General Discussion

dem in texas

(2,681 posts)

62. I questioned those reports too.

Sun Mar 23, 2014, 07:31 PM

Mar 2014

I have seen a large bird loss in the area where I live, blue jays, mockingbirds and crows to name a few. I read in the paper that it was the West Nile virus that was killing off the birds. I know I have found dead birds on the street and in the alley several times.

As far as cats go, I have always kept both indoor and outdoor cats. My indoor kitty never goes out, she is a big couch potato. The outdoor cats are usually strays that show up on our porch and we feed them. We live at the edge of the city with woods behind our house and a creek a short way off, idea areas for urban wildlife. But we have a problem with the most common urban animals, the rats. Keeping some outdoor cats helps keep the rats under control. I always try to catch the outdoor cats so I can take them to the vet to get fixed and get shots. Sometimes they are too wild to catch. I have two outdoor cats right now, I like to have about 4. We are sitting on limestone rock in this area and is full of cracks and crannies so we also have snakes, mostly grass snakes, but I have seen blue racers, chicken snakes and once a copperhead. So the cats keep the snakes out of our yard too. There are plenty of other animals around to kill off the birds. There are plenty of other animals running around that could kill a bird. Just a few week ago, I saw a red fox in the alley. We often see coyotes and are seeing bobcats more often lately.

So I think there is more to the loss of birds than cats killing them. I think in addition to West Nile virus, they are being killed off by the use of pesticides which gets in the insects that they eat. We used have horned toads in North Texas, but no more. I read it was because of the pesticide put out to kill ants. Ants are the horned toads major food. Same for fireflies or lightin' bugs as we call them in Texas. They used to fill the night air in June and now it is rare to see one.

There should be more studies about the decline in birds. Remember we are having major declines in other animal groups too; bees and frogs come to mind.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

97 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Do We Really Know That Cats Kill By The Billions? Not So Fast [View all] Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 OP

This is a thing? Agschmid Mar 2014 #1

Can't see why cats would want to go outside Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #22

Simple answer...there's a door, see? brooklynite Mar 2014 #35

I have owned nine cats since I was 12 Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #76

I have had similar results. The last two cats that have lived with me as INDOOR cats MADem Mar 2014 #81

As Mr. Spock said Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #91

Sounds like a fun house to me! nt MADem Mar 2014 #93

Both of our former cats died of internal complications having nothing to do with going outdoors. brooklynite Mar 2014 #86

That may well be Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #90

k&R. nt raccoon Mar 2014 #2

I think birds kill smaller birds. warrior1 Mar 2014 #3

I see this all the time. Red Tails go after the doves and pigeons, which Cleita Mar 2014 #6

Hell, didn't we just see Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #23

Birds kill cats too Rumold Mar 2014 #84

I fully admit to extreme bias in this regard.... mike_c Mar 2014 #4

righteous post. +1000. nt navarth Mar 2014 #12

It is possible people are a issue and cats also. No one says it is only cats. n-t Logical Mar 2014 #14

Hmmmm. Do cats kill billionaires? Something about that just doesn't seem right. Kurovski Mar 2014 #83

Yes, cats are an introduced species and the DO have an impact. alarimer Mar 2014 #63

Having witnesses countless numbers of my human friends whose windows 'do in' birds every truedelphi Mar 2014 #82

Coyotes and raptors in my neighborhood do a far more efficient job than any cat. Cleita Mar 2014 #5

Yes, we have coyotes galore -- and we live within city limits. Arugula Latte Mar 2014 #19

We have lots of urban coyotes Texasgal Mar 2014 #69

Never trust a cat named Doc world wide wally Mar 2014 #7

It's almost like animals eat other animals. progressoid Mar 2014 #8

I don't have a problem with cats killing things. LuvNewcastle Mar 2014 #9

Feral cats AND dogs are a menace Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #24

That's terrible. LuvNewcastle Mar 2014 #40

Perhaps a bounty would expedite removing the feral dogs seveneyes Mar 2014 #58

The cats will benefit from a trap, roody Mar 2014 #33

Yes, at the very least they need to be neutered. LuvNewcastle Mar 2014 #38

+++++ Yes! BrotherIvan Mar 2014 #42

The proper way to take care of feral cats is not killing them tabbycat31 Mar 2014 #46

Mine used to hunt because she was starving. Aerows Mar 2014 #10

Mine just tortures them to death AgingAmerican Mar 2014 #13

Mine is six years old Aerows Mar 2014 #15

Made me laugh... TeeYiYi Mar 2014 #17

I would think that lizards and mice are more likely Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #26

The amount of shrews she killed and brought home to feast on ... Aerows Mar 2014 #31

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics... JCMach1 Mar 2014 #11

Disagreements with scientific studies should be based on better science. Cassidy Mar 2014 #16

Cat should be kept in doors Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #28

Cats should without question be spayed and neutered Aerows Mar 2014 #32

People who argue that cats should be allowed to roam free XemaSab Mar 2014 #18

Dogs hunt too. Cleita Mar 2014 #20

Yup. Texasgal Mar 2014 #72

My neighbors dogs love killing baby rabbits. B Calm Mar 2014 #85

Gosh, don't see any arguments that cats SHOULD Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #21

+1. We had barn cats all the time I was growing up, and no one Zorra Mar 2014 #25

+1000. nt NickB79 Mar 2014 #27

except that the basis for our argument is the happiness and welfare of the cats themselves.... mike_c Mar 2014 #29

My female cat freaks out when she can't go outside for at least a little while Aerows Mar 2014 #37

Apparently you don't have neighbors who have gardens. Demit Mar 2014 #45

you're right, none do.... mike_c Mar 2014 #47

Well, it sounds like you're all of a mind, so that's nice. Demit Mar 2014 #64

A cat is a cat Aerows Mar 2014 #68

Then keep them in your house, if you want a companion. Demit Mar 2014 #74

Of course, nobody that would do that has a garden, either. Aerows Mar 2014 #65

Same with people that argue Wolves can run free while felines can't seveneyes Mar 2014 #54

All of my cats are spayed/neutered, well fed Le Taz Hot Mar 2014 #88

First, 80 million dead animals is no small number NickB79 Mar 2014 #30

So far I haven't seen anyone Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #34

Okay...it's perfectly fine for my cat to wander outdoors. brooklynite Mar 2014 #36

I think many people seem to forget that the entire reason cats were domesticated Aerows Mar 2014 #39

I think the jury is still out on who domesticated whom, LOL.... mike_c Mar 2014 #50

"Purr when you see them" Aerows Mar 2014 #52

Our cat is welcome to any mouse dumb enough Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #77

Not to get into a big disagreement over this Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #75

Bubonic Plague was demonstrably spread throughout Europe Aerows Mar 2014 #41

Yes, and cats help keep vermin at bay to this day seveneyes Mar 2014 #55

I'm living proof of that Aerows Mar 2014 #56

They are wrong to do that seveneyes Mar 2014 #59

I don't have a raccoon issue anymore Aerows Mar 2014 #61

People also need to remember cats kill other predators as well. scarletlib Mar 2014 #43

my cat will never get out MFM008 Mar 2014 #44

Luring raccoons near your home is a recipe for disaster. Aerows Mar 2014 #60

Cats born and raised indoors are inefficient hunters Warpy Mar 2014 #48

A bird got into the house once Aerows Mar 2014 #49

I had one huntress Warpy Mar 2014 #51

I've rescued three birds from mine just that way. Aerows Mar 2014 #53

My thoughts Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #78

I posted the abstract on this subject from a scholarly journal in Science topics HereSince1628 Mar 2014 #57

Perhaps Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #79

I questioned those reports too. dem in texas Mar 2014 #62

It seems to me this is a plausible explanation for a lot of bird kills. idendoit Mar 2014 #66

I get a large amt of baby cottontails each year that are cat caught. nt Mojorabbit Mar 2014 #67

Did you prefer them attacking your garden? Aerows Mar 2014 #70

I have a large garden and they don't do much in the way of damage. Mojorabbit Mar 2014 #71

My five are house cats and they kill sweet fuck all dipsydoodle Mar 2014 #73

Oh, one does not know what an adrenaline surge is Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #80

European starlings reddread Mar 2014 #87

I share my life with 2 cats who never go outside justiceischeap Mar 2014 #89

I posted a link to a 2011 NYT story elsewhere in the thread Kelvin Mace Mar 2014 #92

It's easier to create a study that blames something else justiceischeap Mar 2014 #94

In my area, LWolf Mar 2014 #95

I have both Indoor & Outdoor cats Feron Mar 2014 #96

Am I an "overzealous birder?" XemaSab Mar 2014 #97