House Cats => Invasive Species, caused extinction of 33 species of birds in US

[Melensdad]

I like cats. I am allergic to them, but I do like them.

But when I moved out to our rural property 24 years ago I found out that regular house cats are a plague on nature. I never understood that fact until I saw it first hand.

Interesting article address this issue and now states what I have believed to be true for the past couple of decades. If I recall correctly, the State of Wisconsin was encouraging the shooting of wild cats by hunters during deer season a few years ago because the formerly domesticated, but now wild, cats decimated the song bird population.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cats-invasive-species-in-your-backyard-cbsn-originals/

Full article at the link above but here is a short snippet:

...Domestic cats are directly responsible for the extinction of a number of animal species around the world, including 33 bird species. In the U.S., the popular pet is estimated to kill over 1 billion birds and over 6 billion other small animals every year. While the biggest threat are currently posed by feral cats — domesticated breeds that don't have an owner and aren't socialized to humans — even common house cats that are well cared for and fed will hunt and kill if let outside.

Cats also transmit diseases. In 2014, of the domestic animals that contracted rabies, which can then be spread to the local wildlife and humans, roughly 60 percent of them were cats.

Like nearly all invasive species, cats also have rapid rates of reproduction. Females can start breeding at just 6 months old and can breed every 4 months, producing up to 12 kittens every year...

Thoughts?

 

[300 H and H]

True that..

I have been doing them in in the wild while hunting for years. In Iowa each one in the wild is said by DNR to be responsible for killing 7 pheasants. This is why I don't leave them alone.

I like cats to. I have a tom cat that I spoil daily. But I know how fast they reproduce to. This is a very big problem, hardly anyone see's.

Regards, Kirk

 

[JimVT]

one stray showed up. a calico after trapping it we found out it was spayed. I didn't let any hang around long because they hunt the quail that have almost disappeared.
this one now lives in my barn and I feed it. the bird feeders attract rats and figured this would help.
a local vet fixes all wild cats for free and returns them.
jim

 

[jimbo]

one stray showed up. a calico after trapping it we found out it was spayed. I didn't let any hang around long because they hunt the quail that have almost disappeared.
this one now lives in my barn and I feed it. the bird feeders attract rats and figured this would help.
a local vet fixes all wild cats for free and returns them.
jim

Spayed cats still eat birds and chipmunks.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I an not a cat person.

We have lived out in the country for 20 years and have always had feral cats come up to the house. I always chased them off except for one vicious monster that I shot. And then along came "Miss Kitty". When she came up to the house I chased her off and soaked her probably half a dozen times. The last time she came up she looked so ragged, just skin and bones, and didn't have the strength to run. I took pity on her and fed her. Mistake. She's been our outside cat for last 6 or 7 years. She had been spayed and was obviously someone's house cat who climbed on or in a car and was whisked off and dumped.

She has plenty to eat and is well cared for but, you're right, she's hell on wildlife; mice, voles, birds, rabbits, lizards and snakes. When she was younger she used to take on other cats, possums and racoons that came around. She's older now and tends to let the big stuff go.

If I'm outside, she follows me around like a dog. Give her 5 minutes and she'll show up just to see what I'm doing. She's completely changed my attitude towards cats. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like them but I tolerate "Miss Kitty" just as she tolerates me. Now, I don't think that I'd live out in the country without an outside cat.

 

[tiredretired]

Only two things in life I am allergic to. Stupidity and worthlessness. Cats qualify for the worthlessness part, liberals for the other one. I despise them both and cannot tolerate either one around me.

 

[pirate_girl]

I had a cat briefly after Gretchen died.
He drove me nuts with his yowling and prowling ways.
Byeeee!
Lol
Steve and I had a white cat, Bianca.
She was almost like a dog in behaviour.
That's why I liked her.

 

[Bamby]

Only two things in life I am allergic to. Stupidity and worthlessness. Cats qualify for the worthlessness part, liberals for the other one. I despise them both and cannot tolerate either one around me.

Now hold on just one moment.... Cats are far smarter than liberals and they can think for themselves, liberals can't. Cats if restrained within a house or structure can provide a useful service, such as catching and removing mice. If and when should liberals be restrained it costs thousands to tend to and nurturer their needs which in turn makes house cats a real value.

 

[tiredretired]

Now hold on just one moment.... Cats are far smarter than liberals and they can think for themselves, liberals can't. Cats if restrained within a house or structure can provide a useful service, such as catching and removing mice. If and when should liberals be restrained it costs thousands to tend to and nurturer their needs which in turn makes house cats a real value.

:th_lmao::th_lmao:

 

[Catavenger]

Don't believe all that you see on the internet. We have freedom of speech in this nation and anyone is free to post anything.
True or "fake news" (If they had a negaive article about Trump would you believe it?)
That CBS news looks like something I saw on the leftist Mother Jones:
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2011/07/cats-tnr-birds-feral/

Nothing exists in a vacuum.

Cats came out of the desert in ancient Egypt and began killing the rat's that were eating the Egyptian's grain.
They ate other pests such as mice. They became revered an worshiped to the point where they became associated with paganism and witchcraft.

Because of this the Pope had them killed. Then they were no longer around to kill rats that were at least partially spreading the bubonic plague which came to kill millions in Europe.

The cats were also valued for killing rats aboard ships. Thus the arrived here. Along with dozens of other "invasive" species.

Some of these were sheep and cattle. The settlers wiped out vast herds of "buffalo" (bison) and introduced sheep and cattle. Bison were only one of many species wiped out. Thus the former predators Wolves, coyotes, foxes, cougars/Mt. lions then begin to eat the cattle and sheep and chickens being raised by the settlers.


So the American settlers killed those. Then there were no natural enemies of other animals (both native and introduced) that the Americans didn't want.
Then the (introduced) cats filled in those roles.
Nothing exists in a vacuum we kill something and something else takes it's role.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endangered_species_in_North_America


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_invasive_species_in_North_America


So now cats will be killed (perhaps by poison) and there will be nothing to rats, mice, pigeons.So what's left to do but poison those.
And then the poison will be here to kill humans, and perhaps that's fitting because humans are biggest murderous "invasive" species of all.

Not to sound like a tree hugger but we have raped this planet up so much that's it's sad.

 

[FrancSevin]

Although allergic to them, I have endured cats in my home most of my life. I have learned two things from owning them.

First, no one owns them.

Secondly, There is no such thing as a free kitten.

Neuter your cats. It doesn't make the cat box smell any better but it does reduce the roaming and the endless supply of feral kittens.

 

[bczoom]

I don't like cats. My dog does. She says they taste like chicken. We don't have feral cats around here that I've seen. My dog does fine on her own taking care of varmints. Has only caught 1 bird that I know of but anything she can catch, she'll try to kill (other than another dog).

 

[Catavenger]

I would question those "statistics" how many or what cats have killed? I would find anything posted by CBS let alone Mother Joan's to be suspect.


Here in Phoenix we have had problems with so called "roof" rats. That term may make them sound more acceptable than regular rats. But they are just RATS.

The black rat (Rattus rattus), also known as the ship rat, roof rat or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus (rats) in the subfamily Murinae. Black rats are generalist omnivores. They are serious pests to farmers as they eat a wide range of agricultural crops.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_rat

Roof rats were first discovered in East Phoenix's Arcadia District in 2002. Not native to Arizona, the rats are believed to have been transported to Maricopa County from one of our neighboring coastal states.

In 2004, roof rats were spotted in cities in towns all over the Valley. This confirmed to the County that the rats were being transported unknowingly either through residents moving from one home to another or perhaps from residents moving into the Valley from our neighboring coastal states.

Although roof rats have not been found to have disease, they are known to be very destructive, gnawing through wiring and destroying citrus.

https://www.maricopa.gov/2138/History-of-Roof-Rats-in-Maricopa-County

Destroying wiring that's one I hadn't thought of.

We also have a problem with pigeons:


https://www.sfdph.org/dph/EH/Vector/pigeonNuisance.asp

But I suppose feral cats would prefer to kill "endangered" species rather than a dumb slow pigeon.

Yes, by all means spay and neuter cats (I could say the same for humans). But I think that many hysterical things on the internet overplay the problem (as they do many things). From "Assault rifles" to "Global Warming."

 

[EastTexFrank]

I would question those "statistics" how many or what cats have killed? I would find anything posted by CBS let alone Mother Joan's to be suspect.."

Catavenger, as a cat lover I can understand your attitude but there is no doubt about what our "Miss Kitty" kills. It's birds, snakes(little ones), lizards, mice, rats, voles, rabbits, the occasional squirrel and that's just a sampling. She leaves them outside the kitchen door or behind the recycling bins just to the side of the door. I must admit though, she is slowing down as she gets older.

As for mice and rats eating through wiring, you bet your life they will. They'll also eat through rubber water hoses to get to any water left in them during hot months. They'll eat paper and cardboard, just about anything when they get hungry.

Really, I have no problem with what she kills. She saves me the time and trouble. She is funny when she finds a big snake. She literally goes "on point". She looks at you as if saying that she has done her part so, for God's sake, get over here and do yours.

The point that I was trying to make is that this is a well fed and looked after cat. She has no need to kill for food. It's just the thrill of the hunt.

 

[Catavenger]

Just like people go hunting. I'm sure that most don't need the food it's the "thrill of the hunt."

 

[EastTexFrank]

Just like people go hunting. I'm sure that most don't need the food it's the "thrill of the hunt."

It's in her nature. The thrill of the hunt and the thrill of the kill. And you're right. Most hunters don't need the meat in order to survive. The amount of money they spend on guns, ammunition, gear and clothing could buy a whole lot of beef. Again, it's the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of the kill.

In fact my cat worried me the other day. I was sitting in her chair outside the kitchen door and she came over and jumped up in my lap. She's only done that a few times in the past 6 years but then, she started licking my hand. She's never done that. Do you think that she was "tasting" me. I'm starting to have dreams of waking up and she's standing on my chest just looking at me. Am I next?