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They are adorable creatures who can be very affectionate which makes them good pets for the old, lonely and house bound. They require less maintenance than dogs. They are quiet. They are clean and even bury their shit thus reducing health risks. Yes, they hunt birds, but as the NSPB say they tend to cull weak, sick and dying birds and there is no evidence that they are a threat to overall bird populations. They are very intelligent and manipulate their staff (AKA owners better than any other pet). Kittens make people laugh.
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In reply to spenser:
Try having 7 living next door but one to you. Not pleasant when they crap all over your garden and kill the amphibians in your pond !
Try having 7 living next door but one to you. Not pleasant when they crap all over your garden and kill the amphibians in your pond !
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In reply to Trangia:
I'm not sure where you got that bit of info re the RSPB but cats kills hundreds of thousands of birds every year and will eagerly rob a whole nest of fledgings without checking out their health credentials first.
I'm not sure where you got that bit of info re the RSPB but cats kills hundreds of thousands of birds every year and will eagerly rob a whole nest of fledgings without checking out their health credentials first.
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In reply to Trangia:
Would anyone like to borrow my can opener?
...the cats ain't diggin' for them there worms...
I'm sitting on the fence, I have a big dog (no - I'm not just referring to myself). It's foxes that get my feathers ruffled and me a squalking. Critters ate all my dang koi carp! They don't fish - pope don't go pooing in the woods either! Pfft. |:-@
Would anyone like to borrow my can opener?
...the cats ain't diggin' for them there worms...
I'm sitting on the fence, I have a big dog (no - I'm not just referring to myself). It's foxes that get my feathers ruffled and me a squalking. Critters ate all my dang koi carp! They don't fish - pope don't go pooing in the woods either! Pfft. |:-@
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In reply to Trangia:
I have had a loved family pet moggy for 14 years. Shes part of the furniture and very playful and friendly but she has scratched sofas and chairs and is making a horrible smelly mess of my recently renewed borders.
We wouldnt be without her but I can see why others would be frustrated and we most certainly wont get another.
I have had a loved family pet moggy for 14 years. Shes part of the furniture and very playful and friendly but she has scratched sofas and chairs and is making a horrible smelly mess of my recently renewed borders.
We wouldnt be without her but I can see why others would be frustrated and we most certainly wont get another.
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In reply to Trangia:
I'll happily 'talk' to one if I meet it at a friends' or while out and about, but they don't always bury their poo (I'd not keep treading in it in my garden if they did), and they hunt baby birds and other creatures too.
Peace and good tidings to all...
I'll happily 'talk' to one if I meet it at a friends' or while out and about, but they don't always bury their poo (I'd not keep treading in it in my garden if they did), and they hunt baby birds and other creatures too.
Peace and good tidings to all...
Post edited at 22:43
In reply to spenser:
I was gutted when we found out my step daughter was allergic to cats, absolutely gutted.
> Try being allergic to them, that'll put you off them pretty effectively!
I was gutted when we found out my step daughter was allergic to cats, absolutely gutted.
In reply to Trangia:
Got 3 of the buggers, had 4 but one died of cancer
all rescue animals and full of affection.
I have caged in the entire back garden so they can go out but not get the wildlife that comes to our pond, birds, mice, frogs, toads, newts etc.
Got 3 of the buggers, had 4 but one died of cancer
all rescue animals and full of affection.
I have caged in the entire back garden so they can go out but not get the wildlife that comes to our pond, birds, mice, frogs, toads, newts etc.
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In reply to Dave Perry:
10seconds on Google produced this: http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/unwantedvisito...
> I'm not sure where you got that bit of info re the RSPB but cats kills hundreds of thousands of birds every year and will eagerly rob a whole nest of fledgings without checking out their health credentials first.
10seconds on Google produced this: http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/unwantedvisito...
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In reply to Trangia:
I don't like them because they poo in my garden (definitely don't bury it) and smell worse than dogs.
I don't like them because they poo in my garden (definitely don't bury it) and smell worse than dogs.
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In reply to Trangia:
Not the ones that shit in my garden, they don't.
FWIW, though, I don't mind them, I'd have one were I not allergic to them.
> They are adorable creatures who can be very affectionate which makes them good pets for the old, lonely and house bound. They require less maintenance than dogs. They are quiet. They are clean and even bury their shit
Not the ones that shit in my garden, they don't.
FWIW, though, I don't mind them, I'd have one were I not allergic to them.
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In reply to owlart:
"The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. ...
"The most frequently caught birds, according to the Mammal Society, are probably (in order) house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings."
And note, as per https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/n... , that:
"Monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population, recently estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations",
and that the House Sparrow is now a 'red listed' species.
"The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. ...
"The most frequently caught birds, according to the Mammal Society, are probably (in order) house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings."
And note, as per https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/n... , that:
"Monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population, recently estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations",
and that the House Sparrow is now a 'red listed' species.
Post edited at 22:59
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In reply to Rob Parsons:
Dave Perry asked where the RSPB had said what Trangia claimed they said, I provided a link. If you disagree with what they say, take it up with them, not me!
Dave Perry asked where the RSPB had said what Trangia claimed they said, I provided a link. If you disagree with what they say, take it up with them, not me!
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In reply to owlart:
I'm not disagreeing with you; nor with their figures.
> If you disagree with what they say, take it up with them, not me!
I'm not disagreeing with you; nor with their figures.
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In reply to Trangia:
Sparrow decline is more likely to be caused by decking and wooden panel fences replacing lawns and hedges than by cats. I don't think urban outdoor cat numbers have changed, massively over the period of bird decline.
Sparrow decline is more likely to be caused by decking and wooden panel fences replacing lawns and hedges than by cats. I don't think urban outdoor cat numbers have changed, massively over the period of bird decline.
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In reply to ceri:
My own garden's sparrow population has increased in the last year as I don't garden-don't have time, and there are far fewer finch's this year, so presumably less competition for the sparrows. They even survived an attack on their favourite bush by a sparrow hawk, whose name now has more meaning for me, and the hawk flew off without prey.
My own garden's sparrow population has increased in the last year as I don't garden-don't have time, and there are far fewer finch's this year, so presumably less competition for the sparrows. They even survived an attack on their favourite bush by a sparrow hawk, whose name now has more meaning for me, and the hawk flew off without prey.
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In reply to Trangia:
Queens on heat are anything but quiet, and some elderly cats with dementia-type signs will call endlessly as if they are really not with it. Add to that the cat brawl at 3am downstairs when your own cats are not getting on.
They are clean
Not mine at times, as they often vomit on my magazines and papers(Consequently when I go out of the room I close down my laptop lid as cleaning vomit from between keys does not appeal to me) and will sometimes retrieve discarded food items, such as odd vegetable peelings from the tray to go to the compost heap. Have you never walked into your kitchen and gone for a skid on feline vomit?
Having said all that, I love cats for their affection, arrogance, superior snubbing and all the rest of the feline behaviour almanac traits. It is good that they are not necessarily submissive to human rule.
> They are adorable creatures who can be very affectionate which makes them good pets for the old, lonely and house bound. They require less maintenance than dogs. They are quiet.
Queens on heat are anything but quiet, and some elderly cats with dementia-type signs will call endlessly as if they are really not with it. Add to that the cat brawl at 3am downstairs when your own cats are not getting on.
They are clean
Not mine at times, as they often vomit on my magazines and papers(Consequently when I go out of the room I close down my laptop lid as cleaning vomit from between keys does not appeal to me) and will sometimes retrieve discarded food items, such as odd vegetable peelings from the tray to go to the compost heap. Have you never walked into your kitchen and gone for a skid on feline vomit?
Having said all that, I love cats for their affection, arrogance, superior snubbing and all the rest of the feline behaviour almanac traits. It is good that they are not necessarily submissive to human rule.
Post edited at 07:52
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In reply to veteye:
I can't believe that I put an apostrophe there.
I'm surprised that the grammar police have not dragged me over the coals, as they would have been within their rights.
Still cats are cool, even when they keep on badgering their owners to feed them, as mine are now.
> far fewer finch's this year,
I can't believe that I put an apostrophe there.
I'm surprised that the grammar police have not dragged me over the coals, as they would have been within their rights.
Still cats are cool, even when they keep on badgering their owners to feed them, as mine are now.
In reply to Trangia:
Yes, they can keep them in the house then.
>They are quiet.
Not the ones fighting underneath my bedroom window at 3am. Quiet during the day, granted.
>They are clean and even bury their shit thus reducing health risks.
Not the ones that shit in my garden.
>Yes, they hunt birds, but as the NSPB say they tend to cull weak, sick and dying birds and there is no evidence that they are a threat to overall bird populations.
The RSPB are wrong, and also publish contradicting research. Ever wonder where all the lizards, slow worms, toads, and newts go after the neighbours get a cat?
>They are very intelligent and manipulate their staff (AKA owners better than any other pet). Kittens make people laugh.
Yes, but why should any non owners ever see, hear, or smell a trace of them?
Cats as such are less of a problem than their antisocial owners who want to enjoy their pets and don´t give a shit about anybody else. Roaming cats should be dealt with like the pests they are.
CB
> They are adorable creatures who can be very affectionate which makes them good pets for the old, lonely and house bound. They require less maintenance than dogs.
Yes, they can keep them in the house then.
>They are quiet.
Not the ones fighting underneath my bedroom window at 3am. Quiet during the day, granted.
>They are clean and even bury their shit thus reducing health risks.
Not the ones that shit in my garden.
>Yes, they hunt birds, but as the NSPB say they tend to cull weak, sick and dying birds and there is no evidence that they are a threat to overall bird populations.
The RSPB are wrong, and also publish contradicting research. Ever wonder where all the lizards, slow worms, toads, and newts go after the neighbours get a cat?
>They are very intelligent and manipulate their staff (AKA owners better than any other pet). Kittens make people laugh.
Yes, but why should any non owners ever see, hear, or smell a trace of them?
Cats as such are less of a problem than their antisocial owners who want to enjoy their pets and don´t give a shit about anybody else. Roaming cats should be dealt with like the pests they are.
CB
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In reply to Trangia:
They terrorise the local wild life. The scratch up my garden and shit in it, they carry fleas, and, most importantly, the people who own them are usually sanctimonious bores about cats. Oh! and they insist on overloading social websites with pictures of their little psychopathic pets!
I wouldn't hurt a cat, but it's owner is a different thing!
They terrorise the local wild life. The scratch up my garden and shit in it, they carry fleas, and, most importantly, the people who own them are usually sanctimonious bores about cats. Oh! and they insist on overloading social websites with pictures of their little psychopathic pets!
I wouldn't hurt a cat, but it's owner is a different thing!
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In reply to cb294:
They are very bad news for slow worms that's for sure. We are a relatively cat-free zone (apart from the occasional mysterious white visitor, presumably from a neighbouring farm) and have a very healthy breeding population of house sparrows and, consequently, sparrow hawks!
> The RSPB are wrong, and also publish contradicting research. Ever wonder where all the lizards, slow worms, toads, and newts go after the neighbours get a cat?
They are very bad news for slow worms that's for sure. We are a relatively cat-free zone (apart from the occasional mysterious white visitor, presumably from a neighbouring farm) and have a very healthy breeding population of house sparrows and, consequently, sparrow hawks!
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In reply to Trangia:
I used to be a cat person, and still do have a cat, however ive now come to the realisation that they are selfish and if they were human could be classed as slightly evil. They give affection when it suits them, usually around food time, they dont bury their poo which as already noted smells worse than dog poo.
Im not a dog person either as its just like having another child in the house, needs washing, cleaning, feeding walking etc. I think its fine to have a cat as a pet if you want an animal in the house and work during the day, but I think its mean to keep a dog in the house all day as some people do.
Great company for old people as you say but not for me.
I used to be a cat person, and still do have a cat, however ive now come to the realisation that they are selfish and if they were human could be classed as slightly evil. They give affection when it suits them, usually around food time, they dont bury their poo which as already noted smells worse than dog poo.
Im not a dog person either as its just like having another child in the house, needs washing, cleaning, feeding walking etc. I think its fine to have a cat as a pet if you want an animal in the house and work during the day, but I think its mean to keep a dog in the house all day as some people do.
Great company for old people as you say but not for me.
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In reply to Trangia:
The long and short of it is that all dogs go to heaven, whereas all cats go to hell.
They are essentially selfish, cruel beings. The fact that they demand less of you occasionally is no more enticing than the prospect of a relationship with a partner that physically abuses me "a little less". How about no.
Get a dog.
The long and short of it is that all dogs go to heaven, whereas all cats go to hell.
They are essentially selfish, cruel beings. The fact that they demand less of you occasionally is no more enticing than the prospect of a relationship with a partner that physically abuses me "a little less". How about no.
Get a dog.
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In reply to neuromancer:
bit of an older thread by me, sort of off topic but some interesting bits if you have time.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=570670
bit of an older thread by me, sort of off topic but some interesting bits if you have time.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=570670
In reply to cb294:
Publishing contradicting research is likely an indicator of good scientific practice. A major issue in the world of research is the non-piublication of research that shows no effect or contradicts the fashionable argument of the day.
Not that I disagree with you. I love cats as animals but I'm sure that the number of them in our conurbations is having a big effect on birds and other wildlife. Of course, many other things we do have similarly large effects so cats can hardly take all the blame.
> The RSPB are wrong, and also publish contradicting research. Ever wonder where all the lizards, slow worms, toads, and newts go after the neighbours get a cat?
Publishing contradicting research is likely an indicator of good scientific practice. A major issue in the world of research is the non-piublication of research that shows no effect or contradicts the fashionable argument of the day.
Not that I disagree with you. I love cats as animals but I'm sure that the number of them in our conurbations is having a big effect on birds and other wildlife. Of course, many other things we do have similarly large effects so cats can hardly take all the blame.
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In reply to Trangia:
I've been thinking about this thread. I have two cats and a dog. I don't have the good fortune to have children of my own, and whilst I'm by no means simple-minded enough to believe that animals are some sort of furry child substitute, I do find my animals to be affectionate and companionable. One of the cats is a bit aloof (but very friendly with our neighbours, to the point where we let her out early in the morning when the dog has breakfast, and she hurtles round to next door where they let her in for cuddles in bed) and the other cat is very friendly all the time, which I ascribe to having been handled a lot as a kitten. We live at the edge of a village with fields all round and a paddock attached to the house, so the cats do sometimes bring things back that they've killed, but it's really not that frequent (once every 2-3 weeks?). I'm not a vegetarian, and I drive a car on country roads, so I'm sure the death toll that I'm responsible for is far greater than theirs.
Our neighbours love the cats (they had cats of their own but now have the benefits of cats without the hassle); they're keen gardeners but elect to wear gloves to garden, and have even made space in the greenhouse for one of the cats. These neighbours are also keen bird watchers, with various nesting boxes around. There's a couple of families of (apparently rare) tree sparrows flourishing, and swallows have come back to nest at the house for the fifth year in a row - the swallows love to divebomb the cats, who are terrified of them. There are also a couple of owls who like to shout at the cats, and some bats who swoop round them and startle them.
I don't know how the other (new) neighbours feel about cats, but they have two jack russells who bark all the time and set our dog off barking, which can be exasperating. One of their dogs is called Eric, which is *blatantly* a cat's name...
Edited to add: one of my cats has been trained to fetch nerf gun bullets. Furry *and* biddable - what's not to like? (she'd evidently make a better gun dog than our, er, gun dog)
Tl; dr - I love my cats and am fortunate that those around us like them too. I recognise that antisocial behaviour can be an issue, but on that front cats are a much smaller problem than people.
I've been thinking about this thread. I have two cats and a dog. I don't have the good fortune to have children of my own, and whilst I'm by no means simple-minded enough to believe that animals are some sort of furry child substitute, I do find my animals to be affectionate and companionable. One of the cats is a bit aloof (but very friendly with our neighbours, to the point where we let her out early in the morning when the dog has breakfast, and she hurtles round to next door where they let her in for cuddles in bed) and the other cat is very friendly all the time, which I ascribe to having been handled a lot as a kitten. We live at the edge of a village with fields all round and a paddock attached to the house, so the cats do sometimes bring things back that they've killed, but it's really not that frequent (once every 2-3 weeks?). I'm not a vegetarian, and I drive a car on country roads, so I'm sure the death toll that I'm responsible for is far greater than theirs.
Our neighbours love the cats (they had cats of their own but now have the benefits of cats without the hassle); they're keen gardeners but elect to wear gloves to garden, and have even made space in the greenhouse for one of the cats. These neighbours are also keen bird watchers, with various nesting boxes around. There's a couple of families of (apparently rare) tree sparrows flourishing, and swallows have come back to nest at the house for the fifth year in a row - the swallows love to divebomb the cats, who are terrified of them. There are also a couple of owls who like to shout at the cats, and some bats who swoop round them and startle them.
I don't know how the other (new) neighbours feel about cats, but they have two jack russells who bark all the time and set our dog off barking, which can be exasperating. One of their dogs is called Eric, which is *blatantly* a cat's name...
Edited to add: one of my cats has been trained to fetch nerf gun bullets. Furry *and* biddable - what's not to like? (she'd evidently make a better gun dog than our, er, gun dog)
Tl; dr - I love my cats and am fortunate that those around us like them too. I recognise that antisocial behaviour can be an issue, but on that front cats are a much smaller problem than people.
Post edited at 11:23
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In reply to Trangia:
I have never had a pet and never had any interest in animals until a few years ago on Kalymnos when an old mother cat asked us to look after her kitten (yes really) - the following year she brought another and I have to admit to being a bit smitten. A clear case of Toxoplasma gondii infection I'm guessing!
Chris
I have never had a pet and never had any interest in animals until a few years ago on Kalymnos when an old mother cat asked us to look after her kitten (yes really) - the following year she brought another and I have to admit to being a bit smitten. A clear case of Toxoplasma gondii infection I'm guessing!
Chris
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In reply to Tall Clare:
If I had a bigger garden like at my childhood home I don't think I'd mind the cat poo so much, but if you mix small terrace house gardens and a lot of cats, it's not always ideal. I agree that friendly cats can be nice to know.
If I had a bigger garden like at my childhood home I don't think I'd mind the cat poo so much, but if you mix small terrace house gardens and a lot of cats, it's not always ideal. I agree that friendly cats can be nice to know.
In reply to Timmd:
One of my cats prefers to use a litter tray. The other likes my raised beds, which isn't ideal, but I throw the poo into the nettles in the corner of the paddock. Of course, if the dog gets to the poo first, she eats it <retches>
One of my cats prefers to use a litter tray. The other likes my raised beds, which isn't ideal, but I throw the poo into the nettles in the corner of the paddock. Of course, if the dog gets to the poo first, she eats it <retches>
In reply to Dax H:
Obviously I applaud your concern for your resident wildlife, but how do your neighbours feel about this!
> I have caged in the entire back garden so they can go out but not get the wildlife that comes to our pond, birds, mice, frogs, toads, newts etc.
Obviously I applaud your concern for your resident wildlife, but how do your neighbours feel about this!
In reply to Oujmik:
Publication of contradicting results is what drives science. I should know, as I am just writing up a manuscript where I argue that what I and the rest of my field accepted as dogma for at lest 20 years and used as a framework to interpret our results is actually wrong.
What I object to is picking some type of press release by the RSPB and presenting it as scientific fact. In contrast, all actual research I am aware of (although admittedly I follow the current ornithological and ecological literature merely as an enthusiastic amateur) points at a significant negative impact of cats on bird populations in Europe.
It is true that city populations of some species have more or less learned to cope, but feral cats are a huge problem especially for ground breeding species. Changing agricultural practises are the bigger problem, but why not tackle both?
Also, birds are often use as flagpole species, but the impact on other wildlife, notably amphibians and reptiles, is even worse.
In that context, schemes to neuter feral cats are a fig leave waste of time, eradication of these pests is the only way forward, and pet cats need to be tightly controlled.
CB
Publication of contradicting results is what drives science. I should know, as I am just writing up a manuscript where I argue that what I and the rest of my field accepted as dogma for at lest 20 years and used as a framework to interpret our results is actually wrong.
What I object to is picking some type of press release by the RSPB and presenting it as scientific fact. In contrast, all actual research I am aware of (although admittedly I follow the current ornithological and ecological literature merely as an enthusiastic amateur) points at a significant negative impact of cats on bird populations in Europe.
It is true that city populations of some species have more or less learned to cope, but feral cats are a huge problem especially for ground breeding species. Changing agricultural practises are the bigger problem, but why not tackle both?
Also, birds are often use as flagpole species, but the impact on other wildlife, notably amphibians and reptiles, is even worse.
In that context, schemes to neuter feral cats are a fig leave waste of time, eradication of these pests is the only way forward, and pet cats need to be tightly controlled.
CB
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In reply to Baron Weasel:
Do you still talk to her over the phone though?
> I was gutted when we found out my step daughter was allergic to cats, absolutely gutted.
Do you still talk to her over the phone though?
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In reply to Steve-J-E:
Reminds me of the question - if you could do one of the following:
1. Be slim for the rest of your life,
2. Or eat chocolate every day
Would you choose milk or plain?
Reminds me of the question - if you could do one of the following:
1. Be slim for the rest of your life,
2. Or eat chocolate every day
Would you choose milk or plain?
Post edited at 14:31
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In reply to neuromancer:
Spot on.
People with cats are frustrated wannabe dog owners whose life cannot, at this time, accommodate a dog (time & space). The dog is at the apex of animal companion pyramid.
Spot on.
People with cats are frustrated wannabe dog owners whose life cannot, at this time, accommodate a dog (time & space). The dog is at the apex of animal companion pyramid.
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In reply to Trangia: We have no doubts that our 2 cats affect the local wildlife populations. Unfortunately it is currently baby bird time so not getting so many mice, etc.
One of ours doesn't bring in - knows I'll try and separate if still alive.
The other one has brought in lots of stuff including magpies (through 2 catflaps) and rats - not all at the same time. I managed to get the magpies away - unharmed. He allowed one of the rats (young one) to get away under the kickboards in the kitchen - oh joy. One weekend we came home to find a pigeon happily sitting on top of a bookshelf in one of the bedrooms. There was birdshit everywhere.
But we still love them
PS. I have told our cats that I will not be impressed until they bring in an owl.
One of ours doesn't bring in - knows I'll try and separate if still alive.
The other one has brought in lots of stuff including magpies (through 2 catflaps) and rats - not all at the same time. I managed to get the magpies away - unharmed. He allowed one of the rats (young one) to get away under the kickboards in the kitchen - oh joy. One weekend we came home to find a pigeon happily sitting on top of a bookshelf in one of the bedrooms. There was birdshit everywhere.
But we still love them
PS. I have told our cats that I will not be impressed until they bring in an owl.
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In reply to Flinticus: Whilst I agree that a dog can be a more complete animal companion, I am not a frustrated wannabe dog owner.
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In reply to Michael Hood:
Agreed - whilst I'm very attached to my dog, she does present complications that my cats don't.
Agreed - whilst I'm very attached to my dog, she does present complications that my cats don't.
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In reply to Trangia:
The RSPB says:
“The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK’s cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. This is the number of prey items that were known to have been caught; we don’t know how many more the cats caught, but didn’t bring home, or how many escaped but subsequently died.
“Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds.
We can interpret the above how we like and I am always a little sceptical of wording, such as "predation by cats in gardens is having an impact on bird populations UK wide" presumably predation outside gardens doesn't count, nor localised impacts on some species?
My personal cynical take on this, is that the RSPCA (with an income of about £100 million per annum) desperately do not want to upset cat owners who are also bird lovers and contribute to the RSPCA, so they fudge the information as best they can.
Anyway, back to cats, sorry but I'm in the hate camp.
The RSPB says:
“The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK’s cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. This is the number of prey items that were known to have been caught; we don’t know how many more the cats caught, but didn’t bring home, or how many escaped but subsequently died.
“Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds.
We can interpret the above how we like and I am always a little sceptical of wording, such as "predation by cats in gardens is having an impact on bird populations UK wide" presumably predation outside gardens doesn't count, nor localised impacts on some species?
My personal cynical take on this, is that the RSPCA (with an income of about £100 million per annum) desperately do not want to upset cat owners who are also bird lovers and contribute to the RSPCA, so they fudge the information as best they can.
Anyway, back to cats, sorry but I'm in the hate camp.
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In reply to Michael Hood:
My cat once brought in a live rabbit, which he managed to drag through the cat flap one night. He then let it go and chased it around the house. We woke up to a horrific crashing and banging going on downstairs and our first thought was that we had burglars. Between them they managed to do a pretty good job of demolishing much of the downstairs including turning over chairs, lamps, TV, drinks cabinet, bookshelf etc etc.. We opened the patio doors to let the rabbit out.
The cat seemed mighty pleased with himself.
My cat once brought in a live rabbit, which he managed to drag through the cat flap one night. He then let it go and chased it around the house. We woke up to a horrific crashing and banging going on downstairs and our first thought was that we had burglars. Between them they managed to do a pretty good job of demolishing much of the downstairs including turning over chairs, lamps, TV, drinks cabinet, bookshelf etc etc.. We opened the patio doors to let the rabbit out.
The cat seemed mighty pleased with himself.
1
In reply to :
To be honest there was a brief time when I came close to killing my cat and had thoughts of making a cat skin tent and that was after I had re-sealed the seams on my The North Face Westwind tent. I erected it in the garden for the sealant to dry. The cat discovered it and thought it was great fun to climb all over both the fly and the inner leaving hundreds of built in "crampon" holes all over it.
It had to go into the bin! - The tent that is, not the cat.....
To be honest there was a brief time when I came close to killing my cat and had thoughts of making a cat skin tent and that was after I had re-sealed the seams on my The North Face Westwind tent. I erected it in the garden for the sealant to dry. The cat discovered it and thought it was great fun to climb all over both the fly and the inner leaving hundreds of built in "crampon" holes all over it.
It had to go into the bin! - The tent that is, not the cat.....
Post edited at 17:33
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In reply to Trangia:
I hate them because:
They shit in my garden. (But I am told never in the garden of their owner)
The air of arrogance that wafts from their furry face chokes me
They walk round with their tail in the air and their arse on display
They walk around on the ground and then on kitchen surfaces and therefore proper germ spreaders
Their food stinks
Their shit stinks
and ......
I hate them because:
They shit in my garden. (But I am told never in the garden of their owner)
The air of arrogance that wafts from their furry face chokes me
They walk round with their tail in the air and their arse on display
They walk around on the ground and then on kitchen surfaces and therefore proper germ spreaders
Their food stinks
Their shit stinks
and ......
9
3
In reply to Dave Garnett:
Feel about what?
If it's about caging in the garden they can't see it.
The wire mesh runs from the top of the 7 foot fence to my garage and the bushes on their side of the fence are higher than my fence anyway.
Besides we live and let live, I don't complain about the hawian beach bar that they built in their garden.
> Obviously I applaud your concern for your resident wildlife, but how do your neighbours feel about this!
Feel about what?
If it's about caging in the garden they can't see it.
The wire mesh runs from the top of the 7 foot fence to my garage and the bushes on their side of the fence are higher than my fence anyway.
Besides we live and let live, I don't complain about the hawian beach bar that they built in their garden.
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In reply to 9WS9c3jps92HFTEp:
Purrrrrrrrrrr!
> I hate them because:
> They shit in my garden. (But I am told never in the garden of their owner)
> The air of arrogance that wafts from their furry face chokes me
> They walk round with their tail in the air and their arse on display
> They walk around on the ground and then on kitchen surfaces and therefore proper germ spreaders
> Their food stinks
> Their shit stinks
> and ......
> They shit in my garden. (But I am told never in the garden of their owner)
> The air of arrogance that wafts from their furry face chokes me
> They walk round with their tail in the air and their arse on display
> They walk around on the ground and then on kitchen surfaces and therefore proper germ spreaders
> Their food stinks
> Their shit stinks
> and ......
Purrrrrrrrrrr!
2
In reply to Dax H:
I was more thinking about you letting your cats out to roam in everyone's garden - except yours.
> Feel about what?
> If it's about caging in the garden they can't see it.
I was more thinking about you letting your cats out to roam in everyone's garden - except yours.
2
In reply to Dave Garnett:
Ahh, wrong end of the stick old chap.
The cage is to keep the cats in the back garden not out.
2 (plus the one who died) are rescue indoor cats and can't go out due to various problems so caging off the back garden is perfect for them.
The last one is a feral who decided to live with us and now he has regular food {and we got him chopped) he is a right fat lump and doesn't leave our garden anyway.
The pond with all the wildlife is in the side garden and the outdoor cat just sits and watches
he has had the odd mouse, frogs confuse him and the only bird was Mr blackbird who just lost his tail feathers but he is a dumb bird who hops about on the grass for hours right under the nose of the cat, we have watched him cone within inches of the cat before now.
> I was more thinking about you letting your cats out to roam in everyone's garden - except yours.
Ahh, wrong end of the stick old chap.
The cage is to keep the cats in the back garden not out.
2 (plus the one who died) are rescue indoor cats and can't go out due to various problems so caging off the back garden is perfect for them.
The last one is a feral who decided to live with us and now he has regular food {and we got him chopped) he is a right fat lump and doesn't leave our garden anyway.
The pond with all the wildlife is in the side garden and the outdoor cat just sits and watches
he has had the odd mouse, frogs confuse him and the only bird was Mr blackbird who just lost his tail feathers but he is a dumb bird who hops about on the grass for hours right under the nose of the cat, we have watched him cone within inches of the cat before now.
2
In reply to Dax H:
Got it. That makes much more sense!
> Ahh, wrong end of the stick old chap.
> The cage is to keep the cats in the back garden not out.
Got it. That makes much more sense!
In reply to Trangia:
I know it is practice in certain countries to eat dogs but is it practice to eat cats anywhere?
I know it is practice in certain countries to eat dogs but is it practice to eat cats anywhere?
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In reply to subtle:
I don't know whether cat is regularly eaten anywhere now, but it did occasionally feature on the dinner menu in the more rough-and-ready Alpine inns back in the Golden Age of alpinism. Charles Weld at Tignes in 1849:
"'Ha!' I said, 'a very fat hare, I see.' 'A hare, sir!' replied M.Bock, starting aside at my profound ignorance. 'No, sir, a cat! - a tom-cat - and as fine a one as ever was seen.'"
Clearly it wasn't a Golden Age for gastronomy. Weld and his friends went for the vegetarian option. But that particular cat had been making free with the innkeeper's milk and cream, so perhaps its fate should serve as a warning to cats generally.
I don't know whether cat is regularly eaten anywhere now, but it did occasionally feature on the dinner menu in the more rough-and-ready Alpine inns back in the Golden Age of alpinism. Charles Weld at Tignes in 1849:
"'Ha!' I said, 'a very fat hare, I see.' 'A hare, sir!' replied M.Bock, starting aside at my profound ignorance. 'No, sir, a cat! - a tom-cat - and as fine a one as ever was seen.'"
Clearly it wasn't a Golden Age for gastronomy. Weld and his friends went for the vegetarian option. But that particular cat had been making free with the innkeeper's milk and cream, so perhaps its fate should serve as a warning to cats generally.
2
In reply to andyb211:
Sure thing as long as you will tickle my chin too,
Chris
> In reply to Chris Craggs
> You big softy you, can we now officially call you "Fluffy"? xx
Sure thing as long as you will tickle my chin too,
Chris
1
In reply to Trangia:
I keep an eye on what's flying around and going on round here (not just because of my name!) and I'd take a guess that the major predators of nestlings are avian, particularly corvids. Magpies are predatory so I don't mind cats predating them!
I keep an eye on what's flying around and going on round here (not just because of my name!) and I'd take a guess that the major predators of nestlings are avian, particularly corvids. Magpies are predatory so I don't mind cats predating them!
In reply to Trangia:
To all those twittering on about cats killing birds, its their right as a predator species to do so. Probably would kill a lot more if they were not domesticated.
To all those twittering on about cats killing birds, its their right as a predator species to do so. Probably would kill a lot more if they were not domesticated.
1
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In reply to andrew breckill:
Your view is rather narrow there - do you think there would be so many of them if they were not bred as pets?
Your view is rather narrow there - do you think there would be so many of them if they were not bred as pets?
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