salt load

excellent solution, Don. And Karl!

so do kids...

A diplomatic solution with a friend and good neighbor is certainly the best approach, but there is nothing remarkable about a Minnesota farmer afield on his own land with a shotgun defending his livestock against animals that may be pets at home but are predators attacking Karl's pets on his land.

That said, Karl ain't about to kill a pet belonging to his neighbor and friend without first exploring and exhausting diplomatic solutions. I've visited Karl and Julie at their farm. Enjoyed some killer-good rhubarb cake and coffee that Julie had made. They're nice folks. There won't be any sirens or deppitys.

Well said. I'd be slightly less oblique: rather than saying he will end up looking like the mauled kittens, I'd simply say he will be mercifully shot and killed because that would be a honest prognosis.

I have a hard time breaking out Minnesota from rural Texas. You may be right.

But is it worth the risk?

I envy you that, Don.

I suspect I'd be right at home.

You may be right.

you are right. Of course.

Pets are family members - until they cross the line...

Honesty is the best policy.

Always.

Yea well, when I was there he ran out of Doritos and looked at me funny every time I called my cousin in Fiji on his phone!

Several years back, the house two doors up on the next street were harboring about a dozen cats - not certain of status, but they always headed that way when startled. My solution was a sling shot with half size ice cubes. I couldn't hit a bull in the arse with a scoop shovel but when the ice cube hit the tin shed or board fence, cats tended to scatter. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Then go to a local novelty print shop and have a life-sized cardboard cutout of yourself made, with a motion detector light.

Problem solved, and no harm done!

Cheers! Rich

So, they weren't for eating?

Thanks, Rich

I've heard that it's not the dogs that need obedience school - it's their human keepers.

Thanks, Rich

Well, even then - wouldn't "play time" be better than "attack the cat time"? ;-)

Cheers! Rich

Or maybe restraining the cats from crapping in the flower bed.

Regards, Rich

Hornet spray is better and has a 25'+ range. Also makes a great home defense weapon and wont put holes in your walls or get blood on the rug.

Agreed, but only for a couple seconds, until the dog starts doing a skidding reversal.

Dog owners -aren't- very bright, as we all know.

And by the time the dog is trained, the rest of the kittens are dead.

They're like humans. They can understand that the shouting means that you're unhappy with them and respond accordingly, but only if it's evenly and regularly used.

Ayup.

The neighbors need to put up a dog-proof fence tomorrow, period.

-- Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. -- Plutarch

"Children? Yes, love them, parboiled or fried." --W.C. Fields

-- Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. -- Plutarch

But you can be sued for using a poison outside of its intended use. Bad idea.

-- Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. -- Plutarch

Eggs