Cats' ecological pawprints

why do we like certain birds, and dislike others? it's almost like racism. cats are cute, but only to a certain extent.

 

some birds are very docile, while others most aggressive. cardinals and goldfinch are sweet, but blue jays an purple finch are obnoxious. morning doves are obnoxious.

 

mourning, you say? no wonder they don't respond when i yell at them to get off the feeder.
crows are obnoxious, and they think they are so smart.

 

More thread drift ---

Also, very agile combat fliers, but not much meat. Thus, an ammunition maker's dream, because it takes an inordinate amount of shotgun ammunition to harvest a decent meal.

Because they are smart. Tests have found their counting ability to exceed that of some humans (specifically, my dad).

That applies to some mammals too. E.g., slaughtering horses for meat is mostly prohibited here, or shamed into non-existence, but not so for cattle. Why? I spent a good chunk of the past two months watching for, and caring for, dad's newborn calves (and their parents). While not actually opposed to eating some of them (after growing up to market weight), I just don't see why they rank lower on the public totem poll than do horses. They are equally cute and cuddly. And after walking among them and interacting with them every few hours over long periods, it becomes clear that they really aren't all that dumb or lacking in individual personality. Just like the Gary Larson cartoon, when people are not paying attention to them.

 

Well, the falcons have been around far longer than humans with firesticks, so it seems the survival reflexes or instincts ought to be better against the former threat than the later. And considering how expertly doves dodge and weave when they see a shotgun ...

 

Thanks for posting on this important topic. Excellent audio discussion. Just ordered his book on Amazon.

The science is clear, so it's unfortunate to see the profound negative externalities of outside cats juxtaposed with how widely societies around the world support this problem. I have found many otherwise bright folks to be rather passionate about cats such that its nearly impossible to have a rational discussion about the issue.

I was just pondering this while on vacation on Oahu last week, seeing numerous cats roaming unchecked. A park ranger at Hanauma Bay touched on the topic as a cat walked by, but public sentiment seems to obviate rational policy making on the matter.

Cats should be treated like dogs. Our society has a special affection for both, and outside dogs require leashes among other reasonable measures.

 

I could live with that. Plus more business for the vets, the insulin pharmaceutical industry...

 

Got a comic version on the subject over here.
How much do cats actually kill? [Infographic] - The Oatmeal

To paraphrase some forgotten comedian, "rats know they are just a bushy tail away from being loved."

As a cat lover, I am against letting cats go outside. Not only is it bad for local wildlife, but it is also dangerous for cats out there.

I haven't kept abreast of it, but years ago, Hawaiian were far more concerned about the introduced Jackson's chameleons being a threat to native birds than cats. Concerned to the point that they started eradication programs, and banned the export of the lizards for the pet trade. Which shifted pressure back to Africa where the individuals were less likely to survive the capture and transport to the mainland US.

Better to shoot a cat to save some birds than to shoot one just for fun.

Until we got our current dog, we had to clean our fat cat's butt due to a lack of her not being able to reach it herself.

 

my doc just told me her dachshund catches several animals per day. rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds are no problem for him either.
the dog is locked in the back yard, i thought these animals were smarter. i didn't ask about crows though.

 

Except for protection, not a fan here of shooting vertebrates for purposes other than food. Would imagine a robust program to catch, sterilize, and keep indoors for the rest of their natural lives could work.

That's one exceptionally agile dachshund. My grandparents had a couple and they couldn't catch anything to save their own lives.

We had beagles when I was a kid who were outside dogs, fenced in to our backyard. The only thing they got their snouts on were a couple of our chickens which they personally delivered to our back door. They wondered why we were not so proud of them.

 

that's what i said to her, we also had a couple dories', they wouldn't even bark if someone broke into the house.

 

Yeah, our previous dogs have caught rabbits in the yard. Now we have to the fence the garden.