Oh boy, I hadn't realised that my short mail would stir up such a
controversy.
But let me make my position clear.
The thought ( fact) of feral cats populating most of this country and
killing /eating everything they can catch is clearly distressing for
those of us concerned with conservation and the environment and we'd
like to think that a) something could be done about eliminating the
feral population and b) that domestic cats are controlled against escape
to a much greater degree than at present. I see local authorities as
seeing these issues as too difficult and/or too controversial to deal
with. Wimps.
Clearly the feral population presents an almost impossible problem
without some breakthrough in elimination technology, but it surely makes
sense for all domestic cats to be under tight physical control, be
registered, just as dogs are, and that strays be impounded by councils (
shires for you eastern types), and that owners of impounded animals
incur a fine and /or retrieval fee. Unclaimed animals unfortunately need
euthanasing after an appropriate retrieval period.
I understand and sympathise with the fact that some people like cats,
just as others like dogs, and like having them as pets to keep and love
and I have no problem with that, but they've got to be under control,
and this includes desexing them just as my own two very small dogs are
controlled and desexed.
Dogs are of course easier to contain than cats - a six or seven foot
fence being an enormous obstacle to most dogs. But to cats, being much
more agile than dogs, such a fence is more of a vantage point than an
obstacle, and is easily got over. So cats need more effective
containment . Cages sound unpleasant but surely if you really want to
keep a cat then some structure similar to an aviary becomes appropriate.
Yes, this will be expensive but do you want a cat or not ? If you do,
then act responsibly.
As for the suggestion that new types of cats could be imported - well,
given the current problems and debate over cats I find the proposal
almost beyond belief. I expect some dealers thinks there's a dollar to
be made and care nothing for the environment, but are we to stand idly
by and let it happen ?
Come on birders, off your chairs.
Tony.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of peter crow
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 11:35 AM
To: Beth Mantle
Cc: Birding-aus
Subject: Scientists rally to keep out 'supercats'
Beth,
I can agree with bits of what you say and greatly disagree with other
bits.
My position is I don't hate cats.
I hate what cats do to native wildlife; lizards,skinks, birds even
grasshoppers.
I dislike those people who can be described as cat owners who have no
sense of responsibility as far as controlling their cats is concerned.
I have some respect to those who own cats and confine (control) them
responsibly.
Your accusations that so many are attacking cat owners is, iI think
quite unreasonable. Its cats behaviour we hate.
After all, all feral cats are descendant from domestic cats released
dumped or whatever by cat owners of some sort. Agreed not all cat
owners behave this way.
Regards
Peter
> No, Simon, I don't think it is acceptable. That is why I support
> responsible cat ownership.
>
> Beth.
>
> On 13/06/2008, at 11:32 AM, wrote:
>
>> "Furthermore, domestic "suburban" cats are making
>> very little difference to suburban ecology for the simple reason that
>> the animals they are killing are dominant species that occur in large
>> numbers"
>>
>> So you are suggesting that because surburban cats are killing
>> common native species that this
>> males it acceptable?
>>
>> Simon Muirhead
>>
>> Quoting Beth Mantle <>:
>>
>>> Ah yes, another opportunity to start "cat-bashing" on the Birding-
>>> Aus
>>>
>>> email list.
>>>
>>> I am wearied by those who relish an opportunity to make bird-loving
>>>
>>> cat-owners seem like traitors to the Australian Ecology. I think it
>>>
>>> is quite rude, and I for one am completely fed up with it. I
>>> find it
>>>
>>> particularly offensive when I am regaled with tales of cat cruelty,
>>> in the name of "saving the Australian natives", usually after I have
>>> confessed to owning a cat (like a criminal - I feel it is a
>>> "confession").
>>>
>>> I could write on for paragraphs as to why (in my humble opinion)
>>> cat-
>>>
>>> bashers are generally quite ignorant about the complexity of the
>>> feral animal problem, and instead use domestic cats as a scape-goat
>>> for
>>> the
>>>
>>> atrocious way we are managing the Australian landscape.
>>>
>>> Instead, read some literature and get informed. Prof, Chris Dickson
>>>
>>> from Sydney University (mentioned in the below article) has himself
>>> said "Despite the abundance of observations linking cats to
>>> extensive losses of native species, other evidence suggests that
>>> their impact
>>>
>>> has been minimal". Furthermore, domestic "suburban" cats are making
>>>
>>> very little difference to suburban ecology for the simple reason
>>> that
>>>
>>> the animals they are killing are dominant species that occur in
>>> large
>>>
>>> numbers (e.g. Crested pigeon, Magpie-lark, Noisy miner etc.) (Low,
>>> 1999).
>>>
>>> I agree that introducing the Ashera hybrid into Australia would be a
>>>
>>> disaster and I hope it is prevented.
>>>
>>> However, domestic cats were brought here by Europeans and they are
>>> here to stay. Instead of attacking cat-owners who clearly have a
>>> strong sense of ecological responsibility (like Bill, who keeps his
>>>
>>> cat contained), they should be congratulated and held up to the
>>> general public as a shining example of responsible cat ownership.
>>> Then petition your local council to make cat neutering, registration
>>>
>>> and containment compulsory. It is much more productive than "the
>>> only good cat is a dead cat" email or conversation.
>>>
>>> Thank you.
>>>
>>> Dr Beth Mantle
>>> Ecologist AND cat-owner (gasp!)
>>> Canberra
>>>
>>> On 13/06/2008, at 9:27 AM, Alastair Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>>> From the ABC news website:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Supercat or superbad? An 11kg ashera, a cross between an African
>>>> serval, an Asian leopard and a domestic cat (Reuters: Mike Blake,
>>>> file photo)
>>>>
>>>> * <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/06/2267441.htm>
>>> Related
>>>> Story: Push to outlaw hybrid supercats
>>>>
>>>> Forty of the nation's leading feral animal researchers are calling
>>> for
>>>> urgent changes to prevent hybrid supercats from being imported
>>> into
>>>> Australia.
>>>>
>>>> The Federal Government has been under fire after it was revealed
>>>> last week that savannah cats - twice as big as domestic species -
>>>> are being
>>>
>>>> imported
>>>> by pet shops.
>>>>
>>>> Scientists are warning that bandicoots, bettongs, potoroos and
>>>> possums could soon be on the menu for the imported creatures, which
>>>> were originally bred
>>>> by crossing domestic cats with the African serval cat.
>>>>
>>>> Scientists, environmentalists and bureaucrats attending a National
>>>
>>>> Feral Cat
>>>> Workshop in Darwin this week have angrily condemned the quarantine
>>>
>>>> loophole.
>>>>
>>>> The University of Sydney's professor of ecology, Chris Dickman, is
>>>
>>>> warning
>>>> hybrid cats - which can jump up to two metres from a standing start
>>>
>>>> - would
>>>> be uncontrollable in the Australian outback.
>>>>
>>>> "It's taken a lot of people who are concerned about the impacts of
>>>
>>>> cats in
>>>> the Australian environment off guard," he said.
>>>>
>>>> "I think there will be some real concern expressed at the meeting
>>>
>>>> that here
>>>> is an example of another species, a predator that is quite capable
>>>
>>>> almost
>>>> certainly of taking a wide range of native species.
>>>>
>>>> "It hasn't come in through the usual quarantine processes, risk
>>>> assessments that would otherwise need to be done."
>>>>
>>>> Professor Dickman fears savannah cats would prey on the same
>>>> Australian wildlife as foxes.
>>>>
>>>> He says that while foxes can be poisoned, cats have proved
>>> extremely
>>>> hard to
>>>> control in the outback.
>>>>
>>>> "It would be competing with the fox for food in the same size
>>> class.
>>>> We can
>>>> control the fox, we are not very good at controlling cats at the
>>>> moment," he said.
>>>>
>>>> "Cats tend to prefer living food, live food, that they catch
>>>> themselves. And as a consequence, it's much more difficult to put
>>>> baits out and expect feral
>>>> cats to eat them."
>>>>
>>>> The Environment Department says it has been in contact with two
>>> people
>>>> proposing to import savannah cats later this year, and is examining
>>>
>>>> the
>>>> implications.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ===============================
>>>> www.birding-aus.org
>>>> birding-aus.blogspot.com
>>>>
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>>
>>
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