[8doubles]

But they do what they do because humans buy them as a pet

We don't make them catch birds    feral cats catch birds without us - so don't understand what you mean.

When they are catching mice/rats and eating them no-one bats an eyelid. It's just cos we prefer birds and so, in some way, cats have to be stopped from doing what comes naturally, which we can't.

I don't like them catching birds - but it is just natural for them, they are natural predators.

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.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.aspx

sort of snap maxyboo!

If you get a cat bought or rescued it will likely kill local birds, if you do not get one it will not ! 

I have a sneaking admiration for cats as hunters, they are good at it but non selective.

I have no time for ferals as there are IMO already enough  pet cats in this country.
A feral cat that relys on UK wildlife as food is bad news even if spayed or neutered.

As for the old "no scientific evidence" i seem to recall the tobacco industry sang that song for years,

but people still knew it was a killer !

[bravemurphy]

The trouble is for the next two months or so baby birds and adults feeding baby birds, are easier to catch than mice and rats.

[spottymint]

Cat's kill birds

Cars kill birds

Cars kill deer

Cats do not

cars kill badgers

Cats do not

cars kill foxes

cats do not

cars kill people

cats do not

There are several roads where we drive down, we count the car strikes in multiples, in the last 2 weeks we have seen over 20 dead badgers, deer and foxes, etc, I bet no one will call for a ban on keeping car's ?

Sorry, but cats are predictors, it's natural, like foxes hunting, birds of prey hunting , they too kill birds.

[Oliveview]

I love hearing the cuckoo but I know it means a baby bird or two will be killed by the baby cuckoo   Nature is not kind


Pamela

[maxyboo]

Very true Pamela. I would prefer it if my cats did not kill. I always try and rescue anything they catch, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But they are  programmed to do it as some dogs are programmed to kill rats. I think it's a subject that some of us will never be able to agree on.

[Oliveview]

Back in the UK we had 2 cats, one caught mice, birds etc.  We were not happy with her, the other cat was totally different.  One day we had a blackbird doing a mad dance in the garden, going crazy, we went to see what was wrong, our cat was asleep in the sun, the bird was just feet from him, he just ignored her.  Sadly the nest got robbed, there was a stoat or something, our neighbours saw it go into the bushes.  It got the tiny baby bluetits that were in the nesting box too, no way could a cat get to the nesting box, it was high up on a wooden fence, they went the same night the stoat or whatever was seen. 

Pamela

[8doubles]

Cat's kill birds

Cars kill birds

Cars kill deer

Cats do not

cars kill badgers

Cats do not

cars kill foxes

cats do not

cars kill people

cats do not

There are several roads where we drive down, we count the car strikes in multiples, in the last 2 weeks we have seen over 20 dead badgers, deer and foxes, etc, I bet no one will call for a ban on keeping car's ?

Sorry, but cats are predictors, it's natural, like foxes hunting, birds of prey hunting , they too kill birds.

Domestic cats are not a product of nature, they are manmade .
Bred
Housed
Fed
Wormed
Flea'd
And medically patched up by their owners.
They also have no natural predator apon them!

They are about as natural as a small boy with an air rifle who is also a predator.
Small boys are in this country rightly prohibited by law from destroying songbirds.
Incidently there is no scientific evidence that small boys with air rifles affect overall songbird numbers .

[8doubles]

The recent *cat to human tuberculosis outbreak may also be of interest.

* (hushed up for a year)

[New shoot]

Domestic cats are not a product of nature, they are manmade .

Well not exactly man made    Domesticated by man and selectively bred, but decended from wild creatures who do hunt for a living.  Those wild instincts are still there and were valued until very recently for rodent control.  Indeed many farms and stables still do rely on yard cats for this job. 

A cat has no control over its instincts.  I would argue a small boy with an air rifle does have some measure of free will over his actions.

Cats do have downsides like messing in gardens and killing birds, but they are also great company for their owners, help de-stress people and lighten a lot of human lives.  I'm not a cat owner, but I can see my friends and family who do have them, love them dearly and would be offended by some of the comments on this thread.  I wouldn't like to think any forum members may be feeling similarly upset 

[8doubles]

Agreed they are great company for people who may have little other companionship and certainly earn their keep on a farm .I am afraid that the upsets are on both sides of the cat owning and non cat owning fraternities .

I believe that while we are on this planet we should be able to live our life as we see fit provided that it not of detriment to others lives.
 

[gobs]

Cat's kill birds

Cars kill birds

Cars kill deer

Cats do not

cars kill badgers

Cats do not

cars kill foxes

cats do not

cars kill people

cats do not

There are several roads where we drive down, we count the car strikes in multiples, in the last 2 weeks we have seen over 20 dead badgers, deer and foxes, etc, I bet no one will call for a ban on keeping car's ?

Sorry, but cats are predictors, it's natural, like foxes hunting, birds of prey hunting , they too kill birds.

It is easy to be biassed as a cat owner, however these are the figures, I'm afraid:

"1 million mammals are killed or wounded by cars.
Our cats kill and injure 100 million wild animals."

http://www.rspca.org.uk/sciencegroup/wildlife

[traacyken]

i do think after reading all the comments that cats should definately be confinded to the garden  or house or have runs outside or leads etc, i dont think anything will be done about them wandering and causing damage and killing animals etc tho x

[bravemurphy]

Made a seed bed up the lotty the other and sowed two rows of beetroot day and guess what.

Its become a toilet!!

Like has been said before, if my dog did that then I would be fined, so what justifies anything (or anyone for that matter) doing their business on someone else's property other than a WILD animal?

[traacyken]

i agree if dogs were left on the street or escaped as mine did years ago a dog warden picked her up cost me a bomb to get her back and she squeezed through a gap in the fence. yet cats can do what they want wherever they want and theres no wardens for them. if my hens kept getting in a neghbours garden and pooing etc would i get done, v confusing x

[bravemurphy]

i agree if dogs were left on the street or escaped as mine did years ago a dog warden picked her up cost me a bomb to get her back and she squeezed through a gap in the fence. yet cats can do what they want wherever they want and theres no wardens for them. if my hens kept getting in a neghbours garden and pooing etc would i get done, v confusing x

I have had to put a temporary barrier to stop my hens sticking their heads through the fence eating next doors grass because they threatened to report me, yet their cats can come and do what they like in my garden and I cant do anything about it