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This is misleading: Habitat destruction, e.g. Lack of thorny hedges and maize monoculture decimated wild animal population.
The source for the bird loss is: Loss et al. Love it when people have fitting names like that. A painter named Brush, an investment banker named Rich, a hairdresser named Mane, etc.
Is … is this Loss?
Poor bab-euh birds
A fraudulent banker named Bankman-fried … ok well not perfect, but…
What about the loss of habitat, anyone who knows even a little bit about birds, at least in the western hemisphere, know that thousands of species only mate in certain areas in certain times of years. The loss of habitats for mating, the loss of food sources in the remaining habitats from pesticides, and the fact that many pesticides and other pollutants LITERALLY DEGRADE BIRD SHELLS AND KILL THEM BEFORE THEY HATCH
House cats shouldn’t be putting a fucking dent in bird populations and it’s both absurd to think they’re the real threat and disingenuous to the causes of ill that plague our ecology
I’m not shitting on you, OP, but in definitely shitting on the person who made this infographic and I’m shitting on the people who continue to push the myth that cats are the leading cause of loss in bird populations. They may kill many birds, but they’re not the reason we’re losing them. Not at all by far.
Cat’s shouldn’t be putting a dent in the bird population because they shouldn’t be outside. They’re an invasive species that can definitely destroy local ecosystems.
Yes habitat destruction is reducing bird population, but that doesn’t excuse the irresponsibility of cat owners that let their cats outside. All that accomplished is creating two problems.
I don’t understand why people are so defensive about this. Study after study shows that cats are fucking terrible for native ecosystems.
Not just that, outdoor cats live much shorter lives. There is literally no reason to put a cat outside unless you hate your pet and your ecosystem.
It’s irresponsible and stupid, but my sweet baby would never!
Or it’s not fair to keep them inside all day! Okay build an enclosure outside they can go into like a responsible owner.
I don’t even know what all to say to the chucklefuck that thinks it’s fine that the Scottish Wildcat is being bred to extinction. It’s okay though because that’s just evolution.
Humanity was a fucking mistake
I didn’t say it’s fine. I said it’s the only problem when you made the grand claim that domestic cats were basically stealing their food source.
Because you made it sound like they’re dying, when they’re really just hybridising. Both are forms of extinction in a sense, but one is a lot worse than the other.
And again, they don’t even live in the same damn parts of the country.
Americans like you need put in your place and reminded that the whole world does not revolve about you and your country’s circumstances.
Yes only in America are wild cats threatening native cat’s food sources. At least you’re able to see America from your pedestal.
You told me, that the domestic cat must be eating the Scottish Wildcat’s lunch.
We were specifically talking about that species at that point. Don’t try to spin it.
Realistically, though, that’s no different from blaming climate change on plastic straws.
Except plastic straws don’t really do anything to accelerate climate change and cats can decimate bird populations
Except plastic straws aren’t actively hunting marine creatures.
Domesticated cats are not native to north america and western Europe, and people should be more responsible in how they care for their pets, especially the ones that are invasive fucking species.
Also, 2 things can be true. It’s possible that bird populations are being decimated by ecological destruction as well as the mass breeding and free roaming of invasive predators introduced by humans.
Edit: clarified that I meant domesticated cats
“Cats are not native to north america and western Europe”
You’re just wrong, at least about the Europe part. There’s literally a species known as the Scottish Wildcat. And last I checked, Scotland was in western Europe.
Can Americans stop spreading patently false information based on their Amero-centric worldview? Please and thank you.
Fantastically, a wild cat isn’t a domestic cat! Wow! Who knew!
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I’m not american
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The discussion involved housecats, I assumed it would be obvious that I was referring to housecats, not fucking wildcats
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Housecats are native to Egypt and are descendants of the African wildcat
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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/free-ranging-and-feral-cats.pdf
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https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/current/press-releases/cats-must-stay-indoors-protect-wildlife
Stop thinking that things that make you feel bad about your world view are “patently false information based on an amero-centric worldview”. Please and fucking thank you
Facts and sources, better downvote because that doesn’t match my vibes about my outdoor cats lmfao
You edited your comment, so don’t get snarky about me not accounting for an edit you made after I replied.
Anyways,
I mentioned wildcats because they are similar to domestic cats and the existence of them here disprove the “it’s not their natural habitat” talking point.
The Scottish Wildcat is so overwhelmingly similar to the domestic cat that they can interbreed.
And this fact might entertain you: both types of wildcat mentioned are considered Felis Silvestris. They’re really not that different.
I don’t care about some American publication talking about cats as that is obviously going to be specific to America, and it’s claims of invasiveness do not apply to many other places, or are such a small concern it’s not considered.
Here’s a UK source, a bit more applicable to where I live:
That’s the checks notes Royal Society for the Protection of Birds noting that cats are not causing issues for bird populations. Give it a read.
I edited one word of my comment because I had another reply from someone who misunderstood what I was referring to, so i clarified so there wouldnt be further confusion, not to give myself an excuse to be snarky.
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I’ve read the article you’ve provided a number of times previously and while yes, it does indicate that there is no scientific evidence for my claim, it is limited to the UK.
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I don’t see what interbreed-ability has to do with invasiveness?
I don’t care about some American publication talking about cats
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I provided 3 sources, one was American, the others were from Oxford (also in the UK last I checked) and Tillburg (Netherlands), both discussing the EU broadly
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Here is another study from the checks notes British Ecological Society which concludes in part
“…It is also well established that free-ranging cats pose a significant threat to biodiversity conservation and restoration worldwide, and that remedying this threat is relatively easy when compared to other drivers of biodiversity loss…”
If you’re not going to read the evidence I’m providing, while saying I’m only providing americentric evidence, then I’m going to respectfully abandon this thread. I apologize for the snark, that was uncalled for.
Edit: formatting only
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Wild Cats Of North America:
Bobcat
Canada Lynx
Puma / Mountain Lion / Cougar
Ocelot
Jaguarundi
Jaguar
Margay
I was specifically referring to domesticated cats not being native to these regions since that was what is being discussed.
I’d argue a housecat and a bobcat share a similar ecological niche. Haven’t the housecats simply replaced the bobcats that were largely removed by humans?
I find it weird that Americans never let their cats outside. I mean, they’re outside animals.
Would you stay indoors forever? No?
You don’t let your cats out for the same reason zoos don’t let their bears out into your fucking neighborhood ya goddamn dingus. They don’t belong there and can do serious damage to the local fauna.
also outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years.
Indoor cats live can for 15-20+.
So sure, if you are pro-premature cat death. Let your pet cat outside.
They don’t belong there
They don’t cause serious ecological harm. Even the fucking bird preservation or whatever body says cats don’t have a serious impact on local bird populations.
Oh and they do belong outside, actually. They come in and go out as they please.
Outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years
Most cats are outdoor here, and live a damn sight longer than that. My own cat is 7 and counting. I have a relative who had an 18 year old cat.
Maybe lifespan is different here because we don’t have 10-lane motorways every 10 meters in every direction.
And for the record, if possible it is better for bears to be, well, outdoors in their natural habitat rather than a zoo.
Hey guys we also killed most other predators, but it’s okay because my cat can live longer and kill more birds
Hey, since you don’t believe me about cats not causing massive ecological harm to local bird populations:
It’s also funny you attribute cat’s longevity to the death of predators, and not the fact that there are native cats here and so cats very much, well, adapted to local predators.
Because we’re more responsible at this one thing apparently. They’re invasive. You want to let them outside take them to their native habitat.
There are literally wild cats you can find, especially here.
This pretty much is their natural habitat. 🙂
But yeah tell me again how we’re all irresponsible for letting our cats breathe fresh air because they’re “iNvAsIvE”.
So you release your cat in the wild to kill the food source for native cats?
Talking about my own country specifically here:
They’re not really in competition. They’re mainly concentrated in the pretty much unpopulated highlands, whereas domestic cats owned by humans are mainly concentrated in the central belt.
Scottish Wildcats are endangered technically, but not in terms of competition from domestic cats killing them or taking their food. Rather, they’re interbreeding (because they’re so similar!). That’s just evolution at the end of the day.
Even though they’re still considered endangered because “pure” wildcats population is reducing, the wildcats are still living and creating offspring, some of which are still wild cats, even if they’re not purebred “wildcat”.
So irresponsible cat owners let their cats outside and didn’t neuter or spay them. Cool beans.
It’s just evolution lol
There’s more forest in Europe than there was in 1970.
That doesn’t un-kill the animals that died from deforestation, and repopulation can take years or decades.
What about deforestation and farming ?
Yep. Switching to linux solves those issues too.
Barely moves the needle. Birds are extremely adaptable and readily find habitats in rural, exurban, suburban, and even urban environments. Letting a housecat outside is one of the worst things that a single individual can do for the environment.
This may be true for the USA. In Germany the biggest killer is agriculture, followed by buildings, then cars and then come the cats. I’m guessing this is the reason for the controversy regarding this topic. Cats aren’t that big a problem in Germany. Especially if you have a programmable cat flap that leaves the cats inside during morning and evening times. During daytime they don’t catch shit.
So destroying over 90% of their natural Habitat is not worse than a single predator? Nevermind most other predators that have been driven to extinction anyway
Classic Big Dog propaganda.
Vehicles
Save birds - stay indoors with the cats.
Bring your cars inside.
Don’t believe this, OP is a cat trying to get rid of a competitor.
I’ve laughed out loud twice to this.
Oh hey it’s foone
That’s what happens when you have our government drones run on a windows system
CATS/Windows
CATS, as in “you have no chance to survive make your time” ?
Main screen turn on
And also https://lemmy.ml/c/fuck_cars
You know, I’ve never seen a cat kill a bird.
I have. Random outdoor cat walked over to me, demanded pets, it noticed a bird, killed the bird, and came back to me looking for more attention. I was not impressed.
Neither did the bird.
I have feed around 10 stray cats for the last 15 years. Only one of them was a hunter, and by that, I mean it’s like watching captain Levi dealing with giants. I once saw her take down two pigeons at the same time.
I grew up in the country with outdoor cats. Birds, frogs, bats, mice… sometimes alive sometimes in jigsaw mode
Why are there green marks
That’s why I say people should not own cats! Or big dogs (they are just dangerous). Buy some small breed dog or adopt one and be happy.
I have a cat, he killed 0 birds.
Most house cars does not prey on birds it’s mostly street cats that prey on birds
I like my cat.
Indoor cats is fine
My mom also has two cats. They killed two birds I saw personally. And they try everytime they see a bird getting near.
But at least she owns them for a reason. She has a field near the house from where a lot if mice often come to the house, especially in autumn. They deal pretty well with it.
