400+ species found in feral cats stomachs

[zack13]

There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY cats NEED to be allowed outside AT ANY TIME. They can live out their entire lives quite happily inside a house and suffer no ill effects.

It's only the pigheaded stubborn stupidity of cat owners and gutless local councils who are scared of loosing votes if they impose harsh penalties on cat owners who refuse to keep their cats inside at all times that has allowed this problem to remain a problem.

Personally I'd like to see a bounty imposed on all cats who are allowed to roam. People who let their cats roam should have their cats taken off them and the cats destroyed.

I think that is a bit much. The cats shouldn't have to be destroyed because the owner is negligent. Just rehome the cat.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I think that is a bit much. The cats shouldn't have to be destroyed because the owner is negligent. Just rehome the cat.

rehoming the murderous mungrels doesn't reduce the national population of cats so wont cut it IMO.

 

[MesseNoire]

rehoming the murderous mungrels doesn't reduce the national population of cats so wont cut it IMO.

Your hate is so irrational.
Im sure the cats are intentionally going out of their way and conspiring with one another to completely destroy entire species.

 

[Sean_L]

Your ignorance is disturbing. Cats ARE INTENTIONALLY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO KILL THINGS!!! Have you read any of this thread? Cats kill because they like to stick their claws and teeth into small creatures. For fun. They THOROUGHLY enjoy it. Its sickening.

If a cat wonders onto my property, can't explain why, but its never seen again.

Just think, it could be yours next...........

 

[Native_EWD]

Humans do more damage, lets start trapping and killing them

 

[Sean_L]

That's a pretty typical attitude. Something else is worse, so why bother at all. It doesn't help to achieve anything though.

The fact is, its much simpler to impose tough rules on cat owners (and indeed any pet owners) (but ESPECIALLY CATS!!!) than it is to execute stupid or unlawful human beings. Granted, the latter would solve problems faster, but there's a lot more paperwork involved.

Register all cats! Treat stray cats like stray dogs. That's just for starters.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Your ignorance is disturbing. Cats ARE INTENTIONALLY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO KILL THINGS!!! Have you read any of this thread? Cats kill because they like to stick their claws and teeth into small creatures. For fun. They THOROUGHLY enjoy it. Its sickening.

If a cat wonders onto my property, can't explain why, but its never seen again.

Just think, it could be yours next...........

Anyone who has been around cats with their eyes open will know most the cats that are exterminating small native animals are not ferals out in the remote bush somewhere, they are cats who are town people's pets and come home every days for a big feed and the comforts inside a house, THEY ARE NOT KILLING OR TORTURING little animals to eat them, they aren't even hungry when they do it and rarely do they eat any part of the animals that they catch , maime and cripple and kill, they ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE THEY ENJOY INFLICTING PAIN no other reason.

They are vermin.

There are a few local cats on my hit list (so if you really love your cat and live near me, you'd better keep it inside because if I capture it , the cat will never be seen again, and I wont bother asking the council ranger to come and collect it).

 

[Sean_L]

What he said.

 

[MesseNoire]

Your ignorance is disturbing. Cats ARE INTENTIONALLY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO KILL THINGS!!! Have you read any of this thread? Cats kill because they like to stick their claws and teeth into small creatures. For fun. They THOROUGHLY enjoy it. Its sickening.

If a cat wonders onto my property, can't explain why, but its never seen again.

Just think, it could be yours next...........

My point is that pet cats don't just live outside. People have to let them live outside.
I completely understand the way cats are and things would certainly be better if they weren't here.
But let's be honest. They didn't get here by themselves. So who is to blame? The owners that let their cats stray and destroy other animals? Or the cats that are just doing what comes natural?

 

[kingofnobbys]

My point is that pet cats don't just live outside. People have to let them live outside.
I completely understand the way cats are and things would certainly be better if they weren't here.
But let's be honest. They didn't get here by themselves. So who is to blame? The owners that let their cats stray and destroy other animals? Or the cats that are just doing what comes natural?

Steps are being taken to get rid of foxes , cats are just as bad, only people keep them as pets while no one keeps foxes as pets. IMO the same approach needs to be applied to all cats who are free to roam (pets, ferals, all the same) .

I wonder how you'd respond if a neighbour's cat killed all your pets ?

 

[Wing_Nut]

Humans do more damage, lets start trapping and killing them

Can you show me some evidence where humans in Australia kill 75 million native animals a night? (Source: Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

 

[zack13]

Can you show me some evidence where humans in Australia kill 75 million native animals a night? (Source: Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

Can you show me some evidence? From what I recall that number was unverifiable. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-13/greg-hunt-feral-cat-native-animals-fact-check/5858282) Also there is no possible way you can think cats do more harm than humans.

 

[Wing_Nut]

Can you show me some evidence? From what I recall that number was unverifiable. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-13/greg-hunt-feral-cat-native-animals-fact-check/5858282) Also there is no possible way you can think cats do more harm than humans.

The commissioner did post a reply to the above article. The general consensus is that there are 15-25 million feral cats in Australia and all field researchers agree this is conservative. The 75 million figure is conservative as well. Regardless, feral cats will be the direct cause of extinction of far more species than humans pressures have been directly. Having said that, humans are ultimately responsible, and for that we should hang our head in shame. I quoted the Australian Wildlife Conservancy because they are one of leading field research organisations.

Anything less than total eradication of cats in Australia will be well short of a good outcome. When less than 20% of owners of cats do the right thing and prevent any chance of injurious activities of there charges, the right to own a cat at all simply has to be removed.

 

[kingofnobbys]

The commissioner did post a reply to the above article. The general consensus is that there are 15-25 million feral cats in Australia and all field researchers agree this is conservative. The 75 million figure is conservative as well. Regardless, feral cats will be the direct cause of extinction of far more species than humans pressures have been directly. Having said that, humans are ultimately responsible, and for that we should hang our head in shame. I quoted the Australian Wildlife Conservancy because they are one of leading field research organisations.

Anything less than total eradication of cats in Australia will be well short of a good outcome. When less than 20% of owners of cats do the right thing and prevent any chance of injurious activities of there charges, the right to own a cat at all simply has to be removed.

I'd be very surprized if as many as 20%, even as many as 2%, of cat owners keep their cats indoors at all times, seems to me that the vast majority of cat owners think it's their god given right to own as many cats as they wish and for them to let these vermin roam at will 24/7 doing untold mayhem and murder in neighbouring backyards, gardens, under neighbour's houses and in nearby parks and glassland and bushland. They simply don't give a stuff so long a puss comes when called or is waiting for them at the front or back door when they get home or get up.

No one in my neighbourhood keep their cats inside, many households have 3 or 4 or more cats (their cats are invariabley not sterilised, and lots not even registered) , they all roam 24/7, and it's proven pointless and a waste of time to ask them not to let their cats roam - believe me I've tried - and always with the same negative result, including being abused verbally for having the hide to even ask, and pointless trapping the cats and having the council ranger come and collect puss as they have to return the animal and guess what happens - it's promptly (often within a few hours back and roaming again (and now you've buckley's chance of recapturing it in the cat trap ever again) , and now you're the local neighbourhood nasty ******* for reporting them and their cat as well - not worth the hassle to involve the authorities once you've captured a cat IMO.

A great many of these cat owners regard the harm cats do as funny and just cats being cats and so what, after they are just wild animals and of no value to anyone.

I agree, and would like to a systematic campaign to render cats an extinct species here in Australia.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Emotive arguments that anthropomorphically describe cats as ?enjoying torture? and ?murdering for killing?s sake? do nothing but cloud the real issues. The same is true of making sweeping generalisations and inaccurately stating what actual control measures have been put in place by levels of government. I personally believe the ?vigilante justice? proposed, which is based these inaccuracies, is neither appropriate nor any sort of effective solution.

To generalise that all cats are just straight-out?killers? is not true. Like dogs, certain breeds and individual cats vary in the degree to which they retain their instinctive hunting behaviours. For excample, I have never heard of a feral Poodle. or Maltese Terrier and I do not expect to. On the other hand, I have personally observed a cat and a cockatiel that were close physical companions. The cockatiel would even hop on the cat?sback and preen its fur, while the cat would occasionally respond by giving the parrot?s wing covets a couple of licks. Also I have witnessed a similar bond between a rabbit and a cat. They would chase each other around the yard and often curl up together and fall asleep. This is despite the fact, as the article pointed out, rabbits are the preferred prey of feral cats. At the very least , the "all" need sto removed but I suspect such examples are widespread.

The issues of free-ranging domestic cats or strays versus truly feral cats have little in common and should not be treated singularly. The loss of wildlife in urbanised areas due to cats is not in the same ball-park when compared to the number of whole species being threatened with extinction across the huge range of their natural habitats. The differing circumstances of these two separate problems and the related potential for control in each have little in common other than hcats hunting. Control measures exercised in urbanised areas will have essentially no effect on the greater problem of feralc ats in natural landscapes, especially in the vast semi-arid to arid areas, where this problem is wreaking truly serious havoc on our native wildlife.

Like it or not, control of domestic pets resides primarily at the level of local government. Nevertheless there has been a big push to try and standardised practices nationally, in order to achieve effective control that is also fair on pet keepers. The measures that can be implemented include things like... compulsory registration; compulsorysterilisation of domestically kept individuals; sterilisation of all animals before they can be sold; official licensing and registration of any and all breeders, who must meet clear guidelines and requirements); micro-chipping; free use of traps, and impounding of animals caught, for animals on rate-payers? properties; collecting and impounding of strays from public property; fees for redemption of impounded animals; Fines for non-compliance; euthanasia of uncollected and/or unwanted animals in pounds and shelters.

Blue

PS:
There have been several posts wile i constructed this rather lengthy reply. So these are not addressed. As it is I have not addressed all the contentious remartks, just the most salient. I will make two quick comment- it is not the number of animals that get killed by cats that is important. What is important is whether or not that level of predation is sustainable or results in a decline population over the long term. the second point is that it is academic as to who are the greatest killers of Australian wildlife - humans or cats. It is a nonsense argument which cannot be resolved - permanent destruction of populations through destuction or severe physical alteration of habitats (such as broad-acre farming, clearfelling forests, daming rivers) versus on-going removal of animals within existing habitat. The point was made in order to question the validity of part of the apparent basis for the arguments put forward. It is the validity of that rationale that is worth discussing, not the validity of the analogy used to try and put it into perspective.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Emotive arguments that anthropomorphically describe cats as ?enjoying torture? and ?murdering for killing?s sake? do nothing but cloud the real issues. The same is true of making sweeping generalisations and inaccurately stating what actual control measures have been put in place by levels of government. I personally believe the ?vigilante justice? proposed, which is based these inaccuracies, is neither appropriate nor any sort of effective solution.

To generalise that all cats are just straight-out?killers? is not true. Like dogs, certain breeds and individual cats vary in the degree to which they retain their instinctive hunting behaviours. For excample, I have never heard of a feral Poodle. or Maltese Terrier and I do not expect to. On the other hand, I have personally observed a cat and a cockatiel that were close physical companions. The cockatiel would even hop on the cat?sback and preen its fur, while the cat would occasionally respond by giving the parrot?s wing covets a couple of licks. Also I have witnessed a similar bond between a rabbit and a cat. They would chase each other around the yard and often curl up together and fall asleep. This is despite the fact, as the article pointed out, rabbits are the preferred prey of feral cats. At the very least , the "all" need sto removed but I suspect such examples are widespread.

The issues of free-ranging domestic cats or strays versus truly feral cats have little in common and should not be treated singularly. The loss of wildlife in urbanised areas due to cats is not in the same ball-park when compared to the number of whole species being threatened with extinction across the huge range of their natural habitats. The differing circumstances of these two separate problems and the related potential for control in each have little in common other than hcats hunting. Control measures exercised in urbanised areas will have essentially no effect on the greater problem of feralc ats in natural landscapes, especially in the vast semi-arid to arid areas, where this problem is wreaking truly serious havoc on our native wildlife.

Like it or not, control of domestic pets resides primarily at the level of local government. Nevertheless there has been a big push to try and standardised practices nationally, in order to achieve effective control that is also fair on pet keepers. The measures that can be implemented include things like... compulsory registration; compulsorysterilisation of domestically kept individuals; sterilisation of all animals before they can be sold; official licensing and registration of any and all breeders, who must meet clear guidelines and requirements); micro-chipping; free use of traps, and impounding of animals caught, for animals on rate-payers? properties; collecting and impounding of strays from public property; fees for redemption of impounded animals; Fines for non-compliance; euthanasia of uncollected and/or unwanted animals in pounds and shelters.

Blue

PS:
There have been several posts wile i constructed this rather lengthy reply. So these are not addressed. As it is I have not addressed all the contentious remartks, just the most salient. I will make two quick comment- it is not the number of animals that get killed by cats that is important. What is important is whether or not that level of predation is sustainable or results in a decline population over the long term. the second point is that it is academic as to who are the greatest killers of Australian wildlife - humans or cats. It is a nonsense argument which cannot be resolved - permanent destruction of populations through destuction or severe physical alteration of habitats (such as broad-acre farming, clearfelling forests, daming rivers) versus on-going removal of animals within existing habitat. The point was made in order to question the validity of part of the apparent basis for the arguments put forward. It is the validity of that rationale that is worth discussing, not the validity of the analogy used to try and put it into perspective.

Not anthropomorphising at all, that's exactly what they do and why they do it - it's fun for them , they're not the least bit hungry and not doing it because they are hungry.
Time to stop pandering to the pro-cat lobby and start getting deadly serious about the problem.

 

[Sean_L]

I agree unfortunately. A much as Id like to agree with Blue as he puts forward well thought out points, enough is enough.

Heart warming stories of cats and their precious animal buddies is the same as 'Emotive arguments that anthropomorphically describe cats'. It clouds the issue that is this............regardless of a cats level of relative harm, ALL cats need to be treated the same way. If its not enclosed on your property in such a way that it cant harm native wildlife, then it needs to go. Plain and simple. Whether that is to a new home, to a pound or (my personal favourite) kitty cat heaven, the fact remains that they don't belong anywhere near our native wildlife.

Stop fussing over what 'level of action' is morally reasonable or the fact that cuteness somehow removes something from its injustices, and agree that:

NO CAT, WHETHER FERAL, DOMESTIC OR EVEN SIMPLY OUT FOR A STROLL SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXIST ALONG SIDE ANIMALS THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY HARM.

 

[Netteddragon]

These destructive murderous vermin climb over fences so I'd go as far as saying if it's outside it's owner's house or it's ENCLOSED ESCAPE PROOF cat run, it should be fair game to kill it. I don't care who's pet it might be.

I also think that steps should be taken to drive cats to extinction in Australia by requiring owners have permits to keep them (and not more than 1 per household) and all kittens be sterilised immediately at birth or be put down.

Very heavy fines need to be applied and enforced for those who allow their cats to breed, to roam outside their home or cat run and cats caught roaming should be compulsorily put down by the council's vet on capture. Local councils are always saying that they need more money, so, here's an way for them to raise those extra dollars they so sorely need to maintain roads, parks, etc other than by bumping up rand rates as much.

you are so bloody one sided it's not funny it's rather cringe worthy to read, I would compare you to a extreme feminist.

 

[RoryBreaker]

Bluetongue1,

Don't ever leave this forum and disappear onto stalkbook like so many others. Your well reasoned and informative posts are warmly appreciated.

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[kingofnobbys]

you are so bloody one sided it's not funny it's rather cringe worthy to read, I would compare you to a extreme feminist.

So you've nothing worth saying to add to this discussion then, hence resorted to personal attacks.