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Thread: Hangar Intruder

  1. #1

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    Hangar Intruder

    A few years ago a feral tom cat appeared near the hangar. I began putting out water and dry food for it and every morning the food was gone.
    After months the cat would come into the hangar. Months after that I was able to touch it. Old cat with one ear missing.

    The cat has for the last two years lived full time in the hangar. He sleeps on a folded up quilt way up on a cabinet shelf under a 100-watt bulb that is left on full time in cold weather. He comes and goes as he wishes through a 'doggy door' I put in the wall.

    The past few days all his wet and dry food is completely gone. He never eats that much, so obviously something else is getting into the hangar and eating the food. Could be a coyote, a skunk, or another cat. I can't figure out whch.

    Some sort of motion detector that could somehow turn on my small video camera would solve the mystery, but I don't have the equipment on hand for that.

    How would you solve what animal is involved here?

  2. #2
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    Trail camera. They are simple and inexpensive.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  3. #3
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    ...or put baby powder down inside of the door and see what tracks show up.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  4. #4

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    I have 5 cats, all chose us and we have several strays that visit our outside bowl. It's been very cold, for Ohio the past few days. Last night we had a raccoon at the bowl on the back porch, they will eat just about anything, including dry cat food. If your cat is old, he has probably seen all kinds of wildlife and given his age he will not challenge them. In addition, we got about an inch of light dry snow last night, and it is very easy to tell the difference between a cat paw print and a raccoons'. I like Steve's suggestion with the baby powder, it's cheap, requires no power, and will give you a clue as to the critters ID>

    Joe

  5. #5
    rosiejerryrosie's Avatar
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    Put the food inside a live trap and you need not interpret footprints. Just make sure the trap is big enough to hold anything you might expect....
    Cheers,
    Jerry

    NC22375
    65LA out of 07N Pennsylvania

  6. #6

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    Thanks for the hints. I am going to look into getting a trail camera...food was all gone again this morning...whatever it is, it has a good appetite!

    Wilfred

  7. #7
    cub builder's Avatar
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    Everytime I run into this it is almost always a coon. Get a live capture trap, bait it with the cat food and see what you get. If the cat gets caught, let it out. It won't go in there again. If you catch a coon, you need to either do a serious relocation or make yourself a coon skin cap as you only get one chance to catch him. He'll also never go in it again.

    I currently have a weasel residing somewhere near my hangar. I see him in or near the hangar regularly. Captured him once in the live trap just to see what was in the hangar, then let him go. He keeps the hangar rodent free. Curious little creature, so is easy to capture repeatedly.

    -CubBuilder

  8. #8
    prasmussen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wilfred View Post
    Thanks for the hints. I am going to look into getting a trail camera...food was all gone again this morning...whatever it is, it has a good appetite!

    Wilfred
    Make sure you post the video. Infrared?
    The journey is the reward.

  9. #9

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    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  10. #10

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    I have caught several groundhogs in live traps and placed them in the federal re-location program, if you get a possum, be sure and send him out of state...they are really dumb when it comes to traps. Whatever you catch, be sure and take care when you release them they are all wild critters, each with it's own personality. Be sure and let us know what you catch!

    Joe

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