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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.=20
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.=20
=20
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.=20
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
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Nicholas Hill=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
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.=20
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).=20
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-pest=
icides-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.=20
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
www.cwrc.net
Find us on Facebook and Twitter
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+wil=
l+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
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<DIV>Hi Nick & All, =
=20
Jan 24, =
2016</DIV>
<DIV> <EM> </EM>I agree Nick. As you likely are =
aware,=20
cat is a four letter word on Naturens for many flawed reasons. Some cats =
are,=20
without doubt, born hunters and this trait was at one time highly =
regarded as in=20
"the mother is a great mouser". But most current cats are born couch =
potatoes.=20
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In our own yard we have had shortening =
available=20
year round for 4 (?) years (and over winter for >45 years), =
within=20
easy leap of an interested cat, and about 10 neighbourhood cats who =
wander=20
in and out from time to time. But I have seen a cat expressing interest =
in birds=20
only once and it t