# Throwing tennis balls at a stray cat **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643 **Category:** In My Humble Opinion **Created:** [April 14, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643 "2015-04-14T14:40:14Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/1 "2015-04-14T14:40:14Z")
[P-22 won’t get out from under this house](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-famed-p22-mountain-lion-found-under-los-feliz-home-owner-says-20150413-story.html) (not far from here, actually). Tennis balls and bean bags aren’t working. Any other ideas? ---
### Author: ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/2 "2015-04-14T14:44:34Z")
Tie a goat up in the yard within eyesight of him. He will come out that night. ---
### Author: ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/3 "2015-04-14T14:48:45Z")
Raw meat. Perhaps drugged. ---
### Author: ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/4 "2015-04-14T14:56:27Z")
Perhaps a [catnip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xitb6khIU0) toy on a string? ---
### Author: ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/5 "2015-04-14T15:00:43Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Tie a goat up in the yard within eyesight of him. He will come out that night. Kind of rough on the goat. :dubious: ---
### Author: ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/6 "2015-04-14T15:04:34Z")
> [@](#): > > “Hopefully there will be some quiet and darkness and he’ll be able to come out like the ghost cat that he is.” Heehee ---
### Author: ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/7 "2015-04-14T15:05:48Z")
Sound like a real jerk ! ---
### Author: ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/8 "2015-04-14T15:06:51Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Perhaps a [catnip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xitb6khIU0) toy on a string? I don’t know. Then, instead of a mountain lion your basement, you have just of a _drugged-out_ mountain lion in your basement. Not much better. ---
### Author: ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/9 "2015-04-14T15:17:19Z")
Have they tried [blasting him with rock music](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_in_psychological_operations) (a la Noriega)? I recommend “Honky Cat” `cause we all know Sir Elton John sucks 😃 ---
### Author: ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/10 "2015-04-14T15:20:09Z")
> [@purplehearingaid](#): > > Sound like a real jerk ! I know what you mean–these freeloading cougars that just crash in your house and can’t take a hint when it’s time to leave. ---
### Author: ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/11 "2015-04-14T15:24:18Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I know what you mean–these freeloading cougars that just crash in your house and can’t take a hint when it’s time to leave. Yeah, and most of the time, they don’t even make the bed when they leave. ---
### Author: ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/12 "2015-04-14T15:42:12Z")
Cardboard box of proper dimensions ought to do the job, I should think. Just set it out and wait. (Wouldn’t hurt if it smelled of tuna fish, either!) Also, should that fail, you could always try the masking tape X on the floor trick. It seems to be infallible, from what I read. Good Luck! ---
### Author: ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/13 "2015-04-14T15:48:19Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Cardboard box of proper dimensions ought to do the job, I should think. Just set it out and wait. (Wouldn’t hurt if it smelled of tuna fish, either!) Once it’s in the cardboard box . . . then what? ---
### Author: ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/14 "2015-04-14T15:49:27Z")
Firehose ---
### Author: ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/15 "2015-04-14T15:51:18Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Once it’s in the cardboard box . . . then what? It becomes simultaneously dead and alive. ---
### Author: ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/16 "2015-04-14T15:53:20Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Firehose Then wouldn’t the box just fall apart? ---
### Author: ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/17 "2015-04-14T16:04:58Z")
They could try [kicking snow](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-oVhu2fu20) snow at it. (video link) ---
### Author: ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/18 "2015-04-14T16:08:05Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > They could try [kicking snow](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-oVhu2fu20) snow at it. (video link) Snow? In L.A.? In April? ---
### Author: ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/19 "2015-04-14T16:46:49Z")
This isn’t that difficult. I’ll go ask P-22 to leave. Problem solved. You’re welcome. ---
### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A) #### Post date: [April 14, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643/20 "2015-04-14T16:55:22Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Kind of rough on the goat. :dubious: They could tie up a beaver. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throwing-tennis-balls-at-a-stray-cat/717643.md?page=2)