I have to say, I am not a cat fan, but I'm also an animal lover and all the "shoot it" posts sound pretty extreme to me.
There are a variety of things you can do to help deter stray cats without having to resort to violence.
the super soaker idea is a great one. And to keep the cats out of your yard when you're not around with the super soaker, they make these great motion-detecting sprayers for around your house. An encounter or two with those is usually enough to do the trick. Something like this: http://www.deteracat.co.uk/
And here's some home-made 'remedies' to help keep cats away: http://www.cat-repellant.info/html/diy-cat-deterrents.htm
Anyhow - I think animal control is probably your best bet.
And the cat does not sound rabid. It sounds feral. http://tagalivestock.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-recognize-rabid-animal.html
There are a variety of things you can do to help deter stray cats without having to resort to violence.
the super soaker idea is a great one. And to keep the cats out of your yard when you're not around with the super soaker, they make these great motion-detecting sprayers for around your house. An encounter or two with those is usually enough to do the trick. Something like this: http://www.deteracat.co.uk/
And here's some home-made 'remedies' to help keep cats away: http://www.cat-repellant.info/html/diy-cat-deterrents.htm
Anyhow - I think animal control is probably your best bet.
And the cat does not sound rabid. It sounds feral. http://tagalivestock.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-recognize-rabid-animal.html