Every now and then I just have to whack at the hornets’ nest
I’ve been witness to some really entertaining displays of ecological and scientific illiteracy over the past few days, all because I wrote about one particular species of efficient, effective predator — shown below the fold so as not to offend delicate sensibilities.
It went like this: On Monday I found a catted cactus wren in my yard that was missing tail feathers and an eye, and seemed to be going into shock here and there. It ate most of a tomato I’d given it, then disappeared. I haven’t seen it since. I wrote about it at KCET, with the usual admonition that people really ought to consider keeping their kitties inside where possible so that the ecological damage they do can be confined to your sofa, and to the odd plastic bag full of soiled litter heading to a landfill. And the process of getting cows and tuna into little cans. And entire Canadian forests cut down and pulped to print treacly calendars on.
I know better than this. I’ve written about the outdoor cats issue before, and as I said in the article, I know people come unglued when you suggest that keeping the cat inside might not be as “mean” as letting your cat wander around and kill things. Doesn’t matter how much you qualify it, how much you talk about cats you’ve loved, how much you say that not everyone can keep cats inside all the time on account of allergies and other concerns. Certain people come unglued.
There is room for sensible disagreement and discussion on the issue. For instance, take a comment by biologist Madhu Katti in a thread on my Facebork page:
My research on the behavior of birds in cities also suggests that most adult birds don’t really worry about cats too much – at least in species that figure out how to make a living in the city. Yes there are species that are more vulnerable in some places and in some circumstances, and in general it is good to keep cats indoors, but I think there is overreaction on both sides with relatively poor evidence.
I could quibble about disproportionate effects on nestlings and on ground-dwelling species, but the suggestion that evidence is poorer than we’d like is definitely true. I’m also reasonably sympathetic to statements by people who know it’d be better to keep their cat inside but just can’t tell their little beasts “no.” I do understand that, despite the fact that I would never let my cat push me around like… sorry. Just had to jump up and feed someone dinner right away. Where was I?
Anyway, there was some substantive discussion. But there was also this:
the domestic cat is needed to keep the native population at the right sustainable eco level. Lizards rodents and birds can over populate and cause flowers and fruit trees not to pollinate.
and:
Oh Yeah! Like a domestic house cat can screw up the ecosystem! NOT! They get rid of mice and rats. Let them out so they can be themselves. Bet these are the kind of owners that have their claws amputated too.
and especially this:
No,they’re NOT murderers,they are natural born predators,just like any other member of the Feline species.My cat’s 9 years old,she’s been hunting for years,I can’t keep her in the house,it’s nxt to impossible.I don’t like her to hunt birds,and other precious creatures,I feel awful whenever she brings a dead whatever to our door,but what am I to do,wrestle it away from her? Yeah,when pigs fly! Lol Sorry,the way I see it,cats will be cats,dogs will be dogs,we just have to let nature take it’s course,God still rules the Universe,last time I checked,and He knows a lil somethin about how to manage the creatures and the earth’s ecosystem,after all, He created them…
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