Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Cats - plea for responsible ownership of predators
As an ecologist let me first say that cats killing birds is about as natural as taking thousands of predators from another country, breeding them to look nice, and then dumping them into an ecosystem at a massive scale. Feeding them food transported many miles and releasing them into a habitat 'unevolved' for their presence at such scale (55 million birds per year in UK). That is not nature. That's putting a predator into an ecosystem which cannot support it. Hardly 'natural'.
http://www.mammal.org.uk/sites/default/files/Domestic%20Cat%20Preda...
As someone who enjoys nature, in particularly the rare biodiversity we have here in London, it saddens me to see armies of felines, mercilessly slaughtering young/parent birds at this crucial time of year.
I get the companionship and cuteness argument. And inside the house there is a mouse argument I guess. Hardly a blot on rat populations (but make me feel comfortable) - the presence is merely enough. But the statistics don't lie, these creatures are destroying biodiversity.
It's not the cat's fault, it's the owner.
Don't even get me started on the poo!
If you truly are an 'animal lover', then make it all animals please. Not just the cute furry salient ones.
Help those which have taken enough of a beating at our hands. If you must release cats into the wild. Please put a bell on your cat. A little effort goes a long way.
Just think of those little birdies.
Tags for Forum Posts: cats
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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We should get a vigilante group together and show these so called cats what for.
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Sadly, a cat has already hooked off the front of our bird-box which some coal-tits were building a nest in.
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Permalink Reply by Finsbury Park Ranger on
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I'm with you totally dan. The owners should be taxed to recompense the damage they do to other life forms.
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Interesting how people don't really know how to respond to this, apart from silence and being flippant. This is a real problem. Dog owners now pick up after their pets, after an almost invisible but effective sea change. No more do we see dog mess everywhere. Now cat owners need to see that they have a social responsibility. It simply isn't ok to let your cat roam freely, killing birds. Your cat does not have the right to enter your neighbours garden and scare off the bird life. Cats are not wild creatures; they are pets, and as such, their owners are 100% accountable for what they do.
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When a neighbours tree or plant enters your property by law you're allowed to cut the over hanging branches and give them back to the owner of the tree ....
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Permalink Reply by tulips on
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I understand what you're saying Dan.
I like animals and that includes cats, dogs etc and wildlife too. I keep my cats inside at night and my cats are not outside at dusk/dawn, when wildlife are more vulnerable. We support wildlife a lot by spending more on bird food than we can afford. We have lots of bird feeders in our garden on high poles and feeding bowls hanging in trees. We also have nest boxes positioned high up. The birds have a selection of worms, sultanas, sunflower hearts, fat, canary seed, peanuts and a bird bath with fresh water every day. We've had a thriving bird population in a garden for years and it grows each year - robins, loads of sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings. I enjoy watching the birds.
My cats don't tend to go beyond my garden - they are neutered so they don't roam and they prefer being close to home because they love their cosy home. They have a cat flap so they are not stuck outside for hours and they have litter trays. They wear safety collars with bells. I encourage people to be responsible pet owners. There's good advice here from the RSPB.
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Cats plus nature reserves is a nightmare, when the fledglings drop and jump around the woodland floor for a day or two as they do, the cats just Hoover them up like kids on an Easter egg hunt.
No bells will stop a hunter cat ( about 50 % are ) from causing wildlife carnage come fledgling season.
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Thanks FPR. I wouldnt go as far to say 'no bells' - http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/unwant...
nonetheless a valid point in principle for young birds.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Harding on
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One only needs to look at the volume of 'lost cat' posts on here to realise how many people leave their cats outdoors to do whatever they please. Ours stays inside.
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I very often stop to pet cats in the street with my son and since reading this thread I've noticed the majority don't wear collars. It seems so completely illogical to me. Why wouldn't you want to identify your animal and restrict it's ability to cause such widespread damage. It can't be down to expense...they only cost a couple of quid.
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There was a study done recently using cameras on cats collars and from memory it found half of call cats were killers and killer cats averaged about four kills a week.
On that maths each killer cat ( you'll know if yours is one, they bring things home occasionally ) kill over 200 wild lives a year.
Food for thought, to excuse the pun.
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Hi Jessica
I hope the folioing questions don't cause offence, just on the thread...
Does your cat kill birds?
Do you try anything to prevent killing? Of course there will be outliers. 55 million birds. That's not including the others. Sorry but I would rather see a 'silly' looking cat than a baby chaffinch with it's head ripped off, or a wren ripped into two.
I am sorry but I dispute the fact that releasing a predator into an ecosystem which is unprepared for it shows any appreciation for wildlife (the needs of one domestic animal yes, but wildlife is different - with all due respect). With the best will in the world, the evidence is clear - I don't think that it is understood exactly how substantial the effects are. This is a time of the year which is crucial. Chicks in london really could do with a help. There are too many cats. Simple as. At the very least, please read the mammal society report I pasted.
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