salt load

FWIW, Cats have a FAR longer life expectancy when kept indoors. It's not just dogs & cars, it's all the nasty diseases that they can catch outside.

No experience here, but a couple of thoughts. .......... But maybe you could put an electric fence ( either invisible or ordinary ) around the area the kittens are in.

Dan

That rock salt will still be a serious projectile, and rock salt is sharp enough to penatrate through skin and rib cage and end up with a lung shot that will cause the dog to bleed to death. You need to do a custom load where you control how much powder is behind your projectile, that is beyond me. I've had similar problems, a bee-bee gun with just a spring or a multi-pump air rifle with only one or two pumps may control the lethal-ness. At any rate this elevates the problem where your neighbor friend will end. Your only solution may be to kill the dog.

My wife lost two calico kittens this spring, and I believe it was my neighbor's coon hunting dog that did them in. Like you, there would be too many indoor cats if we kept them indoors, as my wife is also a pkt. Same tricks, that feather is amazing at tricking the feral-ness out of them. That, and good genetics (per the vet, some cats are naturally more tame), as I've seen some that always have a level of skittishness, and they were handled by my pkt at an early age. All of our cats have been neutered, but seems we get 2+ cats per year that were abandoned out in our rural area. Most are tame, and wanting human touch.

I have the opposite problem of a neighbor that does not like cats (or any other wildlife) and shoots the outdoor cats that have collars with rabies vaccination tags. SOB ambushes them through an open window.

ignator

That rock salt will still be a serious projectile, and rock salt is sharp enough to penatrate through skin and rib cage and end up with a lung shot that will cause the dog to bleed to death. You need to do a custom load where you control how much powder is behind your projectile, that is beyond me. I've had similar problems, a bee-bee gun with just a spring or a multi-pump air rifle with only one or two pumps may control the lethal-ness. At any rate this elevates the problem where your neighbor friend will end. Your only solution may be to kill the dog.

My wife lost two calico kittens this spring, and I believe it was my neighbor's coon hunting dog that did them in. Like you, there would be too many indoor cats if we kept them indoors, as my wife is also a pkt. Same tricks, that feather is amazing at tricking the feral-ness out of them. That, and good genetics (per the vet, some cats are naturally more tame), as I've seen some that always have a level of skittishness, and they were handled by my pkt at an early age. All of our cats have been neutered, but seems we get 2+ cats per year that were abandoned out in our rural area. Most are tame, and wanting human touch.

I have the opposite problem of a neighbor that does not like cats (or any other wildlife) and shoots the outdoor cats that have collars with rabies vaccination tags. SOB ambushes them through an open window.

ignator

Is there a reason you can't use a can of bear spray on it?

I use a wrist-rocket slingshot and marbles. They sting like hell but don't break the skin. One hit is usually enough to send a marauding pooch on his way at warp speed.

If you have a chronograph, you might experiment with low mass larger-dia projectiles like plastic slugs or ??? to see what powder charge in a shotgun approximates the m.v. of a slingshot. Note that some powders should not be used with less than published minimum charges; read the manual!

That's a good idea. I won't have to ask my neighbor before doing this. I haven't used a wrist rocket in forty years, what range are they accurate too? The dog runs from me on sight.

Karl

How about a chain for the dog?

On the other hand....rock salt may do the job..IF you see him coming and nail him the moment he hits the yard. And aim at the ass end ..rock salt will blind any critter you hit in the face with it.

Or you can buy/rent/borrow a good STRONG shock collar and watch him coming..the moment he hits the yard..push the button and hold it down while he goes into spasms and apparent convulsions. Hold that button down for more than 30 seconds!! Have his owner shout NO!!! repeatedly while doing it..then let up and let the owner continue to shout NO!! until the dog recovers and runs home.

It may..may take 3-4 such treatments before its burned into his brain that coming over to your place hurts and is a Bad Thing (tm)

And he will try coming onto the property via several different directions after lighting his ass up the first time

It would appear that the invisible fence is not set up high enough. At this point..Id set up his collar to knock his dick in the dirt.

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

That SOB has forgotten that bullets travel into open windows just as well as out of them.

They dont have to be aimed to kill..but it certainly catches their attention the moment they come under fire.

Use of a 2 liter bottle over the muzzle of a .22 would be indicated ......

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

If it was me, I'd put the kittens in a protected place and put the onus on the neighbor. Let them figure out the solution, it's their dog. I'd hate to have a good neighbor turn into a bad one because I accidently killed their kids dog. I'd tell them that too. Close friends would understand that sentiment.

Newb

If you injure the dog YOU are the one in trouble. Catch it and restrain it until the animal control officer arrives. Give the dog to the animal control people intact and uninjured. Don't mention that you know who owns it. If it is registered, they will contact the owner. Otherwise it simply ran away from home and was never seen again. Don't let your "friendly" neighbor make his problem into your problem.

With marbles, you can be reasonably accurate out to 50 yards with practice. Not paper-punching accurate, but send-the-dog-a-message accurate. If you were once accurate with one, it will come back quickly.

Around here, there's been close to some Hatfield/McCoy level feuds over animals killing/mauling livestock, and the shooting of guilty dogs. Mostly the problem stems from city folk that think dogs have a God given right to roam the countryside, and refuse to accept Fifi might still have some vestiges of feral hunting instincts.

Had a neighbor's dog come almost into my garage years ago and give me attitude like I was on his turf. I told the neighbor, next time he does that, the dog dies right there on the spot. Had no more problems after that. But, it's a lot tougher when the dog owner is a friend...

Jon

Thanks for the added suggestions. Gives me a couple options to ask the neighbor to get. i need to think a couple days on how to ask polite but firm.

I did order a wrist rocket. The nieghbor put the dog on a chain, for now. I know it will be released as it really suffers being chained.

Karl

If using a firearm against a neighbor's pets if unlawful in your jurisdiction, the particular load you choose will not in the least excuse your crime. It is one thing to shoot varmints, and another to shoot "members of the household", as some people consider their pets.

A local schoolgirl was mauled by a pair of pit bulls running loose last week. The responding deputy took out the dogs with his sidearm, and he still got grief for it, although he was presumably within the law.

And little kittens really suffer when being chewed on by a dog... Wishing you the best, this issue is really a potential minefield.

Jon

Check out the Box O Truth - Rock Salt in a Shotgun It doesn't have a whole lot of power according to his experiment Down to 10 yards, it would't be lethal.

RWL

Tell the kids what's happening and that the kittens are as close to you as the dog is to them. Kids can often cut through the BS better than grown-ups, they might have a perfect solution.

It should be noted that I once killed a 175lb white tail buck with a Wrist Rocket, using ball bearings at a range of about 30 feet.

Smacked a 1/2" steel ball into the side of his skull just behind the eye socket and he was dead before he hit the ground. And dug the bearing out of the far side of his brain pan.

Go with as small a marble as you can and try not to shoot them in the head..or in the body under 20 feet or less

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

No dog "suffers" from being chained unless he is chained in a dangerous spot such as in full sun and away from water.

He may not like it very much, but thats not your problem.

Most folks let the dog out on the chain for a bit, let em shit and piss, then bring em back into the house.

Now the dog may not LIKE being chained..but..shrug..again thats not your problem.

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)