The Moral Cost of Cats, or, How a Man Calls For the Killing of Cats

[Specter Von Baren]

The Moral Cost of Cats

A bird-loving scientist calls for an end to outdoor cats “once and for all.”

getpocket.com

So whenever I open up a new tab I get a bunch of articles (Mostly trash) presented to me, and this one seemed interesting due to the high number of cat owners on the forums. Any thoughts?

 

[Iron]

The Moral Cost of Cats

A bird-loving scientist calls for an end to outdoor cats “once and for all.”

getpocket.com

So whenever I open up a new tab I get a bunch of articles (Mostly trash) presented to me, and this one seemed interesting due to the high number of cat owners on the forums. Any thoughts?

Ever seen a cat play with a mouse? He grabs it in his mouth, not hurting it, then releases in to the ground. The mouse tries to run away from the cat - then the cat puts down his paws and blocks his path. He goes back for the mouse as if he's about to kill it, then the cat grabs the mouse in his mouth again and continues to play with it.

 

[Worgen]

 

[SilentPony]

I mean hasn't it been know for years cats are an incredibly destructive species?

 

[Agema]

I'm fine with drastically cutting down the cat population - certainly culling the strays and ferals.

 

[SupahEwok]

If we must kill cats for their moral cost to the environment, I suppose its only fair to execute anybody involved in industrial animal agriculture.

 

[Worgen]

Logically they should be culled in certain areas, but if I saw someone doing it I would break their thumbs.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

I feel the same about humans tbf.

 

[Trunkage]

I'm fine with drastically cutting down the cat population - certainly culling the strays and ferals.

Good luck, Australia has been trying to cull strays, particularly in the bush for decades, to no avail

 

[Agema]

Good luck, Australia has been trying to cull strays, particularly in the bush for decades, to no avail

Well that's what you get for living in a huge country with lots of wilderness. You couldn't kil the rabbits off, either.

 

[Trunkage]

Well that's what you get for living in a huge country with lots of wilderness. You couldn't kil the rabbits off, either.

Or camels. Or dogs. Or horse. Or cane toads

 

[Phoenixmgs]

I mean hasn't it been know for years cats are an incredibly destructive species?

Yeah, I use this as "pro" for cats in the "they're just like us" sense when arguing cats are better than dogs.

 

[MrCalavera]

The article calls for killing of stray cats, which isn't surprising.

IIRC New Zealand launched a kitty killing campaign some time ago, to the horror of a cat person i know.

(Also, for that matter: I would be careful with human analogies, even as a joke, cause it might look like you're arguing for the culling of homeless.)

 

[Hawki]

Yeah, I'm all for killing of feral cats. They're an ecological disaster.

Still, I've had two cats as pets over the course of my life. If someone said they had to be killed, I'd say "eff off, the world's gone to the dogs."

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Well that's what you get for living in a huge country with lots of wilderness. You couldn't kil the rabbits off, either.

Isn't it the fault of your country that they are even there to begin with? Hhhhhmm?

(Also, for that matter: I would be careful with human analogies, even as a joke, cause it might look like you're arguing for the culling of homeless.)

?????

 

[Silvanus]

There are much more humane methods for dealing with the ecological damage caused by stray cats (such as spaying/neutering campaigns). They would just be a bit more expensive and effort-consuming.

So, no, I wouldn't support this at all. If we want to tackle the problems caused, we should expend that money & effort to do so humanely.

 

[Agema]

Isn't it the fault of your country that they are even there to begin with? Hhhhhmm?

Yep

I am happy for our country to receive thanks from other ex-colonial countries such as France and the Netherlands, having saved them from taking the blame for fucking up Australia's ecosystem and oppressing the natives instead.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Or camels. Or dogs. Or horse. Or cane toads

Or Emus!

Emu War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Look, I love my indoor cat. I love my parent's more free range cats.
My parents more free range cats have killed hundreds or thousands of wild birds over the years.
Cats are an invasive species and should be managed as such.

 

[Trunkage]

Or Emus!

Emu War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Well, they’re not invasive. They’re just protecting their land

On a serious note: I know we cull thousands of kangaroos each year. We don’t get that many emus here in my state, but they probably cull them too when there are way too many