jacksdad Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 I've got a cat, well, Jack has, which he is very fond of. Jack is disabled and confined to a wheelchair, 'Ozzy' loves to sit with Jack and will sit on his lap for ages, so the cat is important to us: the same applies to many households where a cat is a much loved companion that is somewhat 'low maintenance'. I have put up 4 nestboxes in my garden, and about 10 on one of my permissions, around the house/stables mainly, and all are used most years, so hopefully I've offset any kills that Ozzy makes (he has never brought a bird home, btw, only mice) I think that the reduction of gardens, hedges etc has had the most effect in urban areas, block paving and concrete fences don't provide much for any wildlife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Cats are undoubtedly having a huge impact on bird numbers. As for people blaming farming, a lot of farmers are being paid money to replant hedges and manage existing ones. I'm not going to argue than intensive farming hasn't had an impact though. You could have thousands of square miles of organic farmland with miles and miles of hedges and beetle banks. If you have feral cats, bird numbers will recover very slowly if at all. There is more to the bird decline than cats but there is also more to the bird decline than intensive farming. I don't understand why cats are allowed to roam. Should have the same rules as dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyshooter Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Ooooh, so thats why the pigeon population has been going down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Mods - perhaps this topic need to be locked as the simpletons as usual are taking it over again. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Ignoring the simpletons, the RSPB do not seem to think that cat's are a problem and I quote "Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds." Disbelievers may find this article interesting........My link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 there's no denying cats cause a major problem, magpies too, we've got a couple in the back garden now doing their patrols through the trees and hedges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyshooter Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 As a young simpleton back in the 50's Sparrows, starlings and other birds were seen as pests and shot with out a thought, too many to count, there was a dawn chorus, kids collected birds eggs, birds were taken for granted, not so many street and road lights then, to upset night, and day light. Bought up in the sticks I done the usual, walked to school across fields etc, the fields are two housing estats now with the usual houses and bungalows, block paved drives, open plan, all very neat and tidy. Haldly ever saw a magpie back then, squirrels were quite unusual to see as well. nower days, on the drive to a lake I have, through the country roads, it is quite unusual not to see a road kill or two with corvids in attendance. In short, if you hate cats, you hate cats, but this simpleton knows it is man who is the major blame for the song bird decline, and as a simpleton, am not about to agree to passing the buck just because some guy on the box has impressed his opinion on his veiwers. No affence guys, just a simpleton's thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 we had two broods of blue tits in the garden not that long ago between the magpiesw and the resident sparrow hawk i think only one of the young from both nest that i have seen survived the sparrow hawk picked them off the fence almost every morning and the magies had the other nest 20 odd small birds gone and not one cat in sight just out of intrest how many people clean and disinfect there bird feeders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchie the white hunter Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 FRENCHIEBOY WHAT EVER YOU DO DONT GO ROUND TAKING VIDEO'S OF CATS :lol: ,The cat subject has been covered many a time on here and still does not change my veiws on the wild/steeling/smelly/uggly/vermin !!!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Try as hard as I can I still end up thinking that cats are a waist of perfectly good fur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Do you mean Waste dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Whichever way you look at it cats are not wild animals, they are an alien species and they kill 500,000 songbirds a year. Whether or not bird populations can sustain those losses that's still 500,000 mortalities over and above natural wastage. It is also true that humans are responsible for far more carnage than cats. In the 1950s of Flyshooter's youth there were 25 million fewer people in the country as a whole and those who lived in the countryside were predominately country people. Nowadays the vast majority of the rural population are urban migrants. They have urban habits, urban sensibilities and urban houses and gardens. And urban attitudes to animals including pets. Nor will it do to blame farmers for destructive farming methods. They don't have much choice when 70 million people expect to be able to eat themselves to death out of a supermarket trolley on less than 10% of their income. You can't do that and live in an unspoiled arcadian paradise. There are far too many cats and far too many people. Give me the birds any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyshooter Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 Whichever way you look at it cats are not wild animals, they are an alien species and they kill 500,000 songbirds a year. Whether or not bird populations can sustain those losses that's still 500,000 mortalities over and above natural wastage. It is also true that humans are responsible for far more carnage than cats. In the 1950s of Flyshooter's youth there were 25 million fewer people in the country as a whole and those who lived in the countryside were predominately country people. Nowadays the vast majority of the rural population are urban migrants. They have urban habits, urban sensibilities and urban houses and gardens. And urban attitudes to animals including pets. Nor will it do to blame farmers for destructive farming methods. They don't have much choice when 70 million people expect to be able to eat themselves to death out of a supermarket trolley on less than 10% of their income. You can't do that and live in an unspoiled arcadian paradise. There are far too many cats and far too many people. Give me the birds any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 The bit that really gets up my nose with cat owners is when you complain about their cat crapping in your garden they come out with "well, it's a wild animal after all". When you threaten to blow it to Kingdom come they change to "oh, don't do that, it's part of the family after all" So come on, what's it to be? Is it a pet, that you should be controling, or is it a wild animal that anyone can eradicate? Make your minds up. what he said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 The thing that I can never understand with cat people is why is one never enough they have to have two then three then the strays come along whereas for the most part dog people tend to have just one or two and are quite content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeedoodlepigeon Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I have all the cats in the neighbourhood in my garden. My security light is on more than it is off costing me a lot more than it cost one owner to feed it per week. I have many bird feeder out all over the garden including ones stuck to my window for a better view of the birds, but all I see is the local cats hiding in the trees near the feeders or keeping really still on top of a fence so they can pounce on them as they are feeding. My problem isn't only them walking all over my car or bike scratching them or crapping everywhere it all costs me money....why should it!!! I think it should be legal for me to trap anything that comes into my garden and take it to a far away cat and dog home with its collar on with my neighbours number and address on it so they will have to drive miles and cover the cost of them housing it for a day or two till they get the message to keep it on a lead or not to bother picking it up at all. Saves any argument and trouble from dealing with it any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 My problem isn't only them walking all over my car or bike scratching them What, that knackered old landy? Seriously? I can't stand the things. I used to find the best way to deal with neighbours cats was to creep up on them, grab them by the scruff and lob them in the pond! There was no long term ill effect but they didn't come in the garden often afterwards! If they did it was a quick dash for their lives, no hanging around dumping on my veg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1957 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I have all the cats in the neighbourhood in my garden. My security light is on more than it is off costing me a lot more than it cost one owner to feed it per week. Your choice to have a security light... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Do you mean Waste dave The problem is people say why do you not use the spell checker the problem is if you cannot spell how do you now if it is giving you the correct word :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 The problem is people say why do you not use the spell checker the problem is if you cannot spell how do you now if it is giving you the correct word :lol: That's a fair point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I think it should be legal for me to trap anything that comes into my garden Oh yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the pelt man Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) I have all the cats in the neighbourhood in my garden. My security light is on more than it is off costing me a lot more than it cost one owner to feed it per week. I have many bird feeder out all over the garden including ones stuck to my window for a better view of the birds, but all I see is the local cats hiding in the trees near the feeders or keeping really still on top of a fence so they can pounce on them as they are feeding. My problem isn't only them walking all over my car or bike scratching them or crapping everywhere it all costs me money....why should it!!! I think it should be legal for me to trap anything that comes into my garden and take it to a far away cat and dog home with its collar on with my neighbours number and address on it so they will have to drive miles and cover the cost of them housing it for a day or two till they get the message to keep it on a lead or not to bother picking it up at all. Saves any argument and trouble from dealing with it any other way. ME ME ME As a young simpleton back in the 50's Sparrows, starlings and other birds were seen as pests and shot with out a thought, too many to count, there was a dawn chorus, kids collected birds eggs, birds were taken for granted, not so many street and road lights then, to upset night, and day light. Bought up in the sticks I done the usual, walked to school across fields etc, the fields are two housing estats now with the usual houses and bungalows, block paved drives, open plan, all very neat and tidy. Haldly ever saw a magpie back then, squirrels were quite unusual to see as well. nower days, on the drive to a lake I have, through the country roads, it is quite unusual not to see a road kill or two with corvids in attendance. In short, if you hate cats, you hate cats, but this simpleton knows it is man who is the major blame for the song bird decline, and as a simpleton, am not about to agree to passing the buck just because some guy on the box has impressed his opinion on his veiwers. No affence guys, just a simpleton's thoughts. Edited June 22, 2012 by the pelt man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeedoodlepigeon Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Your choice to have a security light... Oh yes it is my choice to have a security light and not to have cats so you are right its obvious which one has to go. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Oh yes it is my choice to have a security light and not to have cats so you are right its obvious which one has to go. Thanks On the other hand........ Does your security light spread its light into other people's gardens and houses where its not wanted...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeedoodlepigeon Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I suppose it could do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.