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osoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:offic --001a113ec9985bd4b8052a1938c7 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Patrick..i hate science when it castigates my sacred cats! We now agree to reduce the impact. ..and make sure we nova Scotians provide a bird friendly landscape. Thanks Nick On Jan 24, 2016 11:52 AM, "David & Alison Webster" <dwebster@glinx.com> wrote: > Hi Nick & All, Jan 24, 2016 > I agree Nick. As you likely are aware, cat is a four letter word on > Naturens for many flawed reasons. Some cats are, without doubt, born > hunters and this trait was at one time highly regarded as in "the mother is > a great mouser". But most current cats are born couch potatoes. > > In our own yard we have had shortening available year round for 4 > (?) years (and over winter for >45 years), within easy leap of an > interested cat, and about 10 neighbourhood cats who wander in and out from > time to time. But I have seen a cat expressing interest in birds only once > and it took off like a scared cat when I tapped on the window. > > Apart from the odd Shrew dropped on the doorstep the only cat/other > animal interaction I have observed in our yard is our cat being hounded > indoors many times one summer by a Blue Jay with a nearby nest and out cat > being attacked by a Raccoon who had apparently forgotten to go back home > before dawn. > > And yes it is best all round to keep cats in at night and harmless to > let them run in the daytime but punish if necessary undue interest in > birds. > > This would a wonderful world, that beats even the song of that name, > if our worst problem was cats snoring in some patch of sunlight outdoors. > > Yt, DW, Kentville > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Nicholas Hill <fernhillns@gmail.com> > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Sent:* Sunday, January 24, 2016 10:37 AM > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] Vancouver has new "bird strategy" > > Grayson and Calver (2004, Regulation of cat ownership to protect urban > wildlife: a justification based on the precautionary approach. Royal > Zoological Society NSW 169-178) found previously that Cat Density was not > a predictor of passerine numbers but that distance to bushland and the > density of urban housing were (both negative factors). In the study cited > above (regulation of cat ownership etc), they conclude that "cat welfare is > the key issue in a precautionary approach for protection which respects > interests of cat owners". Cat welfare means keeping the beasts in at night > and desexing them so that we do not have a feral cat problem. In the > country here, people let cats breed in outbuildings and this leads to a > desperate situation for these cats and for wildlife. > Other authors warned that conclusions drawn in Britain over the impact of > cats (million birds and small mammals killed) were drawn from data on one > single village study in Felmersham. This author (BM Fitzgerald, 1990. is > cat control needed to protect wildlife? Environmental Conservation 17: > 168-169) questioned the extrapolation which we should in a rural area like > NS where birdlife is spread widely over woodland and clearings > > We have 3 desexed rescue cats that are in at night and well fed. There is > a local impact on mouse, vole and shrew (no birds seen taken yet) but the > population of these animals is greatly increased by the landuse round the > house..as was observed in Felmersham (rodents and house sparrows there). > > Surely all of the following factors need to be considered before we > relegate the cat to the indoors: > > woodland edges..plant more trees > brush piles..dont be tidy, a pile of woody debris is a refuge for small > birds and voles > sustainable agriculture..minimize use of pesticide sprays (see the " > Declines in insectivorous birds associated w hi levels of neonicotinoid" in > Nature 511: 341-3 (2014) and > http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140709-birds-insects-pesticides-insecticides-neonicotinoids-silent-spring/ > ) > > Cats connect people to nature, to animals that still have independence and > aloofness and are not wholly removed from primary adaptations. This makes > them attractive in connecting and grounding us but it also is why I might > be hammering away in their defense as they are still predators. The elderly > are given robotic substitutes for pets which only reinforces our need of > connection with the rest of the living world. > > Nick > > > > > On Sat, Jan 23, 2016 at 11:41 PM, Helene Van Doninck < > helene.birdvet@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Nice to see the endorsement for keeping cats indoors! >> >> Helene >> >> Helene Van Doninck DVM >> Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre >> 2220 Irwin Lake Rd Brookfield NS Canada B0N1C0 >> 902-893-0253 >> helene.birdvet@gmail.com <birdvet@hotmail.com> >> www.cwrc.net >> Find us on Facebook >> <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cobequid-Wildlife-Rehabilitation-Centre/134671693239334> and >> Twitter <https://twitter.com/CobequiWildlife> >> >> >> On Sat, Jan 23, 2016 at 11:35 PM, N Robinson <nrobbyn@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> >>> http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/city+vancouver+hopes+bird+strategy+will+take+flight/10438095/story.html >>> >> >> > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2016.0.7294 / Virus Database: 4522/11472 - Release Date: 01/24/16 > > --001a113ec9985bd4b8052a1938c7 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <p dir=3D"ltr">Patrick..i hate science when it castigates my sacred cats! W= e now agree to reduce the impact. </p> <p dir=3D"ltr">..and make sure we nova Scotians provide a bird friendly lan= dscape.</p> <p dir=3D"ltr">Thanks <br> Nick</p> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Jan 24, 2016 11:52 AM, "David & Alis= on Webster" <<a href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">dwebster@glinx.c= om</a>> wrote:<br type=3D"attribution"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote"= style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u= ></u> <div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff"> <div>Hi Nick & All,=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=20 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Jan 24, 2016</div> <div>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0<em>=C2=A0 </em>I agree Nick. As you likely are awar= e,=20 cat is a four letter word on Naturens for many flawed reasons. Some cats ar= e,=20 withou