next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects
--_000_SN1PR18MB0381308242DE3AEA374B65A9B7C60SN1PR18MB0381namp_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi All,
The argument that "barn cats" are needed to keep the rodent population =
under control is a red herring. Almost no one is saying we should get rid o=
f "barn cats". In fact the "barn cat" population has declined drastically o=
ver the past few decades as the number of family farm barns has declined. T=
he real cat predation problem is in cities, not rural areas; although it is=
a problem there too.
The bird predation by cats debate reminds me of the climate change deb=
ate. Both have virtually all scientific research on one side of the argumen=
t with the opposition relying on anecdotal evidence, snarky put-downs and/o=
r a few scientific studies funded by parties with either a financial or ide=
ological bias in their favor to make their case. All the best.
Fritz McEvoy
________________________________
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> on beha=
lf of rita.paul@ns.sympatico.ca <rita.paul@ns.sympatico.ca>
Sent: January 24, 2016 4:26 PM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Vancouver has new "bird strategy"
Nick - that's what barn cats are for - keeping populations
of rodents and flying rodents under control. Pigeons, starlings
sparrows - the English kind are all rodents.
The cats help keep a barn clean and do their best
work at night when its dark!
Imagion telling a farmer to lock up his cats at night - near as bad
as the fellow who wanted the farmer to delay cutting his hay for some reaso=
n!
Enjoy the winter
Paul
On January 24, 2016 at 1:37 PM Nicholas Hill <fernhillns@gmail.com> wrote:
yes Darrell, they have an impact. My point is that this factor is overblown=
and is not put in context of the many other factors that are truly reducin=
g bird populations in the temperate region:
climate change
land use (e.g. short rotation forestry)
pesticides
oil?
Cats, cars, windturbines, reflective glass would be minor in comparison and=
I'd suggest we first focus on the major causes of decline and then look at=
tempering the minor threats which we are not going to fully eliminate as t=
hey are part of our life style:
1. Cat--keep cat in at night, fix feral cats and get them places
2. Car--slow down..I killed a swallow last year when in what I thought was =
a hurry
3. Windturbines--research placement of windmills out of flight pathways
4, Glass--hard to know how to reduce bird impacts on existing windows, this=
national geographic article discusses some ways
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141113-bird-safe-glass-wi=
ndow-collision-animals-science/
[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/seo.jpg]<http://news.nationalgeographic=
.com/news/2014/11/141113-bird-safe-glass-window-collision-animals-science/>
Bird-friendly glass could save hundreds of millions<http://news.nationalgeo=
graphic.com/news/2014/11/141113-bird-safe-glass-window-collision-animals-sc=
ience/>
news.nationalgeographic.com
A growing awareness of the threats to bird populations has prompted new law=
s and voluntary guidelines in cities from Toronto to San Francisco.
We won't get anywhere legislating that cats be not allowed out but increasi=
ng attention on barn populations and making people responsible (or finding =
funding for) for fixing barn cats on their property, then suggesting that o=
wners keep their cats in at dusk and night, will have impacts. Currently, t=
his negative focus on cats creates the impression that a biodiversity crisi=
s is the fault of cats not their humans who may also drive cars profligatel=
y and eat crops grown using neonicotinoids.
Nick
On Sun, Jan 24, 2016 at 11:43 AM, <darrell@abolitphotos.ca<mailto:darrell@a=
bolitphotos.ca>> wrote:
I disagree Nick, any animal can become a pest and cats and their irresponsi=
ble owners are exactly that. Myself, living in the countryside where cats a=
re brought to barns and dropped off and many owners letting them roam free,=
I have seen many birds killed. Seen one cat jump up on a cloths line to ki=
ll a saw-whet owl. An impressive predator but way too many (all) at loose i=
n the daytime and night. Dog owners are not allowed to let their animals/pr=
edators roam free and neither should cat owners. No pet should be allowed t=
o roam free to kill at will, period.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
On Sun, 24 Jan 2016 11:24:43 -0400, Don MacNeill < donmacneill@bellaliant.n=
et<mailto:donmacneill@bellaliant.net>> wrote:
I agree Nick.
Don
Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net<mailto:donmacneill@bellaliant.net>
On 24/01/2016 10:37 AM, Nicholas Hill wrote:
Grayson and Calver (2004, Regulation of cat ownership to protect urban wild=
life: a justification based on the precautionary approach. Royal Zoological=
Society NSW 169-178) found previously that Cat Density was not a predicto=
r of passerine numbers but that distance to bushland and the density of urb=
an housing were (both negative factors). In the study cited above (regulat=
ion 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 the=
m so that we do not have a feral cat problem. In the country here, people l=
et cats breed in outbuildings and this leads to a desperate situation for t=
hese cats and for wildlife.
Other authors warned that conclusions drawn in Britain over the impact of c=
ats (million birds and small mammals killed) were drawn from data on one si=
ngle 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 po=
pulation of these animals is greatly increased by the landuse round the hou=
se..as was observed in Felmersham (rodents and house sparrows there).
Surely all of the following factors need to be considered before we relegat=
e the cat to the indoors:
woodland edges..plant more trees
brush piles..dont be tidy, a pile of woody debris i