Cats everywhere!

I don't think we're in any danger of losing birds anytime soon! A quick Google says there are 84 million breeding pairs!

Yes i am a cat lover and owner 4, but mine are in a catio when outside as I am not selective about animals I love or hate, and dont want them hurting anything else either. You cannot be an "animal lover" if you opt to hate a particular one or two.

Unfortunately its humans that are mostly guilty of the small animal deaths - pollution, loss of habitat, little shits with catapults which is happening a lot in the SE. Also other birds kill other birds.

Most cats in the UK live in urban environments, not rural enough to be having a devastating impact on wildlife.
The impact of habitat loss due to human intervention is far more devastating than the average domestic cat. There has also been some recent consideration that pesticides used in farming and dogs (more than cats) are impacting birds.
I love cats and I love birds/wildlife. Its a difficult balance. But having had this asleep on my desk all day, I find cats mostly have a devastating impact on my productivity. He is so good for my mental health though.

My cats don’t eat everything they catch - they usually leave me a mouse tail and a tiny stomach (too acidic apparently) which is nice

is it okay for them to hunt grey squirrels OP? They aren’t indigenous

My five are indoor cats who have a massive catio. Any wildlife stupid enough to come in through the mesh deserves its Darwinian destiny.

This is what Fettucine thinks of cat haters.

Prince said it’s ok if you don’t like him, he’s not a fan of you either

So what about animals hit by cars? Does this give you the same ‘white hot rage’, or is it specific to cats?

I like how you go on about the poor little birds, rabbits etc but you literally just admitted you’re happy to physically abuse a living animal. That is far worse - you deserve locking up because it is not normal and your clearly not safe to be roaming the streets yourself.

I'm intrigued about the problematic number of man-made cats, tell us more OP. They're not powered by the 5g masts are they?

You might need to take this up with the Creator, who clearly thought food chains were a good thing.

Bloody rabbits are a pest and they breed like well rabbits. We have our veg plot pretty much fenced and netted but the rabbits particularly small ones still get in, so go tiddles! Cats also keep the rats and mice down. I don't like them killing birds with the possible exception of pigeons and not many cats tackle those, but birds are much harder to catch, lots of hunts but very few successes usually being able to fly is a good escape. The squirrels, crows and magpies, not to mention sparrow hawks and now kites, take more of a toll on eggs and baby/small birds.

As a dog owner who likes cats, I am astounded about the sheer stupidity that seems to come with and around cats. Seriously the unhinged cat-rescuers or crazy cat ladies (yes always women) on my local boards are astounding. And also people who happens to see a cat in their garden and feel the need to post on various local boards about a cat that 'looks lost' picture of a healthy looking cat with a collar looking for another fee meal.😫

I love my cats. I actually have 5 foster kittens right now from the local shelter who we're trying to socialize them so they can be adopted.

I don't let them go outside because of the number of animals and birds that have become extinct due to cats. I know it's their nature, but they're not native to the US (where I am) so the argument that it's ok because it's their nature falls a little flat for me when they are not native animals.

Tolkien rarely leaves the garden and doesn't hunt these days but he doesn't care what you think either.

This is not the cats fault though, this is human error. That’s like saying polar bears are terrible animals because someone let two loose on the streets and people died. The animal was placed in unnatural environment and is acting in a natural way.

I guess if you said “I have no problem with cats in theory but I don’t agree with outdoor free roaming cats as they are an invasive species and harm our wildlife.”

The above sentiment I actually agree with. I love cats, all cats. I have 3. They’re amazing pets and wonderful companions and I wouldn’t ever let them free roam. If you have a problem with cats that is not directly and solely human’s fault then you haven’t voiced it yet.

Only problematic to people who want to harm them for some sick reason like you.

I love both dogs and cats but I’m getting fed up with dogs everywhere! Dogs pushed in prams, dogs in shops, pubs and restaurants. Cat’s don’t affect my life at unlike dogs and I’ve never heard of a cat killing a person!

I wonder where all those 270 million animals would live, given we are systematically destroying habitats for housing… How many of them are mice and rats - that would have MN up in arms at 100m extra rats running across the garden?

I am sure mine are unusual but they don’t leave the cat-proofed garden and have never brought me any ‘presents’.

So many different opinions naturally, however ... you mentioned foxes and I for one am not enamoured about "fluffy" foxes because they kill for pleasure too. We have two cats one no longer hunts and just likes to hang around outside, younger one is coming to the end of his hunting years and we are grateful for his desire to eradicate the local rats as we live rurally. However, we did have a much younger cat who sadly died but he was basically an indoor cat and we have decided that is how we will bring up any future cats but the older ones, it's too late to change their habits and they were brought up on farms (one is half feral).

I'm an industrial strength cat lady and would probably marry my cat if it wasn't frowned upon so not an impartial observer in this discussion...

But... can't you just ignore them?

I think people are really OTT in their hatred of dogs but to be fair it can be quite hard to get away from them.

But you could literally go through life without having any interaction with a cat. Why preoccupy yourself with something you don't have to interact with?

Mine says why would he go OUTSIDE? Ugh. His TV shows, the bed and me are inside