:rolleyes:
WAAAY to many MPSIMS posts in the Pit? I thought they were separate fora.
probably the first time I’ve agreed w/you.
This update does belong in the original thread, rather than as a separate standalone thread. I’ll go ahead and merge the two…
Poor kitty. At least the last little bit of her life was comfortable.
The world would be a better place if there were more people like you. Your neighbor is a poopyhead.
It’s Carol Stream. What do you expect? She has a history of aspiring to be the SDMB’s token heartless bitch.
Sheeze, you’re a regular Gladys Cravitz, aren’t you. And why did you even bother coming into these threads? Just to junior mod and offer lawyerly advice of the non-lawyer type? Get a fucking life you heartless bitch.
I’m sorry to hear about her passing. At least she had the comfort that you gave her at the end. Thanks.
I’d like to know where you get that from. I don’t think we have any greater percentage that believe that than anywhere else in the world.
Feral cats are a danger to native animals- there is no argument there. But in the cities- where a lot of people live there is not a lot of native wildlife that is endangered.
In the bush a cat is hardly likely to kill a kangaroo. If they kill a sparrow- so what? They are an imported species anyway. Cane toads are a bigger risk than cats.
Bolding mine.
I don’t know what part of Australia you live in, but in Adelaide and Sydney, two cities that I’ve lived in, there’s plenty of native animals around.
Here is a list of animals that I have seen in the “wild” as it were, that are known to be preyed upon by feral animals.
Possums
Sugar gliders
Green Tree Frogs
Willy Wagtails
Honey Eaters
Rainbow Lorikeets
Geckos
Skinks
That’s just a small list. I’m sure there’s other animals I haven’t seen.
But just because you’re in a city doesn’t mean the animals aren’t there. And it doesn’t mean that there aren’t movements to get cats either banned as pets or relegated to “inside only” pets.
There are at least two suburbs in Adelaide and three or four in Sydney that I know of where cats have curfews - as soon as the sun goes down, the cats are meant to be confined to a house, to prevent preying on nesting birds and other small animals. There’s at least one suburb in the country that I’ve heard of that has an indoor-only cat rule at all times. All cats are required to be desexed and microchipped and if they’re caught outdoors they’re impounded and the owner is fined.
Here is an article in the age about a cat curfew in Bendigo.
Here is an article about a 24 hour cat curfew in Nillumbik Council shire.
Here is an article about a proposed cat curfew in Lake Macquarie.
These curfews have all been in place to protect wildlife from cat predation after dark. That is the primary focus of all three articles. That was just the first page of google results.
I’m pretty confident to say that Lynn’s assessment of the situation is more or less correct. Cat predation on native wildlife is a pretty big topic in Australia and has been for many years.
How many of those are endangered? Frogs are not as common as they used to be- but I won’t blame that on cats.
Possums are so numerous I wish cats would kill them.
I live in Brisbane.
And I can’t see quoting things about Bendigo and Port MacQuarie as being relevant- they are hardly major cities.
Bundaberg had cat restrictions in the 1970’s, but that hardly amounts to “Many Australians believe cats are a danger etc”
In other words your argument has no legs.
Tell me how “many Australians” comes into it?
I repeat, these are the first results from a quick google search on “cat curfew”.
Cats don’t care whether the animals they prey on are endangered or not. Sugar gliders are endangered, as you noted frogs are, some varieties of small lizard are, some native birds are, including honeyeaters and some lorikeets and parrots.
Bendigo is still a major city, regardless of how you view it. It may not be a capital city, but it’s still quite a built-up area with a large population. So I think that’s still relevant for these purposes.
And “many” Australians comes into it because on average at least twice a year in the papers and in the news there are stories and calls for cat curfews to be put in place/ increased. I saw these news stories repeated many times in the newspapers and opinion articles in both Sydney and Adelaide many times. They’re something I pay attention to because I am a cat owner, and have no wish to have my cat(s) impounded because I’m not following the curfew rules.
My argument is just as valid as yours, and at least I’m providing cites - even if they are basic and from a quick google. Your argument amounts to “I say it’s not a problem, so it’s not a problem”.
I am not saying it is not a problem- cats killing native fauna is a problem.
My difficulty is following the logic that “most Australians” believe cats to pose a threat to native wild life (or whatever it was). Sure, a poll may reveal they do but then to think that tattooing them and microchipping stems from this attitude is incorrect.
PS: Bendigo is a shit hole. My family comes from Port MacQuarie. I admire your knowledge of everything Australian.
Port Macquarie != Lake Macquarie.
And Bendigo may be a shit-hole, but it’s not some spit on the map little town. It’s the third largest population centre in Victoria after Melbourne and Geelong. Which still makes it a valid cite when it comes to “native animals in urban areas”.
To say that the sole reason for microchipping and tattooing cats is to prevent them from attacking wildlife is wrong. But it’s still a contributing factor to the rise in councils requiring them as mandatory for cats in their shires.
Your initial post said that in an urban area, cats posed no risk to native animals because native animals just weren’t there. My post was to point out that a) in my own experience, I’ve seen native animals on a regular basis in two capital cities and b) in other urban areas, councils are putting controls on cats because they are a threat to native animals - endangered or otherwise.
Fuck. I’m sorry I turned this into a cat curfew debate. And as for your prejudiced view Cicero, Bendigo is NOT a shithole, so stop flinging insults.
Littler towns/cities are always viewed as shitholes by those from bigger towns/cities.
If he lived in Manangatang (or the equivalent small town in NSW, QLD or wherever), he’d think Bendigo the beez kneez of thriving cosmopolitan metropolises. 
Excuse him his ignorance. One day he’ll end up in Bendigo. The local ferals can deal with him then!
Okay- apologies to Victorians.
Damn…I was hoping to sick some freaks and ferals onto you next time you crossed the border! Way to go ruin all my fun wot.
Don’t read too much into it. I am sorry Bendigo is a shit hole 
You know what? I hope he ends up in Mittyack. Without shoes or a phone, not that a mobile gets coverage anyway. Cruel and unusual punishment and SO worth it.