Shooting feral cats (legal?)

[MSA]

Im not about to start a new hobby, but I dont want some bleeding heart crazy cat lady to bring me up on some felony animal cruelty charges either. Cats are so destructive to native wildlife, and id like to know im 100% in the clear to keep dispensing these vermin.

 

[BBQBluesMan]

Shooting cats on your own property is one thing but shooting cats on land that does not belong to you just because they are not within your preset range from a farm is not right.

I agree with this

 

[Brian Renville]

That leftover smelt might come in handy to draw them in.

 

[martinslanding]

I am struggling to see the need for this discussion? It’s an f’in cat for christs sake…I kind of thought this was something everybody was on the same page with… it’s not like your walking around with a flyswatter and asking, dude is that your pet mosquito…do you mine if I swat it ???
..to be fair I am not going around town looking for cats to shoot…but out side city limits fair game…how many farmsteads do you know of that have only 1 cat ???

 

[ndlongshot]

Choot 'em

 

[LOV2HNT]

 

[JayKay]

Shoot Shovel Shut up or just Shoot and Shut up

Yup, same rules as dolphins and eagles.

In this kinder gentler world that we live in, I feel it necessary to state, for the record, that I'm kidding.

 

[snow]

Out in the country in many different states we always whack'em w/o hesitation when seen,infact I've seen farmers in nebraska wing barn cats and use them for coyote bait during down time when the crops are in,they put them in a gunny sack and hang'em on a fence pole,claim it works like a charm.

 

[lunkerslayer]

If you see a feral cat on your property in a urban area why not use a live cage trap, if the cat is hungry to eat bait then its most likely feral or someone cat who has been missing.
It's goes the same as pocket gophers& ground squirrels it's easy to use a live cage when other means are not available.
Noway i would shoot a cat other than to protect my property if a cat is out in the open during the day most of the time that cat is not feral.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

I don't shoot cats. Do you guys shoot dogs that are in the ditch too?

 

[Rowdie]

Farmers and Ranchers who live in an area can shoot whatever animals they feel necessary IMO. But for towns folk to drive around shooting cats and dogs that are "x" yards from an occupied farmstead is just stupid.

 

[BBQBluesMan]

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t36c21-2.pdf#nameddest=36-21p2-14

Did a little digging, as I am also curious to the legality of disposing of stray feral cats. It appears there are no laws in regards to being charged with animal cruelty in North Dakota if the animal is stray/feral. This is kind of a grey area as to how one determines if an animal is stray or not, but for me it is easy out in the country at my place. If I approach a cat and it has no collar and goes bizirk at the sight of a human (hissing/hair standing up/running away, etc), it is feral/stray, and needs to be dealt with. Not something I enjoy doing at all, but feral cats are a huge problem in the US. Not sure how these laws apply in town though...

Under the ND century code for treatment of animals:
36-21.2-14. Estrays.
This chapter does not apply to estrays.

EDIT: I stand corrected, the Estrays portion was under the chapter of 36-21.2-13. Immunity from liability - in regards to veterinarians.


Seems like there is not a definitive answer on this...

ANOTHER EDIT: So according to this, under 36-21.2.02 - Animal abuse:

36-21.2-02. Animal abuse - Definition - Exemptions - Penalty.
1. Any person that willfully engages in animal abuse is guilty of a class A misdemeanor
for a first or a second offense and a class C felony for a third or subsequent offense
occurring within ten years.

2. For purposes of this chapter, "animal abuse" means any act or omission that results in
physical injury to an animal or that causes the death of an animal, but does not include
any act that falls within the definition of animal cruelty, as set forth in section
36-21.2-03.

3. The following do not constitute violations of this section:

a. Any usual and customary practice in:

(1) The production of food, feed, fiber, or ornament, including all aspects of the
livestock/industry;
(2) The boarding, breeding, competition, exhibition, feeding, raising, showing,
and training of animals;
(3) The sport of rodeo;
(4) Animal racing;
(5) The use of animals by exhibitors licensed under the Animal Welfare Act,
7 U.S.C. 2131, et seq.;
(6) Fishing, hunting, and trapping;
(7) Wildlife management;
(8) The culinary arts;
(9) Lawful research and educational activities; and
(10) Pest, vermin, predator, and animal damage control, including the disposition
of wild animals that have entered structures or personal property;
b. Any action taken by an individual against an animal that is attacking or is about to
attack a human, a companion animal, or livestock;
c. The humane or swift destruction of an animal for cause; and
d. Services provided by or under the direction of a licensed veterinarian.


Soo I think #10 would apply to feral cats as long is it is on personal property, not?

 

[Fishmission]

I wonder what grumpy cat would say?

 

[Duckslayer100]

I wonder what grumpy cat would say?

I suppose with a .17 HMR through his noggin, not very much.

 

[fly2cast]

I agree with some of the posts on here. Nobody needs to be shooting any cats just because you see them outside of town unless you are the landowner and you think they are causing problems.

 

[db-2]

As Kentucky stated one does not talk about it. Sometimes the wrong person finds out and that person is probably your neighbor.

For whatever reason cats seem to come to my home and hide under the deck every winter.
At one time the neighbor did provide food and housing for all the stray cats.
So every year I do live trap. Caught about a dozen in about two weeks every year. I hate to kill and have only killed one cat by accident in my life. So I guess I practice catch and release and put the problem on the people who live on the other side of town. They have return on occasion.
the solution in the end if for each one who has stray cats to end their life. I really should put a sack around the cage and hook up exhaust of car to it. Only takes a minute or two.

On the farm back many years ago we would have cats that every so often would die off. Took a few years to get them going again and with cattle one needs cats. So back then for the most part did welcome the strays in the winter. They always left by spring.
One time had a tom come in the spring and killed about a dozen kittens and would cut the throat of their mommies. Never ate just kill. Thought it was our tom and so dad shot it. Was doWN to one kitten and the next day it laid on the front steps with its throat cut.
A few days later the dog found the stray tom doing the killing and put it up a tree. Dad shot. At a young age I could hardly lift that tom up. It was big.
So have fun guys with the strays. db

 

[Bed Wetter]

I am struggling to see the need for this discussion? It’s an f’in cat for christs sake…I kind of thought this was something everybody was on the same page with… it’s not like your walking around with a flyswatter and asking, dude is that your pet mosquito…do you mine if I swat it ???
..to be fair I am not going around town looking for cats to shoot…but out side city limits fair game…how many farmsteads do you know of that have only 1 cat ???

You are a MONSTER.




Bullet the Cat on the Road to Recovery

Many people took to social media their shock about the cat found with bullet wounds in his leg

April 6, 2017 Shiina LoSciuto


FARGO, N.D. — Comments are flooding into a local animal shelter’s social media page after a cat was found with bullet wounds in his leg.

In both North Dakota and Minnesota, it is unlawful to abandon or abuse any animal.

Working at a rescue shelter, you see many cats find a happy ending.

But…it’s not always the easiest journey.

“There’s a lot of really disturbing things that we see in the rescue business,” explained Gail Ventzke, the Executive Director of Cats Cradle Shelter.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Ventzke answered a call from a man in Frazee who found a injured cat.

That cat is now known as Bullet.

“His left paw was not bearing weight,” Ventzke said. “He had a bone sticking out of the back of his wrist.”

A veterinarian in Sheldon, North Dakota confirmed what many people could never imagine for their pet.

“It turns out there is actually four very suspicious bullet wounds,” Ventzke said. “The wounds that he has and the way that the bones are shattered in his elbow there’s no doubt that is a bullet.”

Bullet was found in an area where many cats are left behind.

“Maybe people think they are dealing with a nuisance issue and they’re just handling it the only way they think is okay,” Ventzke said. “It’s really not okay to do it that way.”

She added abandoning your cat not only hurts one animal, but affects up to eight.

“When they end up getting thrown out of their homes, they’re going to reproduce,” said Ventzke.

Bullet is recovering from surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

“Starting that conversation can lead to positive outcomes with spay/neuter, with homing animals,” said Ventzke. “My goal today, number one, is Bullet. Making sure that he gets the care he needs and getting him recovered and into a new home.”

Cats Cradle Shelter is covering all of the costs from Bullet’s surgery.

“We’ll never forget Bullet,” Ventzke said. “We’ll never forget his story.”

Click here to send donations to Cats Cradle Shelter.

 

[MSA]

Ive been getting them in my garbage so bad lately, and my wife has a small dog im afraid might tangle with one of these pos cats. I just wanna trap, take out of town, shoot, toss in the trash. None have collars, none of my neighborz have cats, and these are all scared of people.

 

[Allen]

Ive been getting them in my garbage so bad lately, and my wife has a small dog im afraid might tangle with one of these pos cats. I just wanna trap, take out of town, shoot, toss in the trash. None have collars, none of my neighborz have cats, and these are all scared of people.

You need a live trap for sure. Just so you know, I've had skunks that were tamer than cats in my live traps.

 

[KDM]

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t36c21-2.pdf#nameddest=36-21p2-14

Did a little digging, as I am also curious to the legality of disposing of stray feral cats. It appears there are no laws in regards to being charged with animal cruelty in North Dakota if the animal is stray/feral. This is kind of a grey area as to how one determines if an animal is stray or not, but for me it is easy out in the country at my place. If I approach a cat and it has no collar and goes bizirk at the sight of a human (hissing/hair standing up/running away, etc), it is feral/stray, and needs to be dealt with. Not something I enjoy doing at all, but feral cats are a huge problem in the US. Not sure how these laws apply in town though...

Under the ND century code for treatment of animals:
36-21.2-14. Estrays.
This chapter does not apply to estrays.

EDIT: I stand corrected, the Estrays portion was under the chapter of 36-21.2-13. Immunity from liability - in regards to veterinarians.


Seems like there is not a definitive answer on this...

ANOTHER EDIT: So according to this, under 36-21.2.02 - Animal abuse:

36-21.2-02. Animal abuse - Definition - Exemptions - Penalty.
1. Any person that willfully engages in animal abuse is guilty of a class A misdemeanor
for a first or a second offense and a class C felony for a third or subsequent offense
occurring within ten years.

2. For purposes of this chapter, "animal abuse" means any act or omission that results in
physical injury to an animal or that causes the death of an animal, but does not include
any act that falls within the definition of animal cruelty, as set forth in section
36-21.2-03.

3. The following do not constitute violations of this section:

a. Any usual and customary practice in:

(1) The production of food, feed, fiber, or ornament, including all aspects of the
livestock/industry;
(2) The boarding, breeding, competition, exhibition, feeding, raising, showing,
and training of animals;
(3) The sport of rodeo;
(4) Animal racing;
(5) The use of animals by exhibitors licensed under the Animal Welfare Act,
7 U.S.C. 2131, et seq.;
(6) Fishing, hunting, and trapping;
(7) Wildlife management;
(8) The culinary arts;
(9) Lawful research and educational activities; and
(10) Pest, vermin, predator, and animal damage control, including the disposition
of wild animals that have entered structures or personal property;
b. Any action taken by an individual against an animal that is attacking or is about to
attack a human, a companion animal, or livestock;
c. The humane or swift destruction of an animal for cause; and
d. Services provided by or under the direction of a licensed veterinarian.


Soo I think #10 would apply to feral cats as long is it is on personal property, not?

Cats are predators so IMO, they fall under predator/pest/vermin control just like coyotes, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and other land predators. Thanks for actually digging up the Century Codes.