Kitty eco threat.
There's a fellow in New Zealand that wants to eradicate cats on the island nation. Sounds like a meanie, doesn't he?
But he's not proposing that people kill them. He just wants them all neutered, and no feral cats. His reasoning is that originally, New Zealand was teaming with birds that had no natural predators. Man's introduction of the friendly housecat caused kiwis and penguins and other ground birds to be endangered, but also the song birds, too.
My house regularly has feathers in it, from my rescued semi-feral cat, TC. He is lovable and friendly, and a stone cold bird assassin. I seriously consider having his front claws removed. I will not abide a cat box in my house. I am part of the problem.
Feral cat colonies are a HUGE problem. When we permit them to exist, we permit the devastation to the local ecology. While the catch-neuter-release programs are good ideas, they cost a lot, and thus rarely get properly implemented. Their proponents put forth the silly assertion that straightforward extermination doesn't work in reducing the problem.
Food for thought, from a cat owner.
Labels: animal planet, brooding, in the news, world view
posted by Matt G @ 4:51 PM
11 Comments:
He must not know any cat ladies.
A few years ago the case was made to make it legal to shoot feral cats in California because of their effect on native species.(Maybe just in San Diego County) Needless to say, it didn't go anywhere. I believe they found a much more expensive and less effective way to feel like they were solving the problem.
I won't have a cat box in my house, either -- and yet I have a gang of indoor cats.
How's that work? Simple: we installed a hinged cat door in the outer wall of our downstairs bathroom. The door leads into a small, enclosed area that's about the size of a very large under-the-bed storage box (because that's all it holds). The enclosure has a hinged lid so we can pop it open and change the litter from outside the house.
No cat-sand getting tracked through the house. No odors. And no dead birds or squished cats on the road.
First- NOT a cat person here... But feral cats are a HUGE problem, just like feral dog packs. We used to shoot them with the Sheriffs and LEOs approval as they would raid barns, kill chickens and even calves and foals.
You and I have discussed this. I have a bird feeder. i love birds. I love TC. And the only way I can save the birds is to quit feeding them, which makes me indignant. I love watching my birds.
I will say this. I love that damn cat a lot because I have never considered pulling his claws. I jus try to release the dogs often enough into the back yard to scare that fastmoving cat.
Nonono, he didn't just say that, he also wants to prevent people from having anymore cats - that once their current cat dies, they can't get another one. That's kinda depressing.
We're back to the question of responsibility. If pet owners were responsible for their pets, including limiting their roaming, declawing, spay/neuter, not dumping unwanted animals, then the feral problem would be small.
(Please do not start with the whole declawing controversy. I mention it to make a point.)
LittleRed1
My college had a large feral cat population. They tried extermination, and found it didn't work. Cats are better at hiding and breeding than we are at finding and killing them. Catch/neuter/release programs have the advantage of reducing the breeding population while keeping the resource pressure on. Admittedly, neither program actually solved the problem.
So you are OK with your cat digging up your neighbor's gardens and crapping in them?
My neighbors all have cats, and they all seem to like to dig up and shit it the lawn I am trying to repair.
This despite the local leash law. Does your town have a leash law? I'll bet it applies to cats.
I am about 1 inch from buying a +1000 fps air rifle and shooting them on sight.
I live in rural New Zealand. We don't have a cat now for many reasons, but I over my lifetime I have seen every single cat I've ever owned kill native birds. Including one that's so shy and low in numbers that I'd never seen one myself although I lived next to the wetland it was obviously living in.
I do think we should eradicate them - also stoats, ferrets and rats as far as we can.
A 'no replace' policy is a very good idea. I'm so against catch and release!
Those released cats can live for decades and they HAVE to kill to stay alive. They don't eat strawberries and dandelions in the wild, folks!
So many of our native species have already disappeared, and we are responsible, yes we are.
Just arrived here via Law Dog. Interesting reading.
As for cats, are they really the major danger to birds? Houses, office buildings, major road networks, airports and aircraft -- destroyers of bird habitat. Raptors and assorted other wildlife which dine upon birds.
But noooo, one simply must blame cats for all the devastation.
Something illogical there.
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