Anyone ever see a cat jump in a pond?

[Mike in Vermont]

So, we had this cat show up yesterday. We were on the patio, and it was on the edge of the woods, hunting. It moved closer to the patio. We left for an hour or so. When we got back, the dog and I went outside to feed the fish. The dog started barking on the patio. I went up to see what was going on. The cat was lying on a cobbled up garden hose, instead of a nice, flat spot. It wasn't backing down so, I picked the dog up. It wouldn't back down from me, either. Snarling and hissing aggressively. Finally, I got it to leave the patio. It went and jumped into the pond. I couldn't believe my eyes. Swam out half way, and returned to shore. I tried to shew it off. Then, it looked like it was going to attack. It that point, I was sure it had rabies. It did leave but, I was considering shooting it, to prevent someone from getting hurt. I was actually heading back to the house for a gun, when it left.
.
The fish have been eating like piranhas. It takes very little to scare them. Only about 3 fish would eat. I expect it looked like a mink swimming in the pond. Even though it was a good 30 feet from where they feed.
.

 

[Smaug]

Could be rabid or just exceptionally feral. I have seen cats go into and across creeks when scared.

 

[mrtrumpet]

Can't say that I have, except for this

 

[Troutredds]

So, we had this cat show up yesterday. We were on the patio, and it was on the edge of the woods, hunting. It moved closer to the patio. We left for an hour or so. When we got back, the dog and I went outside to feed the fish. The dog started barking on the patio. I went up to see what was going on. The cat was lying on a cobbled up garden hose, instead of a nice, flat spot. It wasn't backing down so, I picked the dog up. It wouldn't back down from me, either. Snarling and hissing aggressively. Finally, I got it to leave the patio. It went and jumped into the pond. I couldn't believe my eyes. Swam out half way, and returned to shore. I tried to shew it off. Then, it looked like it was going to attack. It that point, I was sure it had rabies. It did leave but, I was considering shooting it, to prevent someone from getting hurt. I was actually heading back to the house for a gun, when it left.
.
The fish have been eating like piranhas. It takes very little to scare them. Only about 3 fish would eat. I expect it looked like a mink swimming in the pond. Even though it was a good 30 feet from where they feed.
.

Psycho Cat!

 

[crsublette]

@Mike in Vermont

Yeah, my house cat had a rude introduction to my pond.... I live quite rural near my farm equipment yard/barns and so I have many farm cats around my farm house. My house cat slipped outside, she looked at a farm cat wrong, and so the chase commenced with one farm cat darting after my house cat. Chase went around and around my house and pitch black outside (night time) except for some lights far off in the distance. My pond is at my background patio near my house. Then, at high speed, my house cat took a wrong turn and unintentionally dived into my pond. Farm cat darted due to seeing me nearybe. Chase ended. House cat pissed off and howling.

 

[crsublette]

@Mike in Vermont

Sounds like the cat you're talking about is quite a bit bigger... Was it a bobtail or small mountain lion?

A canyon nearby my farm so I also have a usual bobtail cat encounter. Oddly, I have never seen any bobtails nor coyotes nor pronghorns come to my pond. I saw a pheasant (rooster) once and he looked nervous as hell.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

It wasn't a bobcat, mountain lion or lynx. I would guess a wild, rabid cat. It did too many strange things.
.
mrtrumpet That was a cool video, with the cat on the ice.

 

[teeemkay]

We have a little feral cat who hangs out on our block (mostly on our property as we put food out for her). I have never seen her swim in the pond, though she does drink out of it and she is bold enough to cross the pond ice during the winter. I will often see little cat-prints in the snow on top of the ice.

 

[KC Crook]

I suppose anything starving will do whatever it needs to do to survive. If it continues to return, call ur local SPCA and they may be able to provide you with a live trap so they can fix it so it doesnt reproduce.

 

[KC Crook]

We have a little feral cat who hangs out on our block (mostly on our property as we put food out for her). I have never seen her swim in the pond, though she does drink out of it and she is bold enough to cross the pond ice during the winter. I will often see little cat-prints in the snow on top of the ice.

I never recommend feeding feral cats. Well, if you feed them, then also catch them and have them spayed or neutered pls? My sis in law does this. They are a blight on the local wildlife if not controlled.

 

[KC Crook]

Normally, the vet will work with you, if they are aware its a feral cat. My sis in law pays 15 bucks to have a cat fixed cuz its compensated by the spca. Its a "public service" sorta thing. Just talk to your local vet and see what deal you can work out. Its well worth it.

 

[Smaug]

If yiu have the stomach for it the best thing to do with feral cats is to destroy them. They are a more strain on the environment as far as killing small prey animals that natural predators need for survival.

 

[KC Crook]

If yiu have the stomach for it the best thing to do with feral cats is to destroy them. They are a more strain on the environment as far as killing small prey animals that natural predators need for survival.

How do you do that? Ive known people that shoot old dogs but how do you kill a cat? Hold it and slit its throat? Your right! Most people dont have the stomach for that. When I was a kid, a feral cat had kittens under a house and they were so eaten by worms they were pouring out these kittens butts. My friend and I took these kittens and cut their heads off with a shovel. My friend missed and hit it mid spine...he couldnt even look at it. It was awful! I would never ask someone to do that.

 

[teeemkay]

I never recommend feeding feral cats. Well, if you feed them, then also catch them and have them spayed or neutered pls? My sis in law does this. They are a blight on the local wildlife if not controlled.

She's spayed. She was part of one of those trap-spay-release programs last year--one of the neighbors must have trapped her (there are a couple other people in the neighborhood who deal with ferals). She's always around at the end of the day when I get home looking for food... but she disappeared for a couple days last year (we looked EVERYwhere for her) and then showed back up with her left ear notched, and that's how they mark cats that have been spayed via catch-and-release programs.

 

[KC Crook]

She's spayed. She was part of one of those trap-spay-release programs last year--one of the neighbors must have trapped her (there are a couple other people in the neighborhood who deal with ferals). She's always around at the end of the day when I get home looking for food... but she disappeared for a couple days last year (we looked EVERYwhere for her) and then showed back up with her left ear notched, and that's how they mark cats that have been spayed via catch-and-release programs.

Oh! They do that here too! Thats good. Enjoy her. My sis in law has managed over a few years to turn those cats into pets and they love her. When my old male disappeared (yes fixed at 6 months old) I was praying he would come home and expected him to be missing (another) part of his ear. Sadly, he never returned. Guess he died somewhere. He sure was a sweet cat though. Never tolerated being indoors tho.