THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

Morning all.

pineapple, I have never in my entire life heard/ read of cats spreading disease to livestock. I know cat faeces can be infected with a parasite called toxoplasmosis, which can infect many mammals inc humans, but which is only able to reproduce in cats. Figures of 23% infection with toxoplasmosis are quoted for the USA, up to 95% of the population in some parts of the world.

But spreading disease to livestock? Crazy, farmers have always had cats around the place to keep the vermin down. Traditionally, they might get a saucer of milk or two from the dairy, but they were expected to feed themselves off the vermin and live in the outbuildings, they certainly weren't pets.

One of the best disincentives to vermin is to keep a close supervision of one's stores, perhaps not to keep all of them in one place, and to move swiftly once a problem has been detected. I still grin at the memory from a couple of years ago when Dad and I were hunting a mousie at Nan's bungalow in the teeny outside shed which used to be the outside lavvy. It had been deplumbed decades ago and was used for storage.

Being barely big enough to stand up in for one person, we were moving stuff out and mousie was scarpering from cover to cover. Eventually, Dad shut himself inside with a stick and a pledge that only one of them was coming out alive - Dad 1 vs Mouse 0.:rotfl:

Never would have happened when Nan's cat was alive. The last incumbent of that role, Blackie, was a ferocious hunter even in his latter years. For a cat which can take down stoats, rats, pheasants, rabbits, partridge and squirrels, a mouse is no problem whatsoever.

Oh, and within a week of his passing, the rats were moving into the back garden and being bold as brass. She had to get the pest controller in. Cats are the business when it comes to pest control.

Yeah, the poop in the garden is a nuisance but there is a cure; get your own cat and others won't dare do their business in its territory.

I'm always happy to see cats patrolling the lotties which are just over the road from a housing estate. I've been stood talking to a fellow gardener and a cat has been almost at our feet, looking alert. Then one-two-three pounces in different directions as it tracks through cover and up it comes with a rat in its jaws. A rat that we had no idea was lurking less than 6 ft from our feet, btw.:rotfl:

I used to see a mahoosive ginger tom on the estate near a pal's flat. I'm talking a real big bruiser, bull-necked and it'd walk down the pavement swinging its head from left to right looking at everything, inc humans, as if to say you wanna have a go if you think you're hard enough!?

Middle of one winter's evening, pal heard a helluva kerfuffle outside her window and looked out at a spinning ball of squalling ginger fur. In seconds, it resolved itself into the ginger tom and a fox. The fox was losing the fight and broke and ran into the woods with the tom in hot pursuit.

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I had that from a neighbouring cat here a few times. I knew exactly who the culprit was and used to chase it out of my garden. Thankfully the cat doesnt seem to be around any longer for whatever reason.

I was constantly waging war on cats where I used to live. Personally I would like to see something like the Australian Cat act in the UK. The problem is not cats per se but the proliferation in many areas. I used to live in a little hamlet of just 20 households - but there were around 16 cats thanks mainly to one neighbour who had 7 and another who had 5. Next door kept trying to plant nasturtium seeds in an old sink planter and they would climb up to do their business scratting it all up in the process. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it but I once caught a cat taking a dump in my window box!
Even worse, the local wildlife was decimated - not just vermin unfortunately but birds - ducklings even. Sorry rant over.

There is an article on prepping that may be of interest, in yesterday's Daily Telegraph magazine supplement. (Must say I was surprised to find anything worth reading there.) Anyway, a mixed bag, writer starts with facetious comments, but ends seemingly with the opinion that if rich, successful and intelligent people throughout the world are making plans for when SHTF, there must be something in it.