I personally think that the raging arguments on this thread are quite useful. If they make one cat owner (or potential cat owner) think a bit more about the impact their pet can have on other people, other peoples gardens and our native wildlife.
Well said! I think it's important to air the topic here.. otherwise, outdoor cat owners will remain innocent (ignorant) to the issues of their roaming pets.
There are wide ranging studies in the US that suggest domestic cats kill up to 4 billion birds and 22 billion mammals a year. This article in the science journal Nature states that domestic cats "cause a substantial proportion of total wildlife mortality... [and are] among the top sources of anthropogenic bird mortality;"
... and when you quote studies like this be careful not to omit potentially key information from the study, such as:
"Un-owned cats, as opposed to owned pets, cause the majority of this mortality"
You're aware that the abundance of 'un-owned' cats is largely due to the missguided work of cat charities though right? They run so called 'catch, neuter and return' schemes rather than allow the cats to be rehomed or culled as would be the responsible action. It's another example of how cat lovers are prioritising cats over wildlife while using 'cruelty' as the justification.
The problem with the statement you've quoted is that un-owned cats are free ranging in all kinds of habitats and killing for food mostly whereas the majority of owned cats are located in built up urban areas where wildlife depletion has already happened to a large degree.
It happens in the country too. Domestic cats have brought about the probably extinction of our Scottish Wild cat though dilution of the genepool however our cat loving population are far too sensitive to allow feral cats to be culled to save the remaining almost-pure wildcats. Feral cats are given the trap, snip and release and are free to go back to causing untold damage to our wildlife, but at least no cats were hurt so it's ok.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
You're aware that the abundance of 'un-owned' cats is largely due to the missguided work of cat charities though right? They run so called 'catch, neuter and return' schemes rather than allow the cats to be rehomed or culled as would be the responsible action. It's another example of how cat lovers are prioritising cats over wildlife while using 'cruelty' as the justification.
But this thread was about neighbours' cats (and I thought in the UK not the US). You keep moving the goalposts in this debate. Tigers create a hell of a mess if they get in your borders, but I'm not sure it's on topic. I reiterate I'm not disagreeing with the argument that cats kill a hell of a lot of birds and mammals, it's pretty much their job description. But if you are going to have a balanced debate then criticise all those selfish people who have children and cause the overpopulation that has removed habitat and has a massively greater impact on species sustainability than cats. Criticise all those people using chemical fertilisers and insecticides which led to the Silent Spring. Criticise all those using peat based compost. Basically, criticise anyone who gets up in the morning. We're all having a negative impact on 'wildlife'. I'm just saying it's a bit over the top to blame next door's moggy, or more particularly their owner, for the decimation of biodiversity.
I would be more than happy to see it become the law that all cats should wear bells or blue fashing lights on their heads to warn prey that they're approaching, but I bet you will have an explosion of mouse and rat related threads starting on this site, with stories of how someone's child was eaten by a mouse, etc.
As I said before the main thing is this thread was about the garden impact rather than the predation by cats, and I stand by my comment that that is an extremely middle class problem. I await the Daily Mail campaign.
Anyway, as I said I don't really have a strong view, but I do enjoy a good argument.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
My son's house cat uses the loo like that ... he's around 17 years old and my son was in the bath one day a few weeks ago and saw the cat using the loo ... he's used it several times since but he wasn't ever aware of him using it before ... who said you can't teach an old cat new tricks
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Loss of wildlife is dramatic, it's hard to face but it's true.
Arguing for a change in any law is by no means being on a high horse, and I sincerely wish you the best of luck with it.
When someone says that cats crapping in your flower bed is a first world problem and you reply that species annihilation should not be taken so lightly, then you're on your high horse.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
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Well said! I think it's important to air the topic here.. otherwise, outdoor cat owners will remain innocent (ignorant) to the issues of their roaming pets.
Be civil and thick-skinned.
The problem with the statement you've quoted is that un-owned cats are free ranging in all kinds of habitats and killing for food mostly whereas the majority of owned cats are located in built up urban areas where wildlife depletion has already happened to a large degree.
It happens in the country too. Domestic cats have brought about the probably extinction of our Scottish Wild cat though dilution of the genepool however our cat loving population are far too sensitive to allow feral cats to be culled to save the remaining almost-pure wildcats. Feral cats are given the trap, snip and release and are free to go back to causing untold damage to our wildlife, but at least no cats were hurt so it's ok.
Let's all teach our cats to poop like Mr Jinx
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.