KilroywasNOTHere
"BEEP!"
so a scientist declares war on outdoor cats because of the threats they pose to birds...I'm just not sure what to think about this.
The Moral Cost of Cats
The Moral Cost of Cats
Scientist Declares War on indoor cats
- Thread starter KilroywasNOTHere
- Start date
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Deleted member 88
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Tellingly the article ends with the discussion of morality.
No one denies feral cats kill birds and other wildlife. Like that happens. And that’s what cats do.
But what do we value more? Feral cats or birds? If the latter then yes exterminating the feral population of cats is a moral good, if the former then no.
The article refers to “rewinding the environment to when before Europeans arrived”(as if the amerindians didn’t you know impact the environment) referring to a lost state of grace.
Then basically says “well yeah we know it’s a moral judgement but we’re the ones setting morality so fuck you”.
I wouldn’t be opposed to sterilization programs where feral cats are known to congregate. Or euthanasia when absolutely required.
No one denies feral cats kill birds and other wildlife. Like that happens. And that’s what cats do.
But what do we value more? Feral cats or birds? If the latter then yes exterminating the feral population of cats is a moral good, if the former then no.
The article refers to “rewinding the environment to when before Europeans arrived”(as if the amerindians didn’t you know impact the environment) referring to a lost state of grace.
Then basically says “well yeah we know it’s a moral judgement but we’re the ones setting morality so fuck you”.
I wouldn’t be opposed to sterilization programs where feral cats are known to congregate. Or euthanasia when absolutely required.
People have been talking about outdoor cats being a problem for a while.
It is what it is. If you have a kitten, you should train them to be indoor cats. They're perfectly happy being indoor only, it's FAR safer for them, and it's better for the natural wildlife.
Now some cats you just aren't keeping indoors, period. I don't really have a problem if you want to have outdoor cats, but it is better in almost every way to keep them indoors.
I've had both. Most of my life they were outdoor cats. My current one is indoor only and really only tries to get out when she sees another cat out there.
It is what it is. If you have a kitten, you should train them to be indoor cats. They're perfectly happy being indoor only, it's FAR safer for them, and it's better for the natural wildlife.
Now some cats you just aren't keeping indoors, period. I don't really have a problem if you want to have outdoor cats, but it is better in almost every way to keep them indoors.
I've had both. Most of my life they were outdoor cats. My current one is indoor only and really only tries to get out when she sees another cat out there.
KilroywasNOTHere
"BEEP!"
I'm a loony that's would be ok with a hunting season on feral strays, if I wasin't afraid of what a drunk weekend hunter would be like.
Well we can't have people running around neighborhoods shooting cats lol.
Trap Neuter and release programs are a pretty good thing for communities to run, without having to kill a bunch of cats, which would be very unpopular to the public. TNR is a nicer way to go about controling the feral population.
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Seems like a massive regional and city vs rural problem.
For example, where i live (rural) the very concept of indoors cat sounds like a joke.
On top of that is the moralizing by a certain special interest group.
They are even nice enough to even drop some hints about their beliefs and lines of thinking reach:
And last but not least, there is plenty of conventional wisdom on the sort of wildlife problems that reasonably high outdoor cat populations, feral or not, suppress, which are why cats were brought to the new world in the first place. No one likes having these problems, and once these problems appear, they affect far more people than just a niche circle of people represented by the author...
For example, where i live (rural) the very concept of indoors cat sounds like a joke.
On top of that is the moralizing by a certain special interest group.
They are even nice enough to even drop some hints about their beliefs and lines of thinking reach:
On the other hand, i have my doubts that our Science Editor for Smithsonian Magazine is going to be in any hurry to switch her life in "urban landscape" from long after the dreaded arrival of Europeans with all their evils towards a location more resembling those before such changes.
And last but not least, there is plenty of conventional wisdom on the sort of wildlife problems that reasonably high outdoor cat populations, feral or not, suppress, which are why cats were brought to the new world in the first place. No one likes having these problems, and once these problems appear, they affect far more people than just a niche circle of people represented by the author...
Doomsought
Well-known member
I volunteered at an animal shelter for a while, there were always an excess of cats, many of them with kittens. The cat cages had little doors between them so that a litter could be given two cages worth of space and still be able to play together. That is how often the shelter had full litters of kittens.
TriforcedLink
Well-known member
The only thing keeping feral cats in such high numbers is Human intervention. Without the scary hairless murder hobo apes keeping them safe and fed in exchange for a pest control/companionship, they would not have gotten their numbers this high. It also helps them that Strays and feral can't get big enough to feel too threatening to humans or the livestock we care about.
We're more than capable of murdering felines, ask the cougars and other big cats how long they last when they piss off a farmer. Best case scenario, the farmer whines to the government, and the Government captures you and relocates you, the worst-case scenario is the farmer shoots you and leaves your corpse to rot in the forest.
Don't get me wrong, they'd still be around without humans but they'd be much lower on the food chain and would get eaten very often. They'd share a spot in the same sort of spot a Fox would in that they would hunt small animals and pray that the big ones don't notice them.
Dogs had been working with us for far longer and we do not give them the vast amount of privileges that a Cat gets. It's sad when you think about it. Man's best friend doesn't get nearly the amount of privileges those lazy whiskered NEETs get.
We're more than capable of murdering felines, ask the cougars and other big cats how long they last when they piss off a farmer. Best case scenario, the farmer whines to the government, and the Government captures you and relocates you, the worst-case scenario is the farmer shoots you and leaves your corpse to rot in the forest.
Don't get me wrong, they'd still be around without humans but they'd be much lower on the food chain and would get eaten very often. They'd share a spot in the same sort of spot a Fox would in that they would hunt small animals and pray that the big ones don't notice them.
Dogs had been working with us for far longer and we do not give them the vast amount of privileges that a Cat gets. It's sad when you think about it. Man's best friend doesn't get nearly the amount of privileges those lazy whiskered NEETs get.
LordsFire
Internet Wizard
Dogs are much more likely to be dangerous to humans when they're wild. They're also somewhat easier to catch.
That's mostly all there is to it.
LMB The Mun
Well-known member
The problem is all the assholes who think that getting a kitten for their SO or kid means just throwing a little food at it, and not dealing with things like getting them fixed. All too often, the kitten grows up, sexually matures, and if it's lucky, it's allowed to wander off. If not, it may be dumped somewhere and the outcome gets worse. For those that make it, they basically become kitten factories & the feral population simply explodes.
This sort of thing happens to too many animals as it is, anyway.... People just see the "cute," not the responsibility.
This sort of thing happens to too many animals as it is, anyway.... People just see the "cute," not the responsibility.
Yinko
Well-known member
The moral cost of cats? A statistically significant proportion of cats are possessed by
Even if they never killed anything they would be morally evil.