My mom also has two cats. They killed two birds I saw personally. And they try everytime they see a bird getting near.
But at least she owns them for a reason. She has a field near the house from where a lot if mice often come to the house, especially in autumn. They deal pretty well with it.
What about the loss of habitat, anyone who knows even a little bit about birds, at least in the western hemisphere, know that thousands of species only mate in certain areas in certain times of years. The loss of habitats for mating, the loss of food sources in the remaining habitats from pesticides, and the fact that many pesticides and other pollutants LITERALLY DEGRADE BIRD SHELLS AND KILL THEM BEFORE THEY HATCH
House cats shouldn’t be putting a fucking dent in bird populations and it’s both absurd to think they’re the real threat and disingenuous to the causes of ill that plague our ecology
I’m not shitting on you, OP, but in definitely shitting on the person who made this infographic and I’m shitting on the people who continue to push the myth that cats are the leading cause of loss in bird populations. They may kill many birds, but they’re not the reason we’re losing them. Not at all by far.
Cat’s shouldn’t be putting a dent in the bird population because they shouldn’t be outside. They’re an invasive species that can definitely destroy local ecosystems.
Yes habitat destruction is reducing bird population, but that doesn’t excuse the irresponsibility of cat owners that let their cats outside. All that accomplished is creating two problems.
They’re not really in competition. They’re mainly concentrated in the pretty much unpopulated highlands, whereas domestic cats owned by humans are mainly concentrated in the central belt.
Scottish Wildcats are endangered technically, but not in terms of competition from domestic cats killing them or taking their food. Rather, they’re interbreeding (because they’re so similar!). That’s just evolution at the end of the day.
Even though they’re still considered endangered because “pure” wildcats population is reducing, the wildcats are still living and creating offspring, some of which are still wild cats, even if they’re not purebred “wildcat”.
Aw, are you sad now? You can’t think of anything else so you complain about the topic being changed ever so slightly to letting cats outside (still very much related)?
Anyways, you are just as responsible as me for switching topic.
And that’s how a conversation typically works. If you strictly never even slightly deviate the conversation will fall flat on it’s face in two minutes.
Also, I addressed the bird thing elsewhere. You should see it, since it’s a direct reply to you, the high-horse shining example of global animal population ethics American.
You don’t let your cats out for the same reason zoos don’t let their bears out into your fucking neighborhood ya goddamn dingus. They don’t belong there and can do serious damage to the local fauna.
also outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years.
Indoor cats live can for 15-20+.
So sure, if you are pro-premature cat death. Let your pet cat outside.
They don’t cause serious ecological harm. Even the fucking bird preservation or whatever body says cats don’t have a serious impact on local bird populations.
Oh and they do belong outside, actually. They come in and go out as they please.
Outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years
Most cats are outdoor here, and live a damn sight longer than that. My own cat is 7 and counting. I have a relative who had an 18 year old cat.
Maybe lifespan is different here because we don’t have 10-lane motorways every 10 meters in every direction.
And for the record, if possible it is better for bears to be, well, outdoors in their natural habitat rather than a zoo.
It’s also funny you attribute cat’s longevity to the death of predators, and not the fact that there are native cats here and so cats very much, well, adapted to local predators.
Domesticated cats are not native to north america and western Europe, and people should be more responsible in how they care for their pets, especially the ones that are invasive fucking species.
Also, 2 things can be true. It’s possible that bird populations are being decimated by ecological destruction as well as the mass breeding and free roaming of invasive predators introduced by humans.
“Cats are not native to north america and western Europe”
You’re just wrong, at least about the Europe part. There’s literally a species known as the Scottish Wildcat. And last I checked, Scotland was in western Europe.
Can Americans stop spreading patently false information based on their Amero-centric worldview? Please and thank you.
Stop thinking that things that make you feel bad about your world view are “patently false information based on an amero-centric worldview”. Please and fucking thank you
You edited your comment, so don’t get snarky about me not accounting for an edit you made after I replied.
Anyways,
I mentioned wildcats because they are similar to domestic cats and the existence of them here disprove the “it’s not their natural habitat” talking point.
The Scottish Wildcat is so overwhelmingly similar to the domestic cat that they can interbreed.
And this fact might entertain you: both types of wildcat mentioned are considered Felis Silvestris. They’re really not that different.
I don’t care about some American publication talking about cats as that is obviously going to be specific to America, and it’s claims of invasiveness do not apply to many other places, or are such a small concern it’s not considered.
Here’s a UK source, a bit more applicable to where I live:
I edited one word of my comment because I had another reply from someone who misunderstood what I was referring to, so i clarified so there wouldnt be further confusion, not to give myself an excuse to be snarky.
I’ve read the article you’ve provided a number of times previously and while yes, it does indicate that there is no scientific evidence for my claim, it is limited to the UK.
I don’t see what interbreed-ability has to do with invasiveness?
I don’t care about some American publication talking about cats
I provided 3 sources, one was American, the others were from Oxford (also in the UK last I checked) and Tillburg (Netherlands), both discussing the EU broadly
“…It is also well established that free-ranging cats pose a significant threat to biodiversity conservation and restoration worldwide, and that remedying this threat is relatively easy when compared to other drivers of biodiversity loss…”
If you’re not going to read the evidence I’m providing, while saying I’m only providing americentric evidence, then I’m going to respectfully abandon this thread. I apologize for the snark, that was uncalled for.
I’d argue a housecat and a bobcat share a similar ecological niche. Haven’t the housecats simply replaced the bobcats that were largely removed by humans?
It’s irresponsible and stupid, but my sweet baby would never!
Or it’s not fair to keep them inside all day! Okay build an enclosure outside they can go into like a responsible owner.
I don’t even know what all to say to the chucklefuck that thinks it’s fine that the Scottish Wildcat is being bred to extinction. It’s okay though because that’s just evolution.
I didn’t say it’s fine. I said it’s the only problem when you made the grand claim that domestic cats were basically stealing their food source.
Because you made it sound like they’re dying, when they’re really just hybridising. Both are forms of extinction in a sense, but one is a lot worse than the other.
And again, they don’t even live in the same damn parts of the country.
Americans like you need put in your place and reminded that the whole world does not revolve about you and your country’s circumstances.
I have. Random outdoor cat walked over to me, demanded pets, it noticed a bird, killed the bird, and came back to me looking for more attention. I was not impressed.
I have feed around 10 stray cats for the last 15 years. Only one of them was a hunter, and by that, I mean it’s like watching captain Levi dealing with giants. I once saw her take down two pigeons at the same time.
Dang, we had barn cats as a kid, and then dad let one inside, and then more, but they would demand to go outside regularly so my parents let them, but the prettiest one, a calico, was always so proud of her catches, she’d leave them on the welcome mat like a present. Sometimes the whole bird, somtimes just like the feet left, she must have been hungry those days.
Barely moves the needle. Birds are extremely adaptable and readily find habitats in rural, exurban, suburban, and even urban environments. Letting a housecat outside is one of the worst things that a single individual can do for the environment.
So destroying over 90% of their natural Habitat is not worse than a single predator? Nevermind most other predators that have been driven to extinction anyway
This may be true for the USA. In Germany the biggest killer is agriculture, followed by buildings, then cars and then come the cats. I’m guessing this is the reason for the controversy regarding this topic. Cats aren’t that big a problem in Germany. Especially if you have a programmable cat flap that leaves the cats inside during morning and evening times. During daytime they don’t catch shit.
The source for the bird loss is: Loss et al. Love it when people have fitting names like that. A painter named Brush, an investment banker named Rich, a hairdresser named Mane, etc.
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