I was surprised by the numbers. My cat always tries to escape out the door, but once he makes it, he is terrified and runs back in.
"In a report that scaled up local surveys and pilot studies to national dimensions, scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic cats in the United States — both the pet Fluffies that spend part of the day outdoors and the unnamed strays and ferals that never leave it — kill a median of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year, most of them native mammals like shrews, chipmunks and voles rather than introduced pests like the Norway rat."
I'm not a cat fan but there are a couple of feral cats that have setup shop around my place and they do a good job of keeping down the vermin. They don't want anything to with me or the Wundermutt and that seems to be fine with all parties. I don't put any food or water out for them and they don't come around looking for anything other than what they can find on their own.
I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." - Henry Ford
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges; When the Republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous. - Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Blazer Bob wrote: I remember this story from years, maybe decades ago, there was a movement to bell out door cats for the very same reason.
They reference a report that was submitted in Sep 2012 and just published this month. I am sure there have been lots of published articles about this. I just thought the numbers were incredible.
Two of our kittens ambush me, with malice aforethought, on a regular basis. I'm their wildlife substitute, as none of our cats go outside.
Our next-door neighbor has two indoor/outdoor cats that are phenomenal hunters. We haven't had mice in the garage for a couple of years, and they stalk the woodpile all summer keeping down the chipmunk population. I don't like them getting the birds that feed below the seed feeders, however.
Rick wrote: Cats are evil... I got bit by one and my hand swelled up like a grapefruit
I could be wrong but don't think you are supposed to pick cats up by the tail... :Whistle
I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." - Henry Ford
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges; When the Republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous. - Publius Cornelius Tacitus
