I gave up having cats after losing my last one for exactly this reason - she was such an efficient hunter she put paid to any wildlife visiting my garden. I now have a lot more wildlife, including a great many mice who had stayed away while she was living here but are now having a party and eating all my newly-sown seeds 😂 guess you take the rough with the smooth...
That’s a great point. I think if you’re in a rural area, cats have a legit outdoor role. But in the suburban example here, where you’ve got too many cats per square area, perhaps not.
Rebecca, that might be true. Do you have experience with the ecosystem of a small farm? Do you think barn cats have a role to play in controlling mice, which can be a problem, especially around chicken and other animal feed? I'm asking, as I do not have this experience and can only go on what I have read.
There's actually a lot of literature supporting that snakes are a lot more effective at rodent control in a situation like that. Harboring native snakes is a potential solution many might not have thought of.
Thank you for sharing this important message. I hope people will continue to learn about the dangers cat pose to native wildlife and objectively consider the facts you present.
Thanks for the comment, J.E.! Good thought! I guess you'd have to let the dog have free access to the yard at night when cats do most of their hunting.
I had to get a cat because I have a very old porous farm house and cronic unrelenting mice, and even had rats in my barn and basement for a while. when my new kitten started going outside he brought in lots of field mice (they harbor deer ticks) and frogs, which didnt trouble me too much... but then he came in with a beautiful cardinal, which subsequently died at the audobon society because even a cat scratch will kill a bird because of a certain bacteria they carry. I was horrified. I have since put an insanely loud bell on my cat. it rings SO loudly on just the slightest movement and the cat has since killed almost nothing. I worry it might make my cat prematurely deaf but it is my compromise on this problem.
These are tough decisions! Did you see Rebecca’s comment re snakes being better for keeping mice populations down? I’m interested in seeing the research.
I gave up having cats after losing my last one for exactly this reason - she was such an efficient hunter she put paid to any wildlife visiting my garden. I now have a lot more wildlife, including a great many mice who had stayed away while she was living here but are now having a party and eating all my newly-sown seeds 😂 guess you take the rough with the smooth...
That’s a great point. I think if you’re in a rural area, cats have a legit outdoor role. But in the suburban example here, where you’ve got too many cats per square area, perhaps not.
I would say that rural areas are more at risk considering they typically host higher densities of native wildlife.
Rebecca, that might be true. Do you have experience with the ecosystem of a small farm? Do you think barn cats have a role to play in controlling mice, which can be a problem, especially around chicken and other animal feed? I'm asking, as I do not have this experience and can only go on what I have read.
There's actually a lot of literature supporting that snakes are a lot more effective at rodent control in a situation like that. Harboring native snakes is a potential solution many might not have thought of.
Rebecca, you’re talking to someone who built a rock garden for snakes on her property. I’m all in.
I love that idea!
Thank you for sharing this important message. I hope people will continue to learn about the dangers cat pose to native wildlife and objectively consider the facts you present.
The cat problem is easily mitigated by getting a dog.
This made me laugh; my brother would say the same. And I’m a devoted (indoor-only) cat lover.
Thanks for the comment, J.E.! Good thought! I guess you'd have to let the dog have free access to the yard at night when cats do most of their hunting.
I had to get a cat because I have a very old porous farm house and cronic unrelenting mice, and even had rats in my barn and basement for a while. when my new kitten started going outside he brought in lots of field mice (they harbor deer ticks) and frogs, which didnt trouble me too much... but then he came in with a beautiful cardinal, which subsequently died at the audobon society because even a cat scratch will kill a bird because of a certain bacteria they carry. I was horrified. I have since put an insanely loud bell on my cat. it rings SO loudly on just the slightest movement and the cat has since killed almost nothing. I worry it might make my cat prematurely deaf but it is my compromise on this problem.
These are tough decisions! Did you see Rebecca’s comment re snakes being better for keeping mice populations down? I’m interested in seeing the research.