Keep Your Cat Indoors, For Natures Sake

[Hopeuhavechange]

...about targeting feral cat populations given how much they actually help keep pest populations down in rural and abandoned areas.

Also the reduction of animal populations due to cats is no where near the proportion or tragedy that humans have.

If you want to watch actual horrific scenes of senseless avian death look no further than the disease culling wildlife mgmt has to do because of disease caused by congested numbers of birds in smaller restricted habitat forced by human encroachment.

Cats are a very small part of avian death equation and definitely one of the smaller problems in our society.

True. I well recognize the human toll on birds (and wildlife in general) thru expansion as well our structures well enough, but that's unstoppable. (Oh we can better design our towers, i think, a little smarter to minimize some collisions and surely safeguard windmills more intelligently)

I wouldn't go quite go so far as Sir David Attenborrough recently offered and call humans a "plague"...but on balance this scale is proportionally a larger issue on scale than the cat predation. But what is likely to be done about that? Nothing! We both know not only that but that the trend will only deteriorate.

But we can own responsibility for our cats. Not too much to expect, imo. And who wants large colonies of feral cats in urban areas? Not very many, that's why society rounds them up and destroys them immediately or allows them a few days and does the same for the unclaimed. This is not good.

 

[ethiostar]

http://i386.***BLOCKED***/albums/oo303/pumango/50.gif

 

[Concord]

http://i386.***BLOCKED***/albums/oo303/pumango/50.gif

I've seen that before and it's hilarious.

 

[jubal]

I've seen plenty of smart birds.

I see them in my back yard giving crap to Dexter all the time.

The dumb ones are the ones who give him crap...then let their guard down and think he's going to forget about it. :

I wanted to say the same thing, just did not want to type it out, thanks.

 

[Faerluna]

https://www.alleycat.org/alley-cat-allies-responds-to-nature-studys-claims-on-cats-and-birds

BETHESDA, MD— Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, responded to a biased study on cats and wildlife published in the journal Nature, which it called a veiled promotion by bird advocates to ramp up the mass killing of outdoor cats.

“This study is part of a continuing propaganda campaign to vilify cats,” said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies. “It seems as if the authors landed on a conclusion first and then cherry-picked through studies to support it. Some of the research they cite is more than a half-century old. They even cite discredited researcher Nico Dauphine, who was convicted by a D.C. jury for trying to poison cats and then fired from her job at the Smithsonian. The researcher convicted of trying to poison cats worked for Marra, one of the authors of this study.”

“This so called ‘survey of research’ seems just another misguided attempt to draw attention to the decline of wildlife by manufacturing a fake debate. The study conveniently sidestepped the primary culprit of decline of wildlife populations which, of course, is human activity including habitat destruction.

“The authors also neglect to mention that their proposed ‘solution’ really endorses continuing the same failed policies of the last century which call for the mass killing of cats. Tens of millions of healthy cats have already been killed in animal pounds and shelters, at great taxpayer expense, without achieving anything. A policy of just more killing can never be the right answer,” she said.

Robinson noted that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) does work to end reproduction and to stabilize the population of feral cats, and that is why every year a growing number of communities turn to TNR as an innovative, compassionate and common-sense approach.

“Because of the success of TNR—which stabilizes and then reduces the population—places where there were once large colonies of feral cats have seen those colonies fade away. There is good reason for cities to change from ‘catch and kill’ to ‘neuter and return.’

“The threats to birds and wildlife with real impact—pollution and habitat fragmentation and destruction—are the ones without ‘easy’ answers,” said Robinson. “Americans should not be fooled by sensational headlines and bad science. Killing cats will not save species of birds or mammals.”

 

[Hopeuhavechange]

https://www.alleycat.org/alley-cat-allies-responds-to-nature-studys-claims-on-cats-and-birds

BETHESDA, MD— Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, responded to a biased study on cats and wildlife published in the journal Nature, which it called a veiled promotion by bird advocates to ramp up the mass killing of outdoor cats.

“This study is part of a continuing propaganda campaign to vilify cats,” said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies. “It seems as if the authors landed on a conclusion first and then cherry-picked through studies to support it. Some of the research they cite is more than a half-century old. They even cite discredited researcher Nico Dauphine, who was convicted by a D.C. jury for trying to poison cats and then fired from her job at the Smithsonian. The researcher convicted of trying to poison cats worked for Marra, one of the authors of this study.”

“This so called ‘survey of research’ seems just another misguided attempt to draw attention to the decline of wildlife by manufacturing a fake debate. The study conveniently sidestepped the primary culprit of decline of wildlife populations which, of course, is human activity including habitat destruction.

“The authors also neglect to mention that their proposed ‘solution’ really endorses continuing the same failed policies of the last century which call for the mass killing of cats. Tens of millions of healthy cats have already been killed in animal pounds and shelters, at great taxpayer expense, without achieving anything. A policy of just more killing can never be the right answer,” she said.

Robinson noted that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) does work to end reproduction and to stabilize the population of feral cats, and that is why every year a growing number of communities turn to TNR as an innovative, compassionate and common-sense approach.

“Because of the success of TNR—which stabilizes and then reduces the population—places where there were once large colonies of feral cats have seen those colonies fade away. There is good reason for cities to change from ‘catch and kill’ to ‘neuter and return.’

“The threats to birds and wildlife with real impact—pollution and habitat fragmentation and destruction—are the ones without ‘easy’ answers,” said Robinson. “Americans should not be fooled by sensational headlines and bad science. Killing cats will not save species of birds or mammals.”

https://www.alleycat.org/alley-cat-allies-responds-to-nature-studys-claims-on-cats-and-birds

BETHESDA, MD— Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, responded to a biased study on cats and wildlife published in the journal Nature, which it called a veiled promotion by bird advocates to ramp up the mass killing of outdoor cats.

“This study is part of a continuing propaganda campaign to vilify cats,” said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies. “It seems as if the authors landed on a conclusion first and then cherry-picked through studies to support it. Some of the research they cite is more than a half-century old. They even cite discredited researcher Nico Dauphine, who was convicted by a D.C. jury for trying to poison cats and then fired from her job at the Smithsonian. The researcher convicted of trying to poison cats worked for Marra, one of the authors of this study.”

“This so called ‘survey of research’ seems just another misguided attempt to draw attention to the decline of wildlife by manufacturing a fake debate. The study conveniently sidestepped the primary culprit of decline of wildlife populations which, of course, is human activity including habitat destruction.

“The authors also neglect to mention that their proposed ‘solution’ really endorses continuing the same failed policies of the last century which call for the mass killing of cats. Tens of millions of healthy cats have already been killed in animal pounds and shelters, at great taxpayer expense, without achieving anything. A policy of just more killing can never be the right answer,” she said.

Robinson noted that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) does work to end reproduction and to stabilize the population of feral cats, and that is why every year a growing number of communities turn to TNR as an innovative, compassionate and common-sense approach.

“Because of the success of TNR—which stabilizes and then reduces the population—places where there were once large colonies of feral cats have seen those colonies fade away. There is good reason for cities to change from ‘catch and kill’ to ‘neuter and return.’

“The threats to birds and wildlife with real impact—pollution and habitat fragmentation and destruction—are the ones without ‘easy’ answers,” said Robinson. “Americans should not be fooled by sensational headlines and bad science. Killing cats will not save species of birds or mammals.”

Any cat lobby can construct an argument/study impugning this study's motives which appear to discredit it. It's expected. However, nowhere does the study say cat predation is a panacea for preserving wildlife...doesn't seem to suggest it. It only highlights its particular impact. Numbers, we know, can be manipulated in either direction. The purpose here was to emphasize the cat's contribution to the larger problem. I agree that a comprehensive approach to the conservation of wildlife--esp birdlife- should have been included to demonstrate the scope of the problem. But as I mentioned earlier, does anyone here believe human encroachment will be halted? I don't. Does that mean we should wash our hands of any attempts to mitigate wildlife destruction wherever we can? And maybe tackle more serious threats in the distant future as attitudes change? I can't see the logic or compassion in not doing so.

"Killing cats will not save species of birds or mammals.”

Loved this strawman. Amusing, but discredits the piece. Should have prefaced it with "some say"... or "this notion..."

 

[Hopeuhavechange]

And another thing, this is my final final final word. As for our not seeing the landscape littered with dead birds- birds decompose inordinately snappily! I know this from direct observation time and again. We can happen along a dead bird one day and right quick we find nothing but a few feathers scattered about. And we must also account for prolific scavengers who do their thing if they act fast enuff. But let's leave Commanders fans out of this.

 

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

...Cats are a very small part of avian death equation and definitely one of the smaller problems in our society.

Ultimately it's what we humans do: deforesting the world to the point that in a century when we hear Dorothy exclaim: "Lions, Tigers, and Bears!" only bears might exist in the wild...hundred if not thousands of species will be extinct in the wild.

The stray dog and feral cat problem is a few people refusing to take responsibility to neuter their pets - if they did, your local PetsMart and Petco would not be crowded on Saturdays with volunteers giving their time to find homes for homeless pets.

Hate on cats if you find it to be therapeutic, but the truth is people are responsible for invasive species and upsetting Nature's balance

 

[tupperware]

Ultimately it's what we humans do: deforesting the world to the point that in a century when we hear Dorothy exclaim: "Lions, Tigers, and Bears!" only bears might exist in the wild...hundred if not thousands of species will be extinct in the wild.

The stray dog and feral cat problem is a few people refusing to take responsibility to neuter their pets - if they did, your local PetsMart and Petco would not be crowded on Saturdays with volunteers giving their time to find homes for homeless pets.

Hate on cats if you find it to be therapeutic, but the truth is people are responsible for invasive species and upsetting Nature's balance

Neutering animals isn't natures way of balancing anything.

 

[BringBackThatOleTimeBoys]

^ neutering is not part of nature, but it's an adjustment for what we have done to alter it and the most humane way to make corrections for the damage we have done.

 

[TheCount]

What? Alleycat.com disagrees? Impossible. :laugh2:

Someone already made the point that even if the number is half or a third, it's still billions.

The idea that allowing your pet to roam outdoors and perhaps go feral has no impact is silly. Of course they do.

 

[burmafrd]

What? Alleycat.com disagrees? Impossible. :laugh2:

Someone already made the point that even if the number is half or a third, it's still billions.

The idea that allowing your pet to roam outdoors and perhaps go feral has no impact is silly. Of course they do.

so you just ignore that the study you love so much had a contributor that liked to poison cats and was discredited.

Not surprising

 

[TheCount]

so you just ignore that the study you love so much had a contributor that liked to poison cats and was discredited.

Not surprising

You've clearly confused this with a political thread.

 

[Faerluna]

You've clearly confused this with a political thread.

No, you're clearly being biased against proven facts. Hate cats all you want, because in my experience there is rarely a change of conviction for one that is clearly against feral cats, but ignoring the facts makes your position weak.

Organizations like ACA are going to be advocates for feral cats in the same way that any organization tries to present the truth and perspective about whatever cause they support.

Just cause you don't happen to believe it doesn't make their position it any less accurate.

 

[TheCount]

No, you're clearly being biased against proven facts. Hate cats all you want, because in my experience there is rarely a change of conviction for one that is clearly against feral cats, but ignoring the facts makes your position weak.

Organizations like ACA are going to be advocates for feral cats in the same way that any organization tries to present the truth and perspective about whatever cause they support.

Just cause you don't happen to believe it doesn't make their position it any less accurate.

You've confused my position. I'm not anti-cat (but I mean seriously, who is PRO feral cat?), I'm pro responsible pet ownership. There is a difference. I'd say the exact same thing to someone that lets their dog roam the neighborhood.

Ignoring the facts? That's a good one. :laugh2:

The idea that releasing a super predator into an ecosystem that isn't designed to handle it is not a big deal is pure fantasy.

 

[burmafrd]

You've confused my position. I'm not anti-cat (but I mean seriously, who is PRO feral cat?), I'm pro responsible pet ownership. There is a difference. I'd say the exact same thing to someone that lets their dog roam the neighborhood.

Ignoring the facts? That's a good one. :laugh2:

The idea that releasing a super predator into an ecosystem that isn't designed to handle it is not a big deal is pure fantasy.

you do realize that calling a common cat a super predator is kind of ridiculous, right?

But then I can see you are getting desperate

 

[TheCount]

you do realize that calling a common cat a super predator is kind of ridiculous, right?

But then I can see you are getting desperate

You super predator is simply a predator with no natural predators of its own. Even you, in all your keyboard clacking fury, are technically a super predator. Unless one counts logic and people skills as predators, in which case you'd be in trouble.

 

[vta]

You've confused my position. I'm not anti-cat (but I mean seriously, who is PRO feral cat?), I'm pro responsible pet ownership. There is a difference. I'd say the exact same thing to someone that lets their dog roam the neighborhood.

Ignoring the facts? That's a good one. :laugh2:

The idea that releasing a super predator into an ecosystem that isn't designed to handle it is not a big deal is pure fantasy.

Cat's are part of the ecosystem. Our decision to make pets of certain animals throughout history doesn't negate that they are natural creatures and we are in fact causing an imbalance in nature by viewing them as our possessions. It's gone on so long that we no longer view them as natural animals.

 

[TheCount]

Cat's are part of the ecosystem. Our decision to make pets of certain animals throughout history doesn't negate that they are natural creatures and we are in fact causing an imbalance in nature by viewing them as our possessions. It's gone on so long that we no longer view them as natural animals.

I'm not sure what a natural animal is, but being a "natural animal" and being a natural part of an ecosystem are not necessarily the same thing. A boa constrictor is a "natural animal", that doesn't mean it belongs in Central Park.

 

[Faerluna]

You've confused my position. I'm not anti-cat (but I mean seriously, who is PRO feral cat?), I'm pro responsible pet ownership. There is a difference. I'd say the exact same thing to someone that lets their dog roam the neighborhood.

Ignoring the facts? That's a good one. :laugh2:

The idea that releasing a super predator into an ecosystem that isn't designed to handle it is not a big deal is pure fantasy.

I am pro-feral cat. Obviously. And of course, responsible pet ownership, which goes without saying.

And yes, ignoring the fact that the contributors to the report are people that have been tried and convicted of killing feral cats is willful ignorance of bias. I would hope that the previous statement wouldn't need a restated example to be clear.