# Home security



## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

We have a 12 year old (neutered) male cat. I realized today, he is our home security (well against other animals that is).

When we first got him we lived in Bremerton, Washington, our kids were 9 and 5. There was this new neighbor up the way, and they had this medium sized dog, they would intentionally let it out when one of us would walk up the street, or our kids were out front. It was a racial thing. However, this dog was let out one afternoon when my kids were out front, and it came running at them, snarling and barking, snapping at their legs. Out of nowhere comes our 9 month old cat, tearing into this dog all the way to its house (while that woman was yelling to get a handle on our cat ). 

So fast forward, we moved here, it's 10 years later and my son is out back and there is this fox nearby, and here comes our cat, running at this fox, tearing into it, have not seen a fox since. Now we have new neighbors, they have a St. Bernard they keep fenced. Our son (now 20) was trying to make buddies with the dog at their fence (with the owner there) and our cat comes running at this dog, trying to get to him, while our son kept pushing him back.

So today our son is house sitting for his boss, who happens to have a Great Dane. He brought it over to visit, good dog, and my husband it standing outside next to the 150# dog, when out of nowhere comes our 10# cat, charging at this unsuspecting dog, who then begins to run backwards while cowering down howling in fear (this poor guy is already afraid of cats, I am SURE this has not helped). Understand this cat is my husbands buddy (well he is all of ours, but he loves my husband).

We have had dogs come onto our property, and his reaction is different than when we're out there during the dogs appearance.

So there you go, we don't need a guard dog, we have a guard cat.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

When I was a kid my cat lit into a fox one night and ran that fox back into the woods. I think the cat was about 1-2 years old then and maybe 8 lbs. the fox was quite a bit bigger than the cat. 

Cats can surprise you and be a lot more dog like than you'd think.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

That's funny! Yep this guy in spring was dragging home field rabbits. He brought one on he caught that was probably half his size, he then drug it off and proceeded to eat half of it. He is a great hunter, and obviously a fantastic protector. I fear one day, though, that he will find himself face to face with one of the local coyotes and get hurt, unfortunately they mean business as much as he does (foxes can be goofy things, as in this video: 



 not so much coyotes)


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Our security is a 4lb mini pin who just runs in circles barking. Bless his heart, he tries to take on ELK on the rare occasion we see them. He stand 5 feet away barking while they eat his food. They must think he's a loud garden ornament.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Meanwhile if a stranger comes to the house our dog will roll over so the person can scratch her stomach. However, she will bark like crazy at the chipmunks in the back yard. I guess I need a security cat.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Cat's will attack people*

Our neighbors had a cat. I went to their house and walked inside the porch to knock on the door. I was attacked by their cat and it was one of the few times in my childhood that I saw a doctor.

Another time I was house sitting for some friends with 3 cats. They did not want to let me in the house to feed them. Since I had already been attacked by a cat, I was aware of the potential.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

My mother reminded me we had a cat like this one when I was young, chased down large dogs, kept people off of our porch. He was a true "tom cat". However, that cat loved the six of us kids, he'd greet us all in the morning at the end of the hallway with a head bonk. He'd stand on his hind legs and you had to lean down and he would bonk your forehead with his. 

Our current claws of fury is neutered, but yet sprays and it still very territorial. 

I think some smaller creatures can pack a huge attitude, it is like they do not realize they are not large wild animals of prey :sssh:...We think he believes he is a cougar.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)




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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Wife has two shy indoor cats. When they both take off at high speed for the basement you know someone has just pulled into our driveway.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> our kids were 9 and 5. There was this new neighbor up the way, and they had this medium sized dog, they would intentionally let it out when one of us would walk up the street, or our kids were out front. It was a racial thing. However, this dog was let out one afternoon when my kids were out front, and it came running at them, snarling and barking, snapping at their legs.


I would have killed that F*&^%# dog faster than you can say the word "shotgun"... especially in defense of my children. I would have taken the evidence with me, too. 
Maybe even mounted its head on a stake with a sign under it.



HoppeEL4 said:


> Our current claws of fury is neutered, but yet sprays and it still very territorial.
> 
> I think some smaller creatures can pack a huge attitude, it is like they do not realize they are not large wild animals of prey. We think he believes he is a cougar.


Sounds like ours. He regularly catches squirrels, and if you saw our yard you would be amazed that it would be possible to do at all (the sq's have many avenues of escape). He almost got a crow once... no small feat. Was inside for 6 months and outside ever since.


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## HamiltonFelix (Oct 11, 2011)

I recently had to capture one of our feral cats, to take him to be neutered. He bit holes into my finger THROUGH a set of welding gloves! Cats can be pretty ornery.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

HamiltonFelix said:


> He bit holes into my finger THROUGH a set of welding gloves! Cats can be pretty ornery.


Wow, I never had that happen, but I always make sure I hold them on the back side of their neck so hard they are choking. That distracts them enough. I have tried to see how hard they can be squeezed, and never killed one yet.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

LincTex, I would have too if I had owned a gun and not been in city limits. However, the cat took care of it for us :club: ....Then around that same time frame the cat was down this hillside where apparently there was a crows nesting area in the tree's, must have been about 20 crows had him pinned down to the ground, swooping in on him. We heard the commotion, went outside and called, and he came army crawling up the hill a fast as he could!!LOL Don't ever mess with crows :teehee: .


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> LincTex, I would have too if I had owned a gun and not been in city limits. However, the cat took care of it for us :club:


Once.

What about next time?

Right after my baby girl started walking, we had a raccoon stalk her one evening. My wife freaked out (it certainly was a strange occurrence) - - a .22 took care of that critter.

People keep dumping dogs - one dog isn't so bad, but a pack of seven go feral FAST!!!! They attack fast, bite fast and run fast.

*They are a serious threat*, and unless you have dealt with them personally you will never realize how helpless you can feel - and how quickly.

You won't EVER be able to get to a gun fast enough unless it is already in your hands!!!!

As you can tell, I have had it with dumped dogs. I won't even bother to find out if they are tame or not first - - the faster they are dead, the better.

And IF I KNEW THAT SOMEONE DELIBERATELY let a dog loose while my kids were playing, I would make life very, very, very, very ugly for those people.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

LincTex said:


> ...As you can tell, I have had it with dumped dogs. I won't even bother to find out if they are tame or not first - - the faster they are dead, the better. ....


*****. I'm tired of Chicken Owners trapping *****. Then take the easy way out by releasing them (dumping) on someone else's property. vract:


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## HamiltonFelix (Oct 11, 2011)

When live trapping a nuisance critter, always release it next to a National Park Service building. The Tree Soldiers like to be close to nature. 

BTW, I think I "dead trapped" a couple of raccoons this morning - with my Crown Victoria - on the way to work - gray critters, dark gray asphalt, a bit of fog, morning still pretty dark... Oh well, it's not like we're short on raccoons. 

Yep, Linc Tex, I should have gotten that cat only from behind by the neck, but there was a bit of a struggle extracting him from the place he'd gotten himself, then I finally got him turned around and stuffed into a plywood and hardware cloth box (the N.O.A.H. people turned up their noses at my homebuilt cat carrier, but I thought it more durable than the commercial cat carriers). You're right, they are tough, no worries about wringing their necks.


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## northfarmer (Oct 18, 2012)

I actually have one of these,so,so rare in north america.


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