ate about half of it. The other cats looked on eagerly. When he took a break another cat grabbed it and headed under the bed. Soon nothing was left but what looked like the intestines and the head which I threw outside. Later I saw a bluejay flying off with them.

    My cats don't get this excited about thier food, either commercial or raw, I guess it is instinct for them to love to eat rodents.

    Barrie
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  8. TopTop #8

    Re: Gopher Cat

    I found a great hunter by asking friends if they had cats who hunted well and were not spayed. A friend's cat fit this description and had a young litter so I picked out a kitten and then left her with her mom until she was about 10 weeks old or so. Mother cats teach their kittens to hunt but the lessons don't begin until the kittens are older than six weeks, which is the standard age for adoption. A kitten left with its mama for the next 4 to 6 weeks will have awesome hunting skills. Combine this with a cat's natural instincts and you have a veritable gopher-killing machine. If the young cat develops a taste for birds, you'll have to contend with that issue before they turn to gophers. Putting a collar with a bell on the cat for a couple of weeks will usually solve the problem, as the cat grows frustrated at never catching a bird.

    I have had the best results with cats who are not feral but who spend a lot of time outside in rural areas.
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