9 Answers

Karma: 609115

Our Kiwi cousins across the ditch are a wee bit techy about their native wildlife & enviroment.

They have feral possums there imported from Australia that they consider to be pests & I think they even have a bounty on them.

Feral cats are a real problem here in Australia but no-one has ever suggested eradicating domestic cats.They simply emphasise the need to keep cats indoors where they can't kill birds.

11 years ago. Rating: 10
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nomdeplume

Introduced animals (and plants) are causing serious problems in NZ to their unique flora and fauna. stoats, introduced to reduce rabbits kill kiwis and possums eat native plants. Prior to Polynesians colonising the country about 900 years ago there were no mammals there except a few bats. They wiped out many species and the Europeans many more.

commented 11 years ago

@Nom. Yes I am well aware of the problems introduced species cause.We've got our share,Rabbits,foxes,Bloody cane toads & even camels to name just a few.Most of our enviroment isn't as fragile as NZs tho.They worry about someone introducing snakes there as well.

commented 11 years ago

Ann

Karma: 477486

I think this man is over the top. I have had cats, and still do, here in NH, surrounded by woods.
the only thing they have ever killed was mice and chipmunks, never a bird..

11 years ago. Rating: 10
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Cats do kill birds, but it is part of nature. This man should watch Wild Life documentarts. If there are no cats, who gets rid of mice etc. Poor Chipmunks.

commented 11 years ago

Colleen

My ex neighbor's cat use to come across the street to my yard and kill the birds I had food out for. Everyday, I'd find a dead bird or a pile of feathers and the few remains. This cat was home fed so had no need to kill birds for food. Cats kill birds because it's in their genes to do so. I was ready to kill the cat just to stop it since it's owner said he was not going to stop letting it out to roam. He told me, "Cat's kill birds. That's what they do and I want my cat to experience being a natural cat". Thankfully he moved a week later.

commented 11 years ago

Ann

Dolly, I have saved many chipmunks by catching the cat, before he injurered them severely. Some died and I always felt bad and buried them. I love chipmunks.

commented 11 years ago

Ann

Colleen, if my cats ever killed birds, I would make them indoor cats. Actually indoor cats are much healthier.
I dont blame you for getting upset at your neighburs cat. They schould have kept her indoors.
My youngesrt daughter lives in PA. She has 3 cats, In her town they are not allowed to let cats outside.

commented 11 years ago

I have two cats, they come in and go out freely, which is the nature of cats. This is good because I live not far from a river, so they keep mice etc at a distance.

commented 11 years ago

Colleen

I will kill a cat that does not leave the birds alone in my yard. I enjoy hearing and watching the birds. I do not like finding dead baby birds taken from the bird houses I have out back because of a stupid cat.Cats belong in their own yard on a cat tie out. They do not need to kill for food like wild animals do. Wild animals are allow to kill. Domesticated cats are not. Not in my backyard anyway. People who do not want their animals harmed should keep them in their house or in their own yard.

commented 11 years ago

doolittle

Karma: 378650

This guy needs to be stopped! In an eco-system numbers are controlled naturally with predators. No predators means they are controlled with starvation and disease!

11 years ago. Rating: 10
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Colleen, what is a (Cat tie out,) never heard of it before ????

commented 11 years ago

dondowningjr, its so good to see some one like you understaning nature and how it works. Wish I could give you TU

commented 11 years ago

Ann

Doo, I agree with you. Nature always takes care of itself.

commented 11 years ago

jhharlan

Karma: 1457190

I hit a bird with my car once, perhaps it's a good thing I take the bus now......(the guy is nuts, dogs kill birds, too as do alligators and other birds....)

11 years ago. Rating: 9
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Karma: 250320

Here we worry about feral cats introducing rabies to domestic cats, and their owners. As for birds, keeping them indoors helps prevent cats from killing birds. I also agree that they kill by instinct, not that they are serial killers. We have bred this hunting instinct out of our domestic dogs, and probably because we give dogs purpose and jobs, we do not seem to see the killing with dogs, as in the cat. I think that there needs to be programs to sterilize the feral cat, not necessarily to kill all cats. Maybe even destroy the feral cats by trapping and euthanizing them, but not open season on all cats, that is crazy! Think of the impacts on nature, public health, and agriculture and maybe programs have some merit. Ex. feral pigs in south US.

11 years ago. Rating: 9
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bustieone,Im not American, I dont know what you mean by, Ex. feral pigs in South US ???

commented 11 years ago

We have a big problem with wild pigs, feral, in the south and west, they raise havoc with crops and livestock. They have professional hunters who shoot them to help with the problem. In fact much produce in CA and FL are infected with e.coli bacteria, such when harvested it causes health problems to the consumer!

commented 11 years ago

Ann

Feral pigs can become a nuicence, mostly in the south. I dont have a problem, hunting wild pigs., but I have seen a documentary of horrid inhumane treatment of these animals, that has made me sick to my stomach.

commented 11 years ago

We also have a feral pig problem in Australia.As well as feral goats would you believe?

commented 11 years ago

Tommy are there feral camels also?

commented 11 years ago

Yes there are feral camels.Lots of them in the outback but they don't have a great impact on our enviroment.In fact Our camels are now prized by middle eastern camel racers & are exported there.They were introduced by Afghanis when moving supplies across our vast inland desert was so difficult, camel trains were the answer.Hence the name of our North to South rail line thru the centre of the country."The Ghan".

commented 11 years ago

Tommy, so is it legal for one to capture feral camels and export them? Or is that only a government program?

commented 11 years ago

Not sure Ray.I don't think the Gov't is involved.As far as catching them is concerned it's an open door,same a with brumbies.Anyone can do it.Exporting them would have all sorts of quarantine regs & that's for sure,but it is done.The arabs pay big bucks for their pick of the herds.

commented 11 years ago

O.K. I will be over, maybe we can get us some to export as a retirement business...

commented 11 years ago

Not a bad business either.They charge 5 Bucks for a 3 minute ride at fairs & markets.LOL

commented 11 years ago

My son and his wife went to Aussie and rode camels somewhere on a guided tour, cost dearly! It was however, a memory of a lifetime to them...

commented 11 years ago

Karma: 202380

Does that nut case thnk about all the other things that cause death of birds such as,

Millions of buildings with their billions of windows. which pose a signofcent treath to birds. They fly directly into the glass. Tall structure will kill birds by collision, lighted towers atttract birds by night. Electracution kills tens of thousdans of birds each year. Wind Turbine may kill 33,000 birds each year. Pesticides kill. Oil and waste water Pits may add up to two million death of birds each year. also pollution, like Acid rain has been linked to calcium problems, also Hunting.

How I wish I could find that Nuts contact addey, I would open his mind, When he attends to all other problems, then he can talk about cats.

11 years ago. Rating: 9
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Ann

In the summer of 2011, all the birds I was feeding for 30 years, disappeared. It was the eeriest feeling ever, to be outside and to not hear a single bird chirping and there are no feral cats where I live. I agree with everything you said,. Pesticides, fertilizers,and radiation from towers are the main cause of birds dying. I never use fertilizer or pesticides in my garden or yard. Last summer the birds slowly came back, but not as many as I used to have.

commented 11 years ago

robertgrist

Karma: 279491

Savanna Georgia USA http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2012-11-02/chatham-commissioners-want-feral-cats-eliminated#.UQCJYaXEis0 We have a responsibility to prevent the extinction of animals and control their numbers also…The effect of the extinction of various species may seem to be of no particular interest or significance until that chain of events leads back to include humanity. But then it would be too late to do anything about that.

11 years ago. Rating: 7
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