Shooting Cats

[goldrush]

A lot of gun owners across the country think it's tough and macho to shoot cats that happen to wander into their yards. They proudly boast of shooting cats in other gun forums.

Do California laws frown upon shooting cats? What would happen to a gun owner in a major California urban area who was turned in for shooting cats off his back porch?

[TimRB]

My guess is that if you shot a cat within a major city, they would throw the book at you. Charges like cruelty to animals, unlawful discharge of a firearm, etc. Just my guess, though.

Tim

[duckman1]

Likely get a tougher sentence than for attempted murder or messing with a kid.

They are cats after all.

[Vacaville]

That's a dick maneuver there. Those are people's pets.

[MaHoTex]

Why would you shoot a cat? That is just stupid.

[SanPedroShooter]

I lived in Southern Oregon and a neighbors dog had mauled a cat to death. The owners were upset and called the police, because cats were classified as vermin in Jackson County (which meant you could take all necessary step to eradicate them), there was no law broken.

But discharging a gun in the city limits was still very illegal.

[bcrich]

Why would you shoot a cat? That is just stupid.

There is too many stupid people EVERYWHERE! (shootin house cats)

[offrdmania]

It just depends on the county, but yes, discharge in an urban area is very illegal

[lgm118icbm]

That's a dick maneuver there. Those are people's pets.

Because it is impolite and illegal to let your pet off your property off leash. Cats do lots of damage to local wildlife and they use my back yard as a litter box. If I find a cat on my property off leash, I trap them and turn them in to animal control. They aren't anybody's pet at that point.

[bill_k_lopez]

discharging a gun in the city limits was still very illegal.

As is here in California.

Trap and relocate is a much better option.

In your house, in your yard its a pet - in my yard, or in my garage - its a PEST.

[garrison.ellis]

my brother shot a pidgeon with a pellet gun when he lived in LA and his neighbor called the cops on him. He and his two college roomates at the time got taken to jail for the day and charged with cruelty to animals. Which was later dropped by the judge.

[Rob Roy]

Shooting a cat is dumb and cruel.

[B Strong]

A lot of gun owners across the country think it's tough and macho to shoot cats that happen to wander into their yards. They proudly boast of shooting cats in other gun forums.

Do California laws frown upon shooting cats? What would happen to a gun owner in a major California urban area who was turned in for shooting cats off his back porch?

Unless the shooter can prove the cat was a threat to life and limb, he'd be up the creek.

In rural areas, any uncontrolled housepet type (dog, cat) on the loose on private property is pretty much fair game, it's even noticed on signs in some areas.

You're right about joyus cat shooters on other forums, some of those guys act like they took a B. & C. record they way they carry on.

[goldrush]

Why would you shoot a cat? That is just stupid.

In other states, usually red ones, if I opened this exact thread, over half the responses would support killing cats, and there would be many boastful personal stories.

Here's a few from yesterday, all from the same thread. I've omitted the identifying details, but you can probably still find it:

"a 22 short sure doesn't cost $400.

And the YARRR and body thrashing in the throes of death are priceless.

Use your head, XXXX. Good grief. I think we're talking Gay City here."

***

"I would like for you to come to my house and take all the neighborhood cats that roam day and night, killing the baby rabbits, putting footprints on my truck and shi**in in my wife's flowers. I only have time to eliminate so many of them."

***

There is a cure - it's called "cat owner fetish castration". If it was me I would try to quit on my own.

***

They make dandy tomato fertilizer.

***

I picked up a nice Chicom airgun at a garage sale.

Friend asked how accurate was it ... I said " It is capable of 1/4 minute of cat!"

***

7&1/2 or 8's ?


***

There are a few nice comments in the thread, but when gun owners kill house pets, they make us all look like scary, deranged murderers who are just waiting for the right excuse to kill anything, from a cat to a person.

[haole_50]

I am my neighborhood "Winged Rat" (pigeon) assassin. And have gotten each residents permission to take out any pigeon in the area. Best shot was 80 yards with a pellet gun, dropped him where he stood. The owner could figure out the "smell" until he went up to check his roof, and found the corpse rotted. They had a cool cat that would catch 'em too, so we worked in tandem to rid our area of these pest.