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johannthegoatman t1_j4ti7m1 wrote

Reply to comment by Falconlordhank in Vermont listed as possible future habitat for mountain lions by willynillyslide

If you're implying because they kill birds as everyone likes to repeat, you should know that every major study on this subject has found that feral cats kill a ton of birds, cats with a home/food do not.

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Falconlordhank t1_j4u6k8e wrote

There are plenty of well fed cats that like to hunt, but the major thing is their shit.

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WaitWhatAntidote t1_j4uisq8 wrote

I knew a cat that would collect his kills and pile them next to each other. Some beings just like killing

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Falconlordhank t1_j4utn83 wrote

I don't understand how people think dogs should be kept on leashes and that you should have to pick up after them(I agree with all that), but then will just let their cat out to roam free and shit anywhere they want.

Theres a reason you aren't supposed to clean a litter box if you're pregnant. AFAIK its fine to pick up your dogs poop though.

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WaitWhatAntidote t1_j4uv2l8 wrote

It was a barn cat. It was suppose to kill. Killed a ton of mice

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Falconlordhank t1_j4v09xw wrote

Cool I guess? Doesnt make unsupervised outdoor pet cats any less of a nuisance.

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BeckyKleitz t1_j4vnfbz wrote

Yeah, my indoor/outdoor cats are not a nuisance to anyone but ME (when it rains, and they refuse to go outside to shit in our woods which means I have to do extra cleanings of the litter boxes). I have no neighbors, except the Amish folks across the road and they LIKE my cats keeping the rodent population in their barn in check. My cats are too busy napping and eating and mouse chasing to worry about damn birds.

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Falconlordhank t1_j4vs3gd wrote

Its not the birds, its the shitting in the woods. Cat shit is likely to carry toxoplasmosis, especially in cats that hunt. Maybe nuisance isn't the right word, let's go with public health hazard instead

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BeckyKleitz t1_j4wedmt wrote

Just say you don't like cats and be done with it. Geez. It's not that hard.

We have all manner of critters shitting in the woods around here. Guess I should lock up all the squirrels, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, chipmunks, turkeys, eagles, owls, gophers, moles, mice, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and crows too maybe?

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Falconlordhank t1_j4wh93s wrote

I love cats, honestly. I don't like people who think that they shouldn't have to take responsibility for the animals they adopted bc "its just a cat". And all those animals you listed; besides maybe foxes and bobcats, aren't at much higher probability for carrying toxoplasmosis, but are wild animals anyway so its a strawman argument.

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BeckyKleitz t1_j4y1paq wrote

I have 8 cats--all rescues that other people dumped and refused to take responsibility for. They are all spayed and neutered, have their shots and get regular vet visits as needed. I have 3 cats that are 15 and 16 years old. When we lived in the city, I only had the 3 and they stayed inside. The other 5 were dumped on me HERE, out in the country on the dead end road I live on.

It's pretty shitty of you to call me irresponsible when I am the only one in these cats lives that ever DID take responsibility for them. They aren't out at night--they're all piled up on me, or in their favorite cat beds spread around the house. The last time I saw one of my cats with a bird it was one that was frozen right out of the sky during the sub zero weather we had, and I know that's how she got it cos I saw the thing drop.

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Falconlordhank t1_j4y9g8a wrote

How many times do I have to say this, its not the birds that concern me. It's the contaminated water. Ill give you that outdoor cats are pretty far down the list of things that need to change ASAP to keep our waters clean, but its also by far the easiest.

Also, thank you for giving them a loving home. That is more important than anything else, it would just be nice if people would keep a handle on them to avoid contamination of our waters.

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BeckyKleitz t1_j50mezz wrote

What water are my cats going to contaminate? We are not near any bodies of water that they could possibly effect.

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Scoons t1_j4vayl4 wrote

Outdoor cats live half as long as indoor cats, so you’re reducing their life span by subjecting them to predators, disease, cats, injury, etc. It’s more than the devastation they do to bird and small animal populations.

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