Fewer pastures, fields and farms means fewer insects means fewer birds means cats hunting small birds makes a greater impact on the bird population - that's the way it is.
Cats spreading toxoplasma gondii is a fact, too.
Cats being vectors for ticks and therefore tick-borne diseases is a fact. (And rabies, anthrax, and other diseases and parasites.)
That cats massacre smaller animals despite not needing to is a fact.
Solution? Offer free neutering/spaying of domestic cats and ask insurance companies to lower the premium for neutered/spayed cats. This would immediately limit the population. Also, catch and replace or euthanise wild cats. F.e. the city of Malmö in Sweden (pop. 330k) has an estimated population of feral cats numbering above 3 000 in the winter, and 5 000 in the summer. Sadly, these feral cats don't make a dent in the sity's rat population, instead targeting small birds, water salamanders, frogs and such.
Neutering, spaying, and catch-replace/euthanise is far cheaper, more humane and simpler than any other measure.
Look at it like this: would we tolerate semi-wild dogs behaving the way cats do, killing livestock and game animals, defecating wherever and helping to spread parasites and diseases? We wouldn't, not only because dogs would be a more obvious and immediate danger to humans but because it is something that's easy to prevent and put a stop to.
And because it's simply wrong to allow it to exist, according to our cultures. We're not turks, greeks, spaniards, or other southern peoples happy to let feral packs of dogs roam free excepting the occasional half-hearted cull.
Leash-laws for cats, climate whatever re: pets, and vegan dogs are simply to stupid to warrant anything but an unprinatble response. Sadly, I'm not surprised that the most insane and inane "solutions" are being discussed by "experts" - the actual causative patterns and solutions (as mentioned above) are far too simple for them to even consider.
The decline in insects is more due to petrochemicals, esp. glyphosate ('RoundUp') I think; it it's not that product, many other culprits come to mind, but the bottom line is that the mass death of insects is quite likely not due to cats eating birds. This is borne out by the fact that until the late 1980s (in North America) and late 1990s (Europe), that particular product was not available. It was not before that rough point in time that insect populations (as 'measured' by dead bugs and creepies on windshields) decreased markedly. Incidentally, we note the massive rise in gluten-related allergies from around the same time onward. Bottom line: insects are dying, but it was quite likely not the cats' doing.
As regards rodents in cities, I agree that local cat populations don't make a difference, and I think it's for roughly the same reasons: incredible amounts of human food that ends in trash bins (or next to it), which provides ample food for rodents and felines (as well as certain birds, such as crows).
Your point is well taken, with Romania and Spain serving as 'good' examples of humans letting go of them because…reasons.
As to regional cultural differences, well, I tentatively agree, although I'd add that (buying) owning a dog in particular is quite expensive in the North, which indicates that in this regard, Mr Market is working as intended…
I'm all for people loving their animals, and treating them appropriately. However, people do stupid and irresponsible things, and animal shelters overflowing due to people having acquired dogs and cats during the pandemic, with no need for them anymore now that the pandemic is over, is a sad issue.
And them cats do consume a lot of meat! I sometimes entertain myself by Fermi-type questions. There are around 15 million cats in Germany. If each cat requires 100 grams of meat every day, using cows as currency for meat and assuming 730 kilograms per cow (a bit too much, but easier for computation), those 15 million cats consume the equivalent of 750,000 cows per year. Just think of all the methane, and the effect on climate... :)
People do stupid things, indeed, and the sad story about shelters overflowing with now-unwanted animals is soul-wrenching.
As to the food intake, well, you raise a valid point, although I'm unsure about the actual food intake. If our cat is any guide, yes, she leaves dead mice lying around the yard (and she occasionally kills birds, too), but she typically comes in for food, perhaps because she knows there's always 'more' inside?
Fewer pastures, fields and farms means fewer insects means fewer birds means cats hunting small birds makes a greater impact on the bird population - that's the way it is.
Cats spreading toxoplasma gondii is a fact, too.
Cats being vectors for ticks and therefore tick-borne diseases is a fact. (And rabies, anthrax, and other diseases and parasites.)
That cats massacre smaller animals despite not needing to is a fact.
Solution? Offer free neutering/spaying of domestic cats and ask insurance companies to lower the premium for neutered/spayed cats. This would immediately limit the population. Also, catch and replace or euthanise wild cats. F.e. the city of Malmö in Sweden (pop. 330k) has an estimated population of feral cats numbering above 3 000 in the winter, and 5 000 in the summer. Sadly, these feral cats don't make a dent in the sity's rat population, instead targeting small birds, water salamanders, frogs and such.
Neutering, spaying, and catch-replace/euthanise is far cheaper, more humane and simpler than any other measure.
Look at it like this: would we tolerate semi-wild dogs behaving the way cats do, killing livestock and game animals, defecating wherever and helping to spread parasites and diseases? We wouldn't, not only because dogs would be a more obvious and immediate danger to humans but because it is something that's easy to prevent and put a stop to.
And because it's simply wrong to allow it to exist, according to our cultures. We're not turks, greeks, spaniards, or other southern peoples happy to let feral packs of dogs roam free excepting the occasional half-hearted cull.
Leash-laws for cats, climate whatever re: pets, and vegan dogs are simply to stupid to warrant anything but an unprinatble response. Sadly, I'm not surprised that the most insane and inane "solutions" are being discussed by "experts" - the actual causative patterns and solutions (as mentioned above) are far too simple for them to even consider.
The decline in insects is more due to petrochemicals, esp. glyphosate ('RoundUp') I think; it it's not that product, many other culprits come to mind, but the bottom line is that the mass death of insects is quite likely not due to cats eating birds. This is borne out by the fact that until the late 1980s (in North America) and late 1990s (Europe), that particular product was not available. It was not before that rough point in time that insect populations (as 'measured' by dead bugs and creepies on windshields) decreased markedly. Incidentally, we note the massive rise in gluten-related allergies from around the same time onward. Bottom line: insects are dying, but it was quite likely not the cats' doing.
As regards rodents in cities, I agree that local cat populations don't make a difference, and I think it's for roughly the same reasons: incredible amounts of human food that ends in trash bins (or next to it), which provides ample food for rodents and felines (as well as certain birds, such as crows).
Your point is well taken, with Romania and Spain serving as 'good' examples of humans letting go of them because…reasons.
As to regional cultural differences, well, I tentatively agree, although I'd add that (buying) owning a dog in particular is quite expensive in the North, which indicates that in this regard, Mr Market is working as intended…
I'm all for people loving their animals, and treating them appropriately. However, people do stupid and irresponsible things, and animal shelters overflowing due to people having acquired dogs and cats during the pandemic, with no need for them anymore now that the pandemic is over, is a sad issue.
And them cats do consume a lot of meat! I sometimes entertain myself by Fermi-type questions. There are around 15 million cats in Germany. If each cat requires 100 grams of meat every day, using cows as currency for meat and assuming 730 kilograms per cow (a bit too much, but easier for computation), those 15 million cats consume the equivalent of 750,000 cows per year. Just think of all the methane, and the effect on climate... :)
People do stupid things, indeed, and the sad story about shelters overflowing with now-unwanted animals is soul-wrenching.
As to the food intake, well, you raise a valid point, although I'm unsure about the actual food intake. If our cat is any guide, yes, she leaves dead mice lying around the yard (and she occasionally kills birds, too), but she typically comes in for food, perhaps because she knows there's always 'more' inside?
Somebody please check on El Gato Malo ❤️ 🐈 #CatsLivesMatter
This is amazing thank you.
Relatedly, the Australians are moving at the speed of science in this area of research. Please, no laughing at the clown photo: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-20/scrunchies-prevent-wildlife-death-study-finds/6337222
'The Science™' in action, moving at the speed of itself. Awesome.
When I told my spouse about the above piece, she quickly ended up blaming people's gullibility as they (still) 'trust' experts. Strange world.
The globalists need to be massacred!