On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:56:27 -0700 (PDT), CanopyCo
wrote:

:On Oct 22, 11:43*pm, Dan Musicant ) wrote:
: On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:32:00 -0500, Bert Byfield
:
: wrote:
:
: ::The trouble is finding the right cat--most can't figure out how to
: ::catch squirrels and the ones who can usually get beat up enough
: ::the first time that they decide that squirrels aren't worth the
: ::effort.
: :
: : Training a cat would be darn near impossible, I guess.
: : Dan
: :
: : * Yes, but I had a cat once who learned about rabbits up close and
: ersonal, when a daughter kept pet rabbits in the house and yard. The
: :cat learned that rabbits are 1) awful (one was in love with her and
: :kept jumping her with passion), and 2) easy to beat up (though she
: :never harmed a pet rabbit).
: : * After a while the cat started showing up with battered dead wild
: :rabbits she had caught, and it was easier to keep a garden after that.
:
: Well, I could get a cat and deliver it dead squirrels, which are easy to
: find on the local streets. Maybe it would get the idea? I suppose a tom
: cat would be better, because they're bigger.
:
: Dan
:
:Use a pump up pellet rifle to shoot one in your yard.
:That way it is warm, and maybe even still wiggling when the cat gets
:it.
:Tie a string to it if it is not moving on it's own power.

Good idea!
:
:A moma cat with kittens will tend to be less picky about what it eats,
:and the kittens will chase anything that moves when they are hungry.
:A tom cat is going to be bigger, and a good one will hunt the
:neighborhood dogs as well.

Not too many unleashed dogs around here. I think it might be a law. I
haven't seen one in a while.
:
:Try going out into the country during kitten season and ask a farmer
:for a kitten that it up and running on it's own.

That may be the only way I can get an unfixed male. If I get it at the
local animal shelter, they may insist on fixing it before they give it
to me!
:
:BTW
:Squirrel tastes like chicken if cooked like chicken.
:;-)

Mmm, squirrel fricasee, sweet & sour squirrel,... yum!!
:
:BTW again
:If you put small block of wood on the mouse trap so it will not close
:all the way it will just snap and swat but not get packed off by
:something to big for it, and a rat trap will take a squirrel.

I have a couple mouse traps, and 6-8 rat traps.

:You can tie it to a stake if you want so that nothing can drag it off.

Great idea!
:
:You can also tape a wire or something like that to the swatter of the
:trap and it will swing around better, making it freak them out more.
:
:Wire cones sounds like a pretty good idea if you are in a town that
:loves squirrels but hates cats.

Cones! Yeah, that's better than cubes, way easier.
:
:What does an electric fence charger cost around there?
:That would be fun watching a squirrel hit that.
:;-)

That might be a real good idea. If squirrels get shocked in my yard they
might stay out. I could even set up blind shocking fences and move them
around until they just stay out. I have no idea where to get one or how
much it would cost. I imagine I could maybe make them myself. House
current would be too intense, and probably not safe. I guess the idea is
a transformer to step down the voltage to shock but not kill or have
danger of fire.

Dan