Human meddling is the thing that most upsets the ecology, nature will
correct the imbalance as it has done since god created the universe. If
you remove one feral species, say cats another will flourish eg mice and
rabbits. We cannot get rid of all the ferals, the best we can hope for
is an imperfect imbalance held up by human meddling. Aren't we just
adding more ferals eg the calisi virus, cane toads etc., hoping to get
rid of the ferals already here.
I didn't say cats should not be enclosed, I said I don't believe it is
the "kindest thing".
I'm not sure what the extinction figures include but I would be
surprised if they said 3% for ferals and still included that in 97% for
humans, I'll try and find the details.
On another topic I was wondering if the bird mail list is doing anything
to help the battery hens in Australia that are tortured their whole
lives? Or is the chicken considered a feral and therefore has no rights?
If you wish I can forward you some information from Animal Liberation
about battery hens that you could forward to the list.
----------
From: Brandis, Chris CC
To: Hoschke, Andrew AH
Subject: RE: Save our birds. Desex cat supporters.
Date: Monday, 29 September 1997 1:57AM
I agree that humans are the biggest pest, but they the only creatures
that can correct the imbalance, eg water buffalo in NT. Your figure of
3 % is only correct if you blame the humans for introducing the ferrals
in the first place. It is unnatural to keep any animal as a pet, would
you say the same if my "pet" lion ate your family just cause I thought
it cruel to keep it in a cage.
----------
From: Hoschke, Andrew AH
To: Brandis, Chris CC
Cc: 'smtp:
Subject: RE: Save our birds. Desex cat supporters.
Date: Monday, 29 September 1997 9:30AM
Thankyou Chris,
But you're preaching to the converted. All our cats are desexed, they
have an outdoor enclosure for the day and are inside at night. I do
question that "the kindest thing to do for our cats is to keep them
indoors". Surely this is unnatural, would you have a happier life kept
indoors in case you may be run over by a car?
Cats are insignificant when compared to the environmental destruction
humans inflict on the environment. Figures I've seen quoted put 97% of
the extinctions in the last 200 years, in Australia, are due to humans
and less than 3% are due to feral animals. Let's start a campaign DESEX
HUMANS. Why don't we accept that humans are the most hideous affliction
on Australia's environment and stop looking for scapegoats? Is it
because you can see a cat eating a bird and therefore all bird
extinctions are due to cats? Let's ignore the air and water pollution
causing birds to become infertile, and noise and light pollution causing
birds stress and driving them away from their nests we can even ignore
that we are destroying their habitat and their foods habitat at a
phenomenal rate, because I saw a cat eat a bird. Or is it because I LOVE
birds therefore my actions could not be hurting birds, this steak I'm
eating comes from a native cow living in a natural environment, acres of
land weren't cleared to grow the cow and it's food, huge amounts of
pollution weren't created producing the infrastructure to kill, butcher
and package this cow, natural eco-systems weren't upset by producing and
dumping fertilisers on the land for this cows food, no land or water
degradation was caused by the fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides,
antibiotics, hormones, etc., used in the production of this cow; cats
must have killed the birds.
I hope I haven't offended you with this, but it is an emotive issue and
cats have been getting a lot of bad press lately. I agree cats should be
desexed and kept away from native wildlife; but cats are not the
villains.
Your's sincerely
Andrew
----------
From: Brandis, Chris CC
To: Hoschke, Andrew AH
Subject: FW: Save our birds. Desex cat supporters.
Date: Monday, 29 September 1997 7:38AM
FYI
----------
From: Glen Ingram
To:
Subject: Save our birds. Desex cat supporters.
Date: Sunday, 28 September 1997 12:19PM
For those Birding-aussers who still celebrate their cats. Of course,
both the cats and them need to be desexed!
Let's start a campaign.
DESEX CAT SUPPORTERS.
Glen Ingram
Brisbane, Australia
"He whose laugh lasts, laughs last."
>----------
>From: Richard Danca[SMTP:
>Sent: Friday, 26 September 1997 9:50AM
>To:
>Subject: [BIRDCHAT] It's official: Free-running cats kill birds
>
>WASHINGTON (Reuter) -- For the sake of birds, small wildlife and your
>cat, keep your cat indoors, animal welfare groups said Wednesday.
>
>Launching a national awareness campaign, the Humane Society of the
>United States (HSUS) and the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) held a
news
>conference to try to persuade cat owners that their pets will live
>longer, healthier lives indoors.
>
>And hundreds of millions of birds and other wildlife killed each year
by
>cats will be spared.
>
>"Our message is simple: free roaming cats kill birds and other
wildlife,
>spread disease, and suffer themselves," George Fenwick, ABC president,
>said in a statement.
>
>"Outdoor cats are run over by cars, mauled by dogs, poisoned, and lost
>by the millions every year. The suffering endured by cats and birds is
>all the more tragic because it is unnecessary," John Grundy, HSUS
senior
>vice president, said.
>
>A four-year study by scientists at the University of Wisconsin
estimated
>that free-roaming cats kill at least 7.8 million and possibly up to 217
>million birds a year in Wisconsin. Just one rural cat may kill more
than
>100 animals in a year, according to the study cited by the animal
>advocacy groups.
>
>As non-native predators without a natural niche in the ecosystem, cats
>may beat out native predators such as owls and raptors. Isolated
>remaining fragments of wildlife habitat become easy hunting grounds for
>cats, the groups said.
>
>But while cats are generally successful hunters, outdoor pets typically
>just live two to five years, falling victim to poisons, automobiles and
>other hazards, they said.
>
>"This campaign is not cats versus birds; it's cats and birds. Cats'
>needs can be accommodated indoors, and the kindest thing to do for our
>cats is to keep them indoors," Martha Armstrong, HSUS vice president
for
>companion animals, said.
>
>In addition to urging pet owners to keep their cats indoors, the
>campaign will try to discourage people from feeding strays unless they
>intend to adopt them and keep them indoors, and encourage humane
removal
>of cats from areas protected for wildlife.
>
>Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
>
>
>
>
>--
>===
>Richard Danca, Newton, Mass.
>===
>
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