Please Think Twice Before You Get A Cat...

[Tokis-Phoenix]

This has been a long standing problem and it is in no way exagerated that predators like cats have as big an impact on the decline of bird populations in england than modern farming practises;

http/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5026222.stm

So, before you start think "ah, cats are cute and fluffy and i just want to hug one!" line of thought, please understand that these are violent and vicious predators that can kill dozens of small animals a day even when being fed by people, their instinct to kill is massive.

 

[KathyM]

Can I ask where you got the information on cats killing "dozens of small animals a day even when being fed"?

Not disagreeing that cats have an impact on our wildlife, but that seems like a massive over-exaggeration and if not, I'd love to read the material that proves it as it's a fascinating thought.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Can I ask where you got the information on cats killing "dozens of small animals a day even when being fed"?

Not disagreeing that cats have an impact on our wildlife, but that seems like a massive over-exaggeration and if not, I'd love to read the material that proves it as it's a fascinating thought.

Perhaps a slight exageration, but the average statistics across the country or in certain select area's is still very worrying;

"The average pet cat kills up to 40 small creatures every year. With almost 9 million domestic cats living in the UK, that accounts for nearly 300 million deaths a year, according to The Mammal Society's recent survey. Unfortunately, many of the casualties are garden birds whose numbers are already diminishing.";

http/www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/pets/responsible.shtml

If you consider that some cats can live over 18 years, a single average cat in average situation and circumstances could kill more than 720 animals in its life time.

" We estimate 1.4-2 million free-ranging cats in rural Wisconsin. We further estimate 23 percent of their diet consists of birds. This figure is consistent with other studies indicating roughly 20-30 percent of free-ranging cat" kills are birds.

The number of animals killed by an individual cat varies greatly from zero to much more prey than a cat can consume. One rural cat was recorded to have killed 1,690 animals in an 18-month period. On an annual basis, studies record low estimates of 14 animals per free-ranging urban cat to at least one animal per day for rural cats. Other studies reported 28 kills per year for urban cats and 91 kills per year for rural cats.";

http/www.wnrmag.com/stories/1996/dec96/cats.htm


So in some cases, a cat really can kill dozens of animals a day, even so, even the average amount of kills a cat makes go way into in the hundreds during its lifetime and may peak the thousands.

 

[KathyM]

Perhaps a slight exageration

I've told you a gazillion times, don't exaggerate.

So in some cases, a cat really can kill dozens of animals a day

I could be really picky and say 14 isn't "dozens" it's a dozen and two. Dozens would be 24 or more.

Sorry, yes, serious subject, I'll let yous get back to it.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Perhaps a slight exageration

I've told you a gazillion times, don't exaggerate.

So in some cases, a cat really can kill dozens of animals a day

I could be really picky and say 14 isn't "dozens" it's a dozen and two. Dozens would be 24 or more.

Sorry, yes, serious subject, I'll let yous get back to it.

Yeah i know, but what are your opinions on this? Do the statistics shock or worry you as a cat owner?

 

[KathyM]

Of course they shock me, but I'm doing my bit Not a lot more I can do?

Edit: Sorry, that didn't make sense (so I came back). What I meant was....I don't keep my cats in to prevent them killing animals, but the fact that I keep my cats in means I can do very little else about this problem as it's not my cats doing any of the killing. Does that make more sense?

 

[grahamsokel]

well my Cat stays in her choice and she shows no killing instinct what so ever.she shares the house with birds,small furries etc but has never shown any signs what so ever of being a preditor towards them

 

[Synirr]

I can attest to cats being capable of killing many animals a day, my dad's cat back home is a serious hunter, I think her record of kills in one day was 4, and that's with only about 5 hours spent outdoors. But gee, what are you gonna do when cats require time outdoors? Hehe, just messin' . Supervision does nothing against the amazing skill of that cat though, she has managed to capture and kill and bird when I was only about 5 yards away before I could get to her.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Note the BBC article doesn't specifically target cats, it targets all 'predators'. The cat predation problem can only be improving IMO as most cats are being neutered (years ago no cats were neutered), people now keep cats indoors (how many people kept cats indoors 20, 40 50 years ago?) and they also do not need to hunt for food (referring again to the 'years ago' there were no ready prepared catfoods, cats got fed scraps if anything and were expected to hunt mice and rats to eat, and keep down the populations).

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Note the BBC article doesn't specifically target cats, it targets all 'predators'. The cat predation problem can only be improving IMO as most cats are being neutered (years ago no cats were neutered), people now keep cats indoors (how many people kept cats indoors 20, 40 50 years ago?) and they also do not need to hunt for food (referring again to the 'years ago' there were no ready prepared catfoods, cats got fed scraps if anything and were expected to hunt mice and rats to eat, and keep down the populations).

If you are referring to the first article, all you have to do is see the second two articles which explain the problem in much further detail.
Neutering cats and keeping them in at night does helps a lot in controlling their killing instincts and hunting opprtunities, but it doesn't matter if a cat "do not need to hunt for food", many cats hunt regardless of how much they get fed (i know this from experience, as my mum tried to increase the amount of food she feed her cats to try and stop them killing so many birds, but they contiued regardless).
Cats don't have a lot of complex thought processes going through their brain, all they know is they find great pleasure in killing small fluffy animals.
If you have ever seen a cat play with its prey while it is still alive you will know what i mean, i think half the time domestic cats kill is for fun .

 

[wodesorel]

It really doesn't help that the birds aren't very smart, either....

For example, my kitties are all indoors. In order to stimulate them, I placed a bird feeder on my awning, and it's a little over a foot and a half from the screen. My cats will sit in the window, and talk, cry, chitter, and move around - and the birds don't even take notice that they're there. I mean, it's one thing to to be able to see them through the screen, but to not hear or smell them?

Birds don't have a chance against a cat.

And it's one of the top reasons that outdoor cats are getting shot and poisoned in my area - they're killing people's wild birds, and it seems that birdies are more important than a cat.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

It really doesn't help that the birds aren't very smart, either....

For example, my kitties are all indoors. In order to stimulate them, I placed a bird feeder on my awning, and it's a little over a foot and a half from the screen. My cats will sit in the window, and talk, cry, chitter, and move around - and the birds don't even take notice that they're there. I mean, it's one thing to to be able to see them through the screen, but to not hear or smell them?

Birds don't have a chance against a cat.

And it's one of the top reasons that outdoor cats are getting shot and poisoned in my area - they're killing people's wild birds, and it seems that birdies are more important than a cat.

Well generally speaking, wild native birds tend to be more important than cats as they are a vital part of the local ecosystems and many populations are threatened today, while as domestic cats are not part of natural ecosystems and have to be some of the most widespread animals around the world today.
I think threatened or endangered animals in particular should take priority to any common domestic animal any day- after all, its a lot worse to lose a whole population of animals than a couple of hundred cats.

But i think it backs up my point- if you want to help the local wildlife, getting a cat is not the best thing you can do, even if you keep your cat in all the time, you are only incouraging people to breed more cats buy buying them- plus there are already far too many cats than what shelters can deal with, its better to euthanise them than let them run wild.
I don't see cats as anymore superior than any common farm animal- afterall, we eat millions of animals a day across the world, humanely euthanising unwanted cats is for the best in the long run. There will never be enough people to support all of the population of cats if things continue togo the way they are.


Its good to buy a cat and look after it well.
Its good to adopt a cat needing a home.
Its great to neuter any cat.
...Its also great not to get any cats at all in the first place.


We live in an age where environments and ecosytems across the world are suffering because of our actions and impact on the environment, every little step we take to helping such things counts .

 

[catxx]

my cat is a little killer
but she prefers mice to birds. shes never brought home any "rare" mice (dormice etc), only the regular brown mouse, and usually only if she finds a nest of them in the fields.

when she does catch birds it's usually because the bird was too slow to get out of the way, my cat is a big lumbering beast, not very dainty at all. the only 2 things we've ever frowned at her for is the killing of the thrush and a robin. but shes not a treeclimber so the only birds she gets are ones that go near the ground at the wrong time.

the other day though she was being taunted by a blackbird. she was sitting on the patio watching this blackbird effectively playing chicken with her, hopping close then going back and repeat.

shes also been taunted by a squirrel when she was inside and it was outside.

wildlife taunts our kitties!

 

[OohFeeshy]

Neutering cats and keeping them in at night does helps a lot in controlling their killing instincts and hunting opprtunities, but it doesn't matter if a cat "do not need to hunt for food", many cats hunt regardless of how much they get fed (i know this from experience, as my mum tried to increase the amount of food she feed her cats to try and stop them killing so many birds, but they contiued regardless).

Oh, I know that, what I meant was that cats who are fed enough cut out the 'hunt for food' part of the hunting, whereas underfed cats have both the 'hunt for food' hunting and the same 'hunt for fun' capacity.

Cats don't have a lot of complex thought processes going through their brain, all they know is they find great pleasure in killing small fluffy animals.
If you have ever seen a cat play with its prey while it is still alive you will know what i mean, i think half the time domestic cats kill is for fun .

That wouldn't suprise me. But I think that to chase after and small moving object has it's roots in reflexes- cats going after small insects even though they have no hope of catching them and no way of getting any nutrition from them, for instance.

But on a lighter note, I think any cat would be in for a nasty shock if they went after our rabbit... Her breed is a meat breed, you can imagine how big and muscly she is. And has a very bad temper and huge feet to match

 

[wodesorel]

I don't see cats as anymore superior than any common farm animal- afterall, we eat millions of animals a day across the world, humanely euthanising unwanted cats is for the best in the long run. There will never be enough people to support all of the population of cats if things continue togo the way they are.

I work in cat rescue, and I think that is the sickest thing I have heard yet. That disgusts me.