Somehow I get downvoted for asking a clarification. Not everybody is a native speaker, I’m not sure what roam means in this context, so I ask. Look at what OP did, they answered my question very clearly and without judgement.
Thats not universally american. Plenty of people in the states let their cats roam. The problem we have is people who think they are rescuing a cat when really they are stealing someones pet
I mean it’s an American thing to loudly proclaim that if you do anything other than have an indoor cat then you’re an awful person (see original OP of this thread), not appreciating that America is wildly different on this position than pretty much any other country in the world
It’s a vestige of our culture war, where the sanctimonious blame individuals for behaviors that were normal in the recent past, heralding a couple data points as supreme truth, while ignoring their own hypocrisies. In my opinion, if we are so overpopulated with cats and dogs, such that they cannot roam, people should not have cats or dogs. I’d argue that keeping a cat or dog locked up also makes one an asshole.
The road to extinction is pretty well set, so I don’t see the sense in casting ire upon understandable behaviors. Might as well try to get along on the descent, though I get why such a large subset of the population are salty. For the record, I don’t have a pet, because: overshoot.
Walk around the neighborhood. Cats are an invasive species. When I was growing up my neighbor had a paintball gun to shoot any cats that wandered into his yard cause they killed the birds at his bird feeder.
They are normally fine around farms and breweries but that’s because they are hunting things like mice that get into grain and such.
Everyone keeps saying they’re invasive, but like… They’ve been around for thousands of years and were around before we started domesticating them (or they started domesticating us, I guess).
And yes, they kill birds, but then other wild animals also kill other animals.
And yes I realize you’re on .ca so probably Canadian, but my point is, everyone seems to assume everyone on the Internet is North American. Plenty of us live in Europe, where cats are sort of a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Yeah but like most invasive species we brought them to places they dont live naturally. Other than a loose dog not much will even bother a cat in North American cities.
Nothing lives in cities naturally. Cities themselves just aren’t natural.
Where I come from, outdoors cats really don’t have a particularly long shelf life in cities and towns. Either they get hit by a car, or they wander to the forest and find something stronger than them
Cats should be kept indoors, but moreover your neighbor is a piece of shit and I hope he gets what he deserves. Get a super soaker you fucking monster, shooting someone’s pet with something that travels around 200 mph is a bad look. After he baited them at that, I understand that wasn’t his intention but the cats are just living by their basic instincts, it’s not their fault. If he really was interested in stopping them rather than being cruel humane traps are cheap, just do what normal fucking people do, catch it, drive it 5-10mi, and release it somewhere it’s no longer your problem, or drive it to the nearest no kill shelter. But no, can’t be a decent human, it’s more fun to break their ribs and possibly let them slowly internally bleed to death because they committed the crime of wanting to eat.
I’d rat him out for animal cruelty right now if I knew his name and location.
But the solution isn’t quite that straightforward, says Dr John Bradshaw, who has studied domestic cats since the mid-1980s. “In this country [the UK], the evidence that cats are causing any serious depletion in wildlife populations is pretty flimsy,” he explains. “That’s not to say they aren’t killing things. There are plenty of surveys that show they are. But the long-term effects of that have been difficult to find.”
Most species targeted by domestic cats will have lots of offspring, to counter the expectation that many will die before they reach adulthood.
“Cats aren’t very efficient hunters,” adds Bradshaw. Their prey is most likely already in a poor condition, dead or dying, when they catch it. “Really, focusing on the cat is counterproductive.”
To demonise cats, Bradshaw suggests, would distract from the real dangers to wildlife in the UK: loss of habitats, reduced availability of food and the increased use of pesticides and fertilisers. These threats were identified in the UK’s State of Nature report in 2016, which brought together data from more than 50 different organisations. Though Mittens may not be public enemy number one on our shores, elsewhere in the world cats aren’t off the hook.
The article then goes on to say that it might be more of an issue in the US, but my point is that you can’t say “cat = danger to wildlife” as a universal truth that applies everywhere.
Sorry, I was being cheeky. I was saying that your story is anecdotal, and doesnt apply to everyone else. It also depends heavily whether the cat is male or female, but thats sort of getting in the weeds. Its okay to both have indoor cats and outdoor cats, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
I’d imagine if someone were in an area that had a problem with cats killing other species, then they would prohibit outdoor cats to some degree? My area doesnt have this problem from what I can research so I’m not sure on that.
What do you mean by roam ?
Somehow I get downvoted for asking a clarification. Not everybody is a native speaker, I’m not sure what roam means in this context, so I ask. Look at what OP did, they answered my question very clearly and without judgement.
It’s an American thing. Culturally there it’s expected that cats are kept indoors, and that any other view is unacceptable.
Whether they are neutered is another conversation
Thats not universally american. Plenty of people in the states let their cats roam. The problem we have is people who think they are rescuing a cat when really they are stealing someones pet
I mean it’s an American thing to loudly proclaim that if you do anything other than have an indoor cat then you’re an awful person (see original OP of this thread), not appreciating that America is wildly different on this position than pretty much any other country in the world
The problem we have is letting cats roam free, if you don’t want your pet rescued don’t leave it outside
Yeah it must be an American thing, we in the UK let our cats roam freely outside and it’s totally normal to see cats everywhere.
Cats are an invasive species introduced by humans basically everywhere they are.
It’s a vestige of our culture war, where the sanctimonious blame individuals for behaviors that were normal in the recent past, heralding a couple data points as supreme truth, while ignoring their own hypocrisies. In my opinion, if we are so overpopulated with cats and dogs, such that they cannot roam, people should not have cats or dogs. I’d argue that keeping a cat or dog locked up also makes one an asshole.
The road to extinction is pretty well set, so I don’t see the sense in casting ire upon understandable behaviors. Might as well try to get along on the descent, though I get why such a large subset of the population are salty. For the record, I don’t have a pet, because: overshoot.
Cats are an invasive species in North America, they destroy avian wildlife.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyall's_wren
Cats belong on leashed walks outside, not cooped up inside all day. Treat them like dogs.
American here. Clearly it’s not a “culturally expected” thing in my neighborhood.
Walk around the neighborhood. Cats are an invasive species. When I was growing up my neighbor had a paintball gun to shoot any cats that wandered into his yard cause they killed the birds at his bird feeder.
They are normally fine around farms and breweries but that’s because they are hunting things like mice that get into grain and such.
Invasive where?
Everyone keeps saying they’re invasive, but like… They’ve been around for thousands of years and were around before we started domesticating them (or they started domesticating us, I guess).
And yes, they kill birds, but then other wild animals also kill other animals.
And yes I realize you’re on .ca so probably Canadian, but my point is, everyone seems to assume everyone on the Internet is North American. Plenty of us live in Europe, where cats are sort of a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Yeah but like most invasive species we brought them to places they dont live naturally. Other than a loose dog not much will even bother a cat in North American cities.
Nothing lives in cities naturally. Cities themselves just aren’t natural.
Where I come from, outdoors cats really don’t have a particularly long shelf life in cities and towns. Either they get hit by a car, or they wander to the forest and find something stronger than them
Cats should be kept indoors, but moreover your neighbor is a piece of shit and I hope he gets what he deserves. Get a super soaker you fucking monster, shooting someone’s pet with something that travels around 200 mph is a bad look. After he baited them at that, I understand that wasn’t his intention but the cats are just living by their basic instincts, it’s not their fault. If he really was interested in stopping them rather than being cruel humane traps are cheap, just do what normal fucking people do, catch it, drive it 5-10mi, and release it somewhere it’s no longer your problem, or drive it to the nearest no kill shelter. But no, can’t be a decent human, it’s more fun to break their ribs and possibly let them slowly internally bleed to death because they committed the crime of wanting to eat.
I’d rat him out for animal cruelty right now if I knew his name and location.
Found the serial killer in training.
Only a serial killer would protect birds?
Most monsters actually think they are the good guy BTW we know its you
heh whooosh.
So how do we know this one is the bad kind or the ok kind?
It’s not the kind of cat, it’s the location
Cool story.
Wait, which part are you questioning? The paintball gun? Or that cats pose a threat to local wildlife? Because one of those has been extensively investigated.
From the article directly cited in the one you posted “Pet cats: should they be kept indoors?”
The article then goes on to say that it might be more of an issue in the US, but my point is that you can’t say “cat = danger to wildlife” as a universal truth that applies everywhere.
The paintball gun is just wrong.
Both the paintball gun and letting cats roam freely are wrong. Everybody’s an asshole (except the cat, can’t blame them) in this story
Thanks for the link, very enlightening
yes
Sorry, I was being cheeky. I was saying that your story is anecdotal, and doesnt apply to everyone else. It also depends heavily whether the cat is male or female, but thats sort of getting in the weeds. Its okay to both have indoor cats and outdoor cats, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
I’d imagine if someone were in an area that had a problem with cats killing other species, then they would prohibit outdoor cats to some degree? My area doesnt have this problem from what I can research so I’m not sure on that.
lol this outburst contextualizes your other comments
Outburst seems like a strong word for this.