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I would support a ban against keeping cats as pets in Australia (and eventually their complete eradication from the continent). I don't think I am about to get
by oska 7y ago
I would support a ban against keeping cats as pets in Australia (and eventually their complete eradication from the continent).
I don't think I am about to get my way anytime soon though so I applaud those people with pet cats who keep them inside 100% of the time. I also applaud cat microchipping and registration controls that are increasingly being rolled out and enforced.
- viraptor 7y ago100% inside is not great description. Contained is better. I've got a secured garden that the cats can go to, but can't get out of. I've never seen a bird killed there (compared to >1 a month with unrestricted cats). Anyway, my point is that we're likely after contained cats than inside cats. It gives them more fun and makes the house cleaner as well.
- bmer 7y agoCan we just eradicate all foreign comers in the last 200 years from Australia? Perhaps one of the worst losses in Australia has been the near extermination of the native human population by a vigorously violent outside group of humans (who also were the ones that brought along the cats). Note: this comes from an animal lover (and sure, I have a soft spot for cats) who finds flippant regards like "their complete eradication from the continent". Nothing should ever be considered for eradication. The lazy solution is to eradicate. The hard solution is to "empathize" (i.e. study the 'problematic' component within a complex system) and figure out how to create a new space for it within the system/reconfigure the system around it.
- lolc 7y agoCats once had a function in pest control. These days, we're keeping cats solely for our pleasure. We can be the ones to not keep them anymore. I find that people who lock cats inside don't empathize with them much. And those who let them roam don't empathize much with wildlife. The best system may be the one where cats are not considered pets anymore.
- malvosenior 7y agoDon’t people still keep cats for pest control? They’re really good at it.
- lolc 7y agoIt is rarely a consideration.
- jaclaz 7y agoWell, it depends on where you live. In the country having a few cats means no mice, no rats, no snakes around the house.
- malvosenior 7y agoYou must not live in a place with a lot of rodents. Cats are regularly employed to help keep them out of your house. This goes for the city and country. Cats are super useful in New York for instance.
- upvotinglurker 7y agoSmall farms that keep grain-fed livestock absolutely do.
- thatcat 7y agoYou could say the same for dogs though right?
- lolc 7y agoAbsolutely. Using dogs for hunting is considered barbaric these days.
- malvosenior 7y agoDogs are still very useful as home protection.