Should we regulate cat ownership to save birds?

[Liberal_in_LA]

I have 2 indoor cats. Although they are well fed, I can see from their behavior at the windows that they would gladly kill every bird and squirrel. But I'm surprised to see that cats wearing bells are still able to catch birds.

Should we regulate cat ownership to save birds?



While dog defenders point to the lack of evidence in the encyclopedic GGNRA proposal, there are several studies pointing to cats' predatory habits. Elsa Bonnaud of the Mediterranean Institute of Ecology and Palaeoecology has said that house cats may be responsible for "pose a significant threat to almost 10 percent of critically endangered birds, mammals and reptiles."

A study by the American Bird Conservancy attributes a billion small-animal deaths a year to cats. And the study is careful to point out that feral cats aren't the only culprits: Well-fed cats and even cats that wear bells hunt successfully.

The Conservancy compared two parks in the East Bay Regional Park District with similar habitat.

One park had no cats, but more than 25 cats were being fed daily in the other park. There were almost twice as many birds seen in the park with no cats as in the park with cats. California Thrasher and California Quail, both ground-nesting birds, were seen during surveys in the no-cat area, whereas they were never seen in the cat area.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=88927#ixzz1NrV5wvMP

[Taverner]

1. I prefer cats to birds

Besides, without any natural predators, the birds would EAT US ALL!!!!!

:evilgrin:

[JCMach1]

3. balanced out by all the people who feed the birds and increase their population

[RebelOne]

18. I feed the birds and the squirrels.

And I would prefer if all cat owners would keep their cats inside. There are too many running around my neighborhood. I live in a mobile home and those little monsters get on my roof to chase the squirrels, and I have been thinking of catacide (new word). They sound like a herd of very large elephants overhead.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. :-(

:-(

[ergot]

79. I'm glad I don't live around there, the ones we get sound like a herd of

very small elephants.

:D

[XemaSab]

26. That almost never happens

Most birds are able to forage for themselves, but they'll gladly take advantage of a free lunch.

[CreekDog]

66. so people feed thrashers and quail?

but you're a bird expert, right?

[Ohio Joe]

2. No... let them kill the fucking birds

I live with my brother who has three cats and two birds. The birds do nothing but poop everywhere and squawk all day... They never fucking shut up... I hate them. I only wish the cats would kill them.

[Shagbark Hickory]

39. Birds suck. Always shitting everywhere, breaking shit and making racket.

[CreekDog]

67. birds eat bugs

you don't need to keep them in your house.

[Lisa0825]

4. I am a cat owner, foster, and rescue volunteer. Cats belong indoors.

It would be better for the wildlife and better for the cats, as cars, dogs, disease, etc make lifespans shorter for those allowed to roam.

[KathieG]

7. I agree 100%.

I have always kept my cats indoors. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night otherwise.

[angstlessk]

16. The cat that lives in our house got out one day and climbed up on the roof

in order to get back inside...we had to climb the roof to get him back..he has never left our abode since....He KNEW instantly how dangerous it was OUTSIDE vs INSIDE...and he begged at the window that we rescue him from sure death!

[lbrtbell]

56. This is the answer to the entire problem!

[AC_Mem]

74. I'm a "cat person"

I have my 11 year old cat, Joe. He is very sick and I'm caring for him for as long as he has left. He has been a great companion, very laid back and gentle. He was protective of both my grandchildren from the day they were born - it was like he knew that this was a little baby and he would get very upset when they would cry.

I'm very sad that he is so ill, I'll probably rescue an older cat at some point after Joe passes and give an indoor cat a loving home. I think I'm drawn to the independent nature of cats; and the fact that they really are smart.

Don't get me wrong, dogs are neat too - I LOVE watching The Dog Whisperer and it has given me a much greater respect for the unconditional love that a dog provides. Wish there was a show called Cat Whisperer LOL.

Shine on,
Annette ((who is getting close to post number 1000!!!!) :)

[AndyTiedye]

118. Our Cats Protect our Garden and Our Neighbor's Garden

Both our cats were rescued from the city, where they had been abandoned.
Mostly they catch mice and gophers. The older one caught a blue jay once
(about 10 years ago). I suppose the bird lovers would call even a blue jay
a "song bird", but I think that is a bit of a stretch.

Mostly they scare the small critters and birds away from our vegetable garden
(and our neighbor's garden too).

[HockeyMom]

5. Keep your cats INSIDE all the time

Keep them, and the wildlife safe. My 20 year old Maine Coon recently passed. He lived that entire time inside the house. Would he have lived that long if he was an outside cat? People need to understand this.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Mine are totally indoor. My heart drops when I see cats running around in the streets

I assume I will eventually see them lying smushed by a car.

[revolution breeze]

57. We had twelve feral cats on our street.

Hubby got a trap from Animal Services and working with our neighbors we were able to catch all twelve. Thankfully only one was deemed to be unable to be socialized, the rest will go up for adoption. We did catch one that was microchipped and when the family received the call that the shelter had him, they said "Oh yeah, we noticed he had not been around in about a week." I hate irresponsible pet owners!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Cat boxes or car washes?

That's the real question!

[Lizzie Poppet]

9. Cats are best kept inside.

They will live longer and healthier lives. That said, I don't favor a law requiring this. Effective enforcement just isn't something we can afford right now, not at a time where they're laying off teachers, ferchrissakes. And putting laws on the books that will never be enforced is just a bad idea in so many ways.

My indoor-only kitty makes it quite clear from her reaction to birds she spots out the window that she'd be very committed to hunting them. She'd probably do well, too, given what an effective mouser she was when I lived out in the country.

[madinmaryland]

87. Welcome to DU!! We have three indoor cats. Don't want to let the out.

The birds and squirrels give our cats entertainment and excitement, but that's all they are going to get.

:hi:

[Taitertots]

10. Does anyone expect cat owners will care about the negative consequences of their choices

It is all about them and their desires for luxury, screw the species being driven to extinction.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. How does having a cat equate with 'desires for luxury"?

[Taitertots]

12. Owning pets is a luxury n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. I have rescue/shelter cats. And cat ownership less costly than

car, housing, food. never thought of them as a luxury.

[BlueJazz]

14. I've seen great, responsible cat owners but Yes, I've also seen selfish non-caring assholes..

...of which you speak.
Birds add so much to the quality of life.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

13. Cats have kept Alfred Hitchcocks"s prophecy from coming true.

The Birds was more than just a thriller...it was a warning.

and besides the birds have really been asking for it: chirping and landing in back yards, acting like squeak toys...whats a cat to do?

I say we breed more cats to keep the birdies in line.
Nasty little birdses. We hates them we do! Gollum!

[awoke_in_2003]

30. You should go to...

the intersection of 820 West and Beach Blvd. in Fort Worth. The grackle population is out of control over there- it is like going through the set of "The Birds".

[MH1]

17. Regulate human population.

Less humans, fewer cats kept as pets.

[ClarkUSA]

21. I agree with that sentiment. Ditto for the cat/dog population via spaying/neutering.

[alphafemale]

33. woop there it is.

eugenics rears its ugly head again.

Where, exactly is this "surplus population?"

And how do you propose we rid ourselves of it?

[uppityperson]

105. Who said anything about "surplus population"?

[femrap]

37. I am all for

controlling human population.

[CreekDog]

71. yeah but how

how could you actually do that without removing people's reproductive choice and/or making sure any child born under the new regulation that is "surplus" has the things they need for a proper life (food, shelter, housing, education) without being taken from parents who want to raise him/her.

i don't see any "regulation" that could handle those questions without harming people's reproductive rights or a child's well being, place within the family that birthed him/her.

:shrug:

[alphafemale]

76. Hitler had the eugenic thing about figured out. Let's Decrease the surplus population.

Let's do that.

Can the brown people actually get a deciding vote in...Where...the surplus population lies this genocide??

[madinmaryland]

88. FAIL! Any time someone uses "Hitler" in their post, they have LOST!

:hi:

[provis99]

90. Limbaugh = Hitler.

Somehow, I don't feel like I lost...

[alphafemale]

91. lol! HATER!

[Jack Sprat]

19. no, i like the neighborhood cats

even though i don't own one. they are great creatures. here's hoping they catch mice instead of squirrels or robins.

[juajen]

46. Cats are great hunters, but the birds around my house rarely

get caught. The squirrels are also elusive. They do, however, catch mice, rates, moles, roaches, cicadas, snakes. I wish they loved snails and slugs. I feed about four every morning outside. They are not mine, but mainly belong to the neighborhood. We had a real problem with mice in this neighborhood. Now, not so much. I did see one the other day in the mouth of a cat. Cats can feed themselves and are very independent. If you want a cuddle bug kitty, fine. But cats that have been neutered should be allowed to go out.

[Aerows]

22. Bells help

but if you have a determined feline hunter, they don't work 100% of the time. On a positive note, my cat also kills rats, mice and big ass bugs. I prefer my cat to either of those three.

[ClarkUSA]

23. Cats should be indoor pets. Their lifespan is greatly extended and so are the songbirds'.

[tularetom]

24. We used to let our cats out

But when they began dragging half dead critters (baby birds, mice, gophers etc) into the house, they were placed under house arrest. The last straw was when our mama cat brought a baby rattlesnake in.

I never saw the cats bring a quail or a dove in, but I did see several headless baby birds in the grass outside the house.

Primarily we keep the cats indoors to prevent them from becoming coyote chow, but not having rodents scurrying under the furniture is a plus as well.

But I'd have to say, from my experience only, there doesn't seem to be any marked change in the bird population.

[Aerows]

29. A snake incident

was the end of one of my cats being an indoor outdoor kitty. She's strictly indoors now. She was so damn proud of herself when she dropped it right in the middle of the living room floor.

[revolution breeze]

38. Thankfully mine was only a lizard.

Left proudly in the middle of my desk. Ick!

[Nye Bevan]

25. No, because it's part of the circle of life.

And it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love.

[HockeyMom]

27. I don't care about the BUG population

They will be around long after we humans, and cats, are gone. My INDOOR cats (spayed and neutered littermates adopted from a rescue) "hunt" the bugs that get inside the house. They WATCH the birds from INSIDE my house. That gives them enjoyment (like watching TV for us), yet both species are safe.

[XemaSab]

28. Yes

There are SOOOO many feral cats in my neighborhood, and I'm not okay with them coming in my yard, crapping all over the place, and eating my birds.

[alphafemale]

31. But..but...what if they aren't pretty song birds? But scaley footed, thieving crows?

Who have clearly chosen sides?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbBlYfTbA44&feature=player_embedded

[haele]

36. Crows are scary-smart, and have a sophisticated communication system and long memories -

Obviously, the black cat wasn't a bird hunter, and probably didn't mind sharing kibble or mice with the crows.

Haele

[Aerows]

40. Crows are VERY intelligent birds

Mockingbirds are, too, as a matter of fact. The mockingbirds physically attacked neighborhood cats while they were nesting. The also attacked ME included when I got close to the tree. I'm not talking just complaining - I'm talking physically swooping at you, screeching, and dive-bombing.

They are able to use facial recognition, since most birds have great eyesight, and will only attack if you come close. If you repeatedly come close though, the second you walk outside they start the attack.

[Aerows]

49. My theory is that the black cat

was on it's home territory, as the crows were. The mockingbirds in the tree nesting by my house go hysterical when a neighborhood cat comes by, much more so than mine (though they will go after any damn thing that approaches the nest with impunity).

They CHASE the neighborhood cat away. It's kind of funny to see a cat get driven off by birds LOL.

[Aerows]

44. I need to tape what happens

when the neighbor's cat comes on my yard, and both my cat AND the mockingbirds get after it. It pretty much looks this ugly, except the neighbor's cat flees the minute the mockingbirds show up. When my little huntress is introduced into the fray, the birds don't attack her. I think it's a territory thing. Some cats are just as territorial as dogs, and don't mind other living things living around them.

[KT2000]

32. No!

Years ago I took in a stray. She is a talented hunter. Rarely she catches a bird but her preference seems to be rats, mice, moles and some other weird rodent. Before she came here, we had a serious rodent problem. I had them come out of my car dash board while driving, my neighbor had them coming into her living room through her heating ducts and just stare at her, another neighbor had his pump house infested with them. They were everywhere and everyone had mole hills.

The reason for this was because everyone had to keep their cats indoors. A crazy old man in the neighborhood was killing cats because he thought they were eating his tulip bulbs (it was acutally racoons that were doing that). The rodent population went crazy.
The old man died and cats slowly returned to the outdoors.

The threat to bird life in my neighborhood comes from eagles and hawks. They catch the songbirds midflight and raid the nests of smaller birds for eggs and little ones.

Blanket regulation of cats - especially in rural areas would just create new problems.

[AndyTiedye]

50. During the Dark Ages, the Church Claimed That Owning Cats was a Sign of Witchcraft

So they killed all the cats. For the rats, it was party time!

The Black Plague soon followed.


UNrec'ed.

[happyslug]

117. Accusation of Witchcraft were made, but the Church also protected and sheltered cats.

For more see:
http://www.godecookery.com/mtales/mtales07.htm

Was more Renaissance and Reformation (c1300 to c1700) then true Middle ages (c1000 AD to c1300 AD or the "Dark Ages" (c450 AD to c1000 AD):
http://www.knowyourcat.info/lib/devilcats.htm

[MilesColtrane]

34. Control the feral cat population and the problem would be significantly mitigated.

[femrap]

35. You know.....maybe the

birds aren't stupid. They see the cats and they don't stick around. They go where there are no cats. I feed birds and they are always looking out for predators....hawks in particular. After one is killed and taken away by the hawk, the birds will not return and eat for the rest of the day...and sometimes longer.

Usually the cats catch the baby birds. That has been my experience. But I keep my cat indoors or on a leash when we go outside.

[Atman]

41. Unreccing for Stupidest Post Ever.

At least, since the last stupidest post.

I have cats. I live in the country. They spend the nights outside, the days inside sleeping. They're feral cats we rescued from an old shed behind our last house when they were just a few weeks old. Keeping them inside is a fantasy. They chase (and I assume eat) file mice and various critters. No way I could keep them inside 24/7. One of us would surely go insane.

[TreasonousBastard]

42. Dunno aboput regulation, but around here cats have a large responsibility for...

the decline of the piping plover and other ground-nesting birds.

Crow, raccoons, foxes, and other critters eat the eggs and chicks, too, but that's nature, not some fatass catlover who leaves her darlings outside all summer and then they stay here for the winter when she's heading back to the city, apparently expecting the Catfood Fairy to drop cans of Friskies like the very snow itself.

And they never, ever fix them. One house started with 16 cats in the fall and had over 60 by the next summer.

[Atman]

47. Cats aren't natural? I'll be damned.

I figure my cats have us much chance of being eaten by a fox or a coyote as a bird had of being eaten by one of my cats. That's nature. That's what they were designed to do, not just sleep all day between eating and shredding the sofa.

[TreasonousBastard]

62. Not domestic cats. While letting a Maine Coon out isn't like...

letting a Maltese out to fend for itself, a large influx of domestic cats is no more natural than the huge deer populations from our killing off predators and guaranteeing Bambi a food supply.

[Fla_Democrat]

43. Maybe we should regulate bird populations to save worms.

Less birds, more worms. Less temptation for cats. It's a win-win situation.



:smoke:

[uppityperson]

45. I've in/outdoors cats who hunt, am gladto have them in:out

They bring me mice and rats that eat my bird's food (egg laying chickens), bunnies that I'd have to trap and kill because they eat my garden food. They live average 16-18 yrs.

[eleny]

48. Yes, because I'm sick and tired of the neighbor cats shitting in my flower beds

[Atman]

51. Cats shouldn't be allowed to shit.

Or live near flowers.

[eleny]

63. They can shit on the flowers of their owners

[madinmaryland]

89. Worse yet, is people who let their dogs leave HUGH SHITs on my lawn.

GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DAMN KIDS/DOGS!

[RegieRocker]

52. Cats should not be able to roam freely they are a menace to

wildlife.

[Politicalboi]

53. Every cat I've ever "owned" was an indoor/outdoor cat

I couldn't even imagine keeping a cat indoors it's whole life. I don't like it when they kill, but cats need the sun, grass, bugs and adventure of the outdoors. And besides if they ever get out I feel they are doomed for not knowing how to react outdoors. My last cat adopted me, and later she came back pregnant and had her kittens in our house. Well she had 5 male kittens, and I was very lucky to give them all away. I got her fixed a few years ago, and she now lives with my brothers family and their other cats in Coarsegold Ca. Coarsegold has a lot of coyotes, but there are a lot of trees available for emergencies. Sometime cats aren't the only hunters. One of the cats a few weeks ago was attacked by what they think was a Horned Owl. He required staples from the talon scratches.

[JanMichael]

54. Look out for the uptick in rats and mice. No cats outside is a bad idea. nt.

[WolverineDG]

55. Cats don't crap on my car's windshield & besides

I've seen more corpses of birds & rodents in my back yard where my dogs rule than I've seen in the front yard where the cats hang out.

dg

[Sonoman]

58. Let's just ban everything.

I mean, look at all of the misery that cars cause.

Curbs, too.

I had a friend who was killed by a falling tree. Let's fucking get rid of trees while we're at it.


Seriously, though, the damage and mayhem wrought by my two once-feral cats is appalling. But there is nothing I can do about it except to keep them indoors and that is just not going to happen.

Sonoman

[ergot]

80. Bingo! oh, wait...we need to ban that too

:silly:

[Atman]

95. +1000 plus nine lives

.

[DinahMoeHum]

59. A big fat FTS to that idea. . .

from a cat lover.

Cats were designed by nature to hunt - while you can train them to a certain extent, you will never ever completely control them. Nature wins out in the end.

[-..__...]

60. I catch them with live traps...

and let animal control deal with them.

I have several bird feeders in my backyard, and for someone living in an urban area, I actually attract a surprising variety of birds.

I've trapped 5 cats in the past 3 years.

Of those 5, only one had a collar on; that one I attached a note to advising the owner to keep the cat indoors, or next time I'd call the animal control officer to come take it.

About 2 months ago, I had this guy lurking in my yard...







I've only seen him around twice so I never bothered with catching the bastard.

(Anyone know what kind of cat that is? Looks like he might have some Maine Coon cat in him... he's pretty fucking big).

[Codeine]

69. What a gorgeous Maine Coon.

That's a regal-lookin' boy. :)

[-..__...]

98. And he's a hunter.

I'm not a cat person, per say, but that guy was a bit impressive.

I took that pic through a window, and when I stepped out to get a better look, he took off like an Olympian sprinter.

The second time I saw him, he spotted me, took off, and negotiated a 6' fence as if it wasn't even there.

[hamsterjill]

75. I think that's really horrible.

Ferals are almost assuredly euthanized once picked up by animal control.

I support TNR!

[-..__...]

96. Yeah, well....

I think it's horrible that they're attacking our bird population.

What happens to them after animal control takes custody is not my concern (obviously, I'm a bird person).

If the roving felines happen to be pets... keep the fuckers indoors, or at least place a collar and bell on them.

Birds are a natural resource... cat's are not.

[hamsterjill]

99. Kill, kill, kill!!!!!

What happens to them after animal control takes them isn't your concern, of course. It's easy to let someone else take care of the problem and kill the cats. No mess on your hands, right?

But what happens to them because of your action is still blood on your hands in my opinion.

Ever heard of a bird's ability to FLY? A cat cannot fly. And a cat that is fed and not hungry isn't going to waste energy chasing birds.

[XemaSab]

102. Even fed cats kill birds

n/t

[Confusious]

106. My kitty liked to hunt

she always brought me home a lizard or bird. The lizards I let go and the birds I took to the shelter. Now she's to sick to do that.

[AtheistCrusader]

110. Norwegian Forest Cats are huge too.

Might be Maine Coon though.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

61. LOL....this is why I love DU

The OP and responses just show what different planets folks live on around here.

My family had cats for well over thirty years and we let them out to roam all the time. A couple lived well into their teens and one almost to twenty. Now and again, one would kill a mole or a mouse because guess what.......it's what they do. They are exploring and enjoying life. I don't recall too many bird kills, but I do remember a crow swooping down and trying to swipe at our Tuxedo cat, Figaro.

But I'd like to add if one is adamant about this, if the cat kills a mouse in your home, he/she should be executed, because clearly just like a prisoner who kills another prisoner or guard, they can't be held.

[Lucinda]

64. My cats are indoor/outdoor - with their own door and come and go as they please

My littlest cat has brought in live bunnies on several occasions - which get rounded up and returned to the woods beside our house. He also brought in a large bumbleebee once. Judging from his reaction when it flew out of his mouth, I'd say he wont be repeating that hunt again.

There have also been a few live birds brought in. Not a lot of fun to catch and return with a 27' living room ceiling!

I can only think of one dead bird in several years. There were a lot of dead rodents (mostly voles) when we first built the house. Not so much anymore. One cat still attempts squirrel hunting but couldn't possibly catch one. The other two don't bother. I live in an area that is fairly safe for indoor/outdoor cats - the local dogs are cat friendly and there are only few permanent residents in the area. My guys are healthy, fit and spoiled rotten and not much of a menace to the local, and very vocal, bird population.

So..I'm in the "no" column.

[Forkboy]

65. And the human race poses a significant threat for 100% of the animals.

Stupid fucking article.

[EFerrari]

68. Seals. I just saw a spot that showed seals up here get

encephalitis from cats.

Keep your cats indoors, people. They will live longer and so will the guys downstream.

[REP]

70. Better to regulate pollution, pesticides, herbicides - they kill more birds than cats do

There are competing studies as to whether or not cats have a significant effect on the bird population, but there's no debate that pollution, pesticides, herbicides and other environmental concerns kill more birds than cats can dream of.

On edit: I keep my cats inside for THEIR safety, not because I think the Anna's are in any danger from them.

[KT2000]

77. Excellent point!

We are also losing our tree frogs to pesticides. They used to manage the mosquito population until chemical loving people moved in and sprayed several chemicals on their property (which includes drift to others). Now we have fewer frogs and more mosquitoes.

[stuntcat]

126. +1, thank you

of course, it's easier for humans to scold each other over cats than take the real big responsibilities.

[cherokeeprogressive]

72. "there are several studies pointing to cats' predatory habits."

Someone actually needed to commission a study to find out if cats were predatory?

Money well spent. Or not.

Cats have binocular vision. What does that say?

[Liberal_in_LA]

78. lol! n/t

[seaglass]

73. Cats should either be kept indoors or leashed unless the cat owner has no neighbors..

Cat owners who regularly let their cats loose in neighborhoods don't give a damn about either their cats or their neighbors.

[ZombieHorde]

81. If corporations cause the deaths of endangered animals, they're evil. If pet owners cause the deaths

of endangered animals, it's cool.

Eye opening.

[Forkboy]

84. Cats eat birds, it's nature. It's not nature to pollute the land to kill the birds.

[ZombieHorde]

92. That is true, but house cats are not native to the US.

This is not their natural home. They are an artificially introduced predator.

[Forkboy]

94. The Native Americans probably feel that way about us.

;)

[ZombieHorde]

111. The Native Americans would be right to think that, but the same applies to them.

Buffalo don't normally run themselves off cliffs.

I agree humans cause more harm than the other animals, but part of the harm we cause is from the way we deep some animals, such as some aspects of our meat and pet industries.

[stuntcat]

107. ty

these comments are blowing my mind. "oh fyck birds, one shit on my car" :eyes: :banghead: This is DU?

[XemaSab]

103. Word

n/t

[struggle4progress]

82. I shoo cats out of my yard

[TransitJohn]

83. We should regulate cat ownership because their lazy fucking owners let them shit everywhere.

And if I shoot the one that shits in my yard daily, I'd be the bad guy. :wtf:

[Forkboy]

85. Well yeah, you would.

Duh.

[TransitJohn]

86. How so? The owner is breaking city ordinance by letting a pet roam unleashed.

I'd only be the bad guy for discharging a firearm within city limits, not for eliminating a vermin. I take care of the feces of my animals.

[Forkboy]

93. Littering also breaks most city ordinances...let's kill litterers to.

If you can't see the extreme over reaction you're putting forth here than nothing I can say will make a dent.

[TransitJohn]

97. Are you equating a pet with a human being?

Wow.

[Forkboy]

101. No, I'd never do that to an animal.

Love the shock coming from someone willing to kill something for shitting in their precious yard lol.

[ZombieHorde]

112. I could not bring myself to kill a cat unless it was attacking a baby or I was starving.

It is just too extreme and horrible.

[TransitJohn]

115. I was pretty much just bitching.

It's gotten really old....we're 3-1/2 years into this ordeal. Neighbor refuses to come over and pick it up himself. Just stares at me stupidly when I ask him to....I even showed him the video I shot of his cat doing it multiple times. Guess I'll just keep cleaning his cat's shit out of my flower beds until it dies.

[Nihil]

120. If you're going to do that ...

> Guess I'll just keep cleaning his cat's shit out of my flower beds until it dies.

... then why not dump it on your neighbour's doorstep as that might get the
message across?

:shrug:

[kestrel91316]

100. I have an opinion.

The average life span of a well-cared-for housecat is 15 years. The average life span of an outdoor cat is 2 years.

You all get one guess what I think of letting cats outdoors.

[AtheistCrusader]

108. Source?

My shortest-lived indoor/outdoor cat was 10 years. He vanished. I assume a coyote got him.

[kestrel91316]

113. Thirty years in veterinary practice. And thirty years of chatting about it with colleagues.

Oh, and somewhere there is a published paper, too.

But you still would argue the point, and I am under the weather and not going to look it up for you or anybody else. So run along now.

[AtheistCrusader]

114. Well, I guess your 30 beats my 12.

Whatever.

[kestrel91316]

116. 20 of my years are exclusively feline practice. 2 points.

[AtheistCrusader]

119. I was interested in the peer reviewed study you mentioned, but if you're going to behave like that..

[slackmaster]

104. Human dwellings, roads, and landscaping have completely altered suburban ecosystems

Cats are just one small piece of what human development has done to the environment.

Where I live, there are tall trees and hundreds of species of exotic plants that are not natural. There's been a flock of feral PARROTS flying around the neighborhood for many years.

My cats do a fair job of controlling the populations of rats and mice so I can grow other exotic plants such as tomatoes. Keep government's grubbies off of my pets.

[AtheistCrusader]

109. If not for my cat, I would never know how beautiful an Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is.

The feathers are actually shiny, like metal foil. Beautiful greens and reds. It is one thing to see a picture, another to hold it in your hand.


My cat is about 11 years old. He hasn't caught a bird since he was about 5 years old. He is unlikely to do so ever again. He must have been the terror of the skies at one point. Bringing down a hummingbird has to be tough.

He probably still eats bugs I guess.

[SpartanDem]

121. Cats are supposed to kill birds

it's say more about you if try to stop your cat from doing what comes natural.

[seagreen]

122. save the birds

If all the feral cats were eliminated and all the owned domestic cats kept indoors, birds would continue to decline because of habitat destruction. Cats are not the cause of bird decline.

[XemaSab]

123. They're certainly part of it

It's pure denial to suggest otherwise.

[Nihil]

124. Fixed it for you:

"Cats are not the only cause of bird decline."

:hi:

[GliderGuider]

125. Should we regulate cat ownership to save the mice and rats?

Outdoor cats don't just eat birds...