4 ms·

Are you suggesting we should ignore an ecological disaster because the perpetrators are "just doing their job"? Citing the historical reasons for their existen

Are you suggesting we should ignore an ecological disaster because the perpetrators are "just doing their job"? Citing the historical reasons for their existence doesn't really help the case that they aren't a problem now because the exact reason that it's now and not then. Cats may have had a purpose when they were introduced but in most cases they don't actually serve that purpose anymore. And we can ignore that point entirely because feral cats don't even fit the definition of animals with a job to begin with. They aren't owned by anyone, they are just another animal in the environment. One that happens to be an invasive species causing extraordinary damage to the environment.

BFatts 10y ago
Just stop. Stop bickering about cats being the problem. The problem is humans... We are the problem. Their existence is due to us. Their domestication is due to us.
- smallnamespace 10y ago
  Certainly. So what should humans do about the cats?
  - ferentchak 10y ago
    In practice it seems bring them snacks and put them in cute sweaters.
  - Kliment 10y ago
    Spay/neuter your pet. It's the most effective thing to do.
  - tunesmith 10y ago
    I did some back-of-the-envelope math a while back that showed that if we wanted to make demand-of-pets match the supply-of-cats-and-dogs in the US, we'd basically each have to have one pet, at all times, for our entire lives. So, a family of four would need four pets. New baby: additional pet. Pet dies: get a new pet. One for each person at all times. Barring that, if you want to minimize suffering of future stray cats/dogs (or limit environmental impact), it makes sense to do a one-time massive nationwide effort of scooping up all stray cats and dogs, and either spaying/neutering them, or culling them.
  - webkike 10y ago
    Probably just have fewer cats
  - haimez 10y ago
    Get out of the way and let cats solve the problem! We're the problem, let them solve us!
    - vinchuco 10y ago
      I love comments like this for reminding me to do something more productive with my life.
  - eli_gottlieb 10y ago
    Allow people to own dogs? I know where I live, many pet-owners who could have gone either way choose a cat just because there are almost no landlords who allow dogs.
- paavokoya 10y ago
  It seems this thread is filled with defensive cat-lovers who have no argument other than to bury heads in the sand.
  - wruza 10y ago
    Cat loving is known to be related to toxoplasmosis. Kitty-kitty!
sien 10y ago
There is a new view in biology that accepts that humans have introduced new species and there are many examples where mass killing just won't work anymore. http://e360.yale.edu/feature/courting_controversy_with_a_new_view_on_exotic_species/2212/ http://e360.yale.edu/feature/courting_controversy_with_a_new... It's too late to go and kill all the cats. It's been tried in Australia for decades and it's a dismal failure. It's arguable that trying to kill cats or rabbits or whatever now is just species Xenophobia.
icantdrive55 10y ago
What if cats were god's way of controlling human population? Yea--this is wrong on so many levels, but in my case, cats--I adored, prevented me from having a child, or cut back the probality. O.k.--yes, my pills haven't quite kicked it, but in my wild dating days in San Francisco, I dated a few women. Two of which were serious relationships. They both had cats. I am very allergic to cats. This will sound harsh, but when those thoughts of "Could I live with her--for more than a weekend?" The thought of taking Benadryl 24/7 entered into the picture. Now we did have some fun times. Times where could have produced a baby--many babies? Statistically those cats cut back on our probality of having a child. At one point my father, and myself were both dating women in San Francisco at the same time. Don't ask--long story. We had this conversation about cats, and procreation many times. I once took him to the hospital over an asthma attack. He called me from a first date. "Son--pick me up at ______, in the Richmond district. I just noticed a cat in the apartment." I got him to the hospital, but it is was a close call. I injected him with two epi pens while in transit, with no improvement in the car. We got lucky that night. I still love cats though! Not as much as dogs, but love them.

BFatts 10y ago

Just stop. Stop bickering about cats being the problem. The problem is humans... We are the problem. Their existence is due to us. Their domestication is due to us.

smallnamespace 10y ago
Certainly. So what should humans do about the cats?
- ferentchak 10y ago
  In practice it seems bring them snacks and put them in cute sweaters.
- Kliment 10y ago
  Spay/neuter your pet. It's the most effective thing to do.
- tunesmith 10y ago
  I did some back-of-the-envelope math a while back that showed that if we wanted to make demand-of-pets match the supply-of-cats-and-dogs in the US, we'd basically each have to have one pet, at all times, for our entire lives. So, a family of four would need four pets. New baby: additional pet. Pet dies: get a new pet. One for each person at all times. Barring that, if you want to minimize suffering of future stray cats/dogs (or limit environmental impact), it makes sense to do a one-time massive nationwide effort of scooping up all stray cats and dogs, and either spaying/neutering them, or culling them.
- webkike 10y ago
  Probably just have fewer cats
- haimez 10y ago
  Get out of the way and let cats solve the problem! We're the problem, let them solve us!
  - vinchuco 10y ago
    I love comments like this for reminding me to do something more productive with my life.
- eli_gottlieb 10y ago
  Allow people to own dogs? I know where I live, many pet-owners who could have gone either way choose a cat just because there are almost no landlords who allow dogs.
paavokoya 10y ago
It seems this thread is filled with defensive cat-lovers who have no argument other than to bury heads in the sand.
- wruza 10y ago
  Cat loving is known to be related to toxoplasmosis. Kitty-kitty!

sien 10y ago

There is a new view in biology that accepts that humans have introduced new species and there are many examples where mass killing just won't work anymore. http://e360.yale.edu/feature/courting_controversy_with_a_new_view_on_exotic_species/2212/ http://e360.yale.edu/feature/courting_controversy_with_a_new... It's too late to go and kill all the cats. It's been tried in Australia for decades and it's a dismal failure. It's arguable that trying to kill cats or rabbits or whatever now is just species Xenophobia.

icantdrive55 10y ago

What if cats were god's way of controlling human population? Yea--this is wrong on so many levels, but in my case, cats--I adored, prevented me from having a child, or cut back the probality. O.k.--yes, my pills haven't quite kicked it, but in my wild dating days in San Francisco, I dated a few women. Two of which were serious relationships. They both had cats. I am very allergic to cats. This will sound harsh, but when those thoughts of "Could I live with her--for more than a weekend?" The thought of taking Benadryl 24/7 entered into the picture. Now we did have some fun times. Times where could have produced a baby--many babies? Statistically those cats cut back on our probality of having a child. At one point my father, and myself were both dating women in San Francisco at the same time. Don't ask--long story. We had this conversation about cats, and procreation many times. I once took him to the hospital over an asthma attack. He called me from a first date. "Son--pick me up at ______, in the Richmond district. I just noticed a cat in the apartment." I got him to the hospital, but it is was a close call. I injected him with two epi pens while in transit, with no improvement in the car. We got lucky that night. I still love cats though! Not as much as dogs, but love them.