Cats having a constant source of protein from the garden

[FluffyBoots]

MY cats are very very good at catching small fluffy things of the rodent variety. Think shrews and baby mice. They are a team to contend with, and often I come down at night and they have several holed up in different corners of the house. it is a nightmare. They often behead them and leave bits (they don't like the tails) of intenstine, often gall bladder.

I could leave them outside, but they are terrified if they can't get in and will shout a lot to be let in (my fault, that old talking to them thing when they were babies making them more vocal).

Should I

• YABU - allow them to bring takeaway's into the house. It is their home. I have ny own takeaways. YANUB - harbour them under lock and key so that they can't go hunting.

NOTE - Some of this may perhaps be tongue in cheek x

Catbib or Birdbesafe. And don't get more cats in future.

Humans keeping cats are responsible for killing immense numbers of other animals. Not just via direct predation, but also indirect lower likelihood of mating, surviving, etc (having to be more cautious all the time because cats are around, even if they don't actually get caught). And insects dying from flea treatments (and therefore anything that eats or would have eaten the insects being affected too).

And from feeding them meat (in turn, animal farming causes harm to wildlife). And huge numbers of animals are harmed or killed by toxoplasma gondii parasites (including humans) which are spread by cats. Even sealife, as the oocysts wash into watercourses.

Domesticated cats are an environmental disaster.

Also by interbreeding with Scottish Wildcats, thus diluting them out of existence.

You mean the few left, that had a little respite during WWI after being nearly eliminated due to human persecution and habitat loss (also due to humans). They had once been widespread all over Britain. There were fewer gamekeepers to poison them (because they killed game birds, less to shoot) and a reforestation programme in Scotland. Wildcats don’t like the open heath very much. This is not completely natural as it had/has to be maintained by humans by repeated burnings, otherwise it would be reclaimed by other large plants and tree growth.

Is the poor domestic moggy responsible for the loss of the Lynx and wolf too? Mind you, if the poor old native wildcats were around in any number, I suspect you’d be gunning for them too.

Thank you for taking the time to write. I appreciate the honesty, factual info and your knowledge regarding the ecological issues that you have described.

I will say that I don't appreciate being told whether or not to get cats in the future. My cats chat to me (and I mean that - it's a result of speaking to them constantly when they were kittens), respond to me, love me, and give me immeasurable joy and comfort. I live alone, and they are indispensible.

I respect your views regarding the ecosystem, but to be honest there are many things happening in the world at the moment which are of far greater concern to me. Super AI, which could finish off humanity, wars, detached icecaps destroying villages (again, the world is rebelling), and the world being dictated to by a total lunatic, who's latest bit of fun is to create entertainment for members of the public by introducing death by firing squad for convicted murderers. Who argues with Norway because he didn't get the Nobel Prize. Terrifying. As is it all.

So we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I will keep my cats.

Added - We don't have rats nearby. They get rid of them, chase them away. I'd call that an act in public interest.

I wish you well.

Very interesting! Thank you.

Always keep mine in at night. Mine are old and lazy now, but I feel your pain, it used to be a nightmare.

@cailleach1 Could you explain how you think the domestic moggie could have been responsible for the loss of the Lynx and wolf please?

If you’re going to set up a straw-man argument it does at least need to make sense.

As for ‘if the poor old native wildcats were around in any number. I suspect you’d be gunning for them too’ WTAF??

You’re suggesting that someone who has been making pro-conservation points, while proposing pragmatic ways to mitigate the negative effects of beloved pet cats, would advocate for the illegal persecution of a critically endangered native species.

I find that quite disturbing. Why are you behaving this way?

I'm so sorry. I hadn't intended that this thread be udermining by potitical agenda.

Love my babies.

Thank you for all of your support though xx

I don’t think it became political, so much as weirdly, disturbingly bonkers.