The Moral Cost of Cats, or, How a Man Calls For the Killing of Cats
- Thread starter Specter Von Baren
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- Nov 27, 2009
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This reminds me of a book I read called The Windup Girl, in it a race of genetically modified colour changing cats called cheshires basically took over most of the world's environments by virtue of being more adaptable than other animals irreparably damaging the environment.
In any case I think it's really cruel to kill the kitties but it's understandable and I wouldn't be against it since I'm aware of what kind of damage they can cause, this problem was created by humans though not cats, which makes it really sad that it has to be solved in this manner.
In any case I think it's really cruel to kill the kitties but it's understandable and I wouldn't be against it since I'm aware of what kind of damage they can cause, this problem was created by humans though not cats, which makes it really sad that it has to be solved in this manner.
Ya know, there is an even more effective way of dealing with this problem. The humans could leave these areas, thus the stray cats with them and all the other things we do to our environment would no longer be there.
Thing is, any kind of euthanizing policy would likely fail. I remember reading in a book called 'Rabid', about rabies and its history and in the book it talked how in such widespread euthanizing programs there would always be hold outs of people that would rather hide their dogs even if for some common good (Forgive my vagueness, it's been a while since I read it so I'm probably muddling things). I can only imagine something similar happening with stray cats.
Further... it would likely not solve the problem in the long term. The same circumstances that lead to the stray cat population now would just play out again, so the only way to do this would be to have regular killings of cats, particularly kittens, that aren't able to find a home. Such a long term policy would likely be even more distasteful to people which would likely lead to it being ignored.
Thing is, any kind of euthanizing policy would likely fail. I remember reading in a book called 'Rabid', about rabies and its history and in the book it talked how in such widespread euthanizing programs there would always be hold outs of people that would rather hide their dogs even if for some common good (Forgive my vagueness, it's been a while since I read it so I'm probably muddling things). I can only imagine something similar happening with stray cats.
Further... it would likely not solve the problem in the long term. The same circumstances that lead to the stray cat population now would just play out again, so the only way to do this would be to have regular killings of cats, particularly kittens, that aren't able to find a home. Such a long term policy would likely be even more distasteful to people which would likely lead to it being ignored.
I'm a great believer in well targetted animal culls.
Humans have fundamentally altered the ecosystems of the world, usually in quite destructive ways. If you have deer propagating like crazy because all the wolves, bears, etc. are gone and they're devastating the countryside, you've just got to go out there and replicate the missing predators by shooting a lot of them. It sounds bad, but let no-one believe getting shot is less pleasant than being chased a couple of miles in abject terror, dragged down and savaged to death by tooth and claw. I'd rather murder every spare rat and cat in New Zealand - because the world has no shortage of rats and cats - than see 53 unique species of New Zealand bird go extinct.
Life is special, and all that. But nature is red in tooth and claw, and we often need a bit of that brutality to keep nature rolling along as it should to make up for how we fucked it up in the first place.
Humans have fundamentally altered the ecosystems of the world, usually in quite destructive ways. If you have deer propagating like crazy because all the wolves, bears, etc. are gone and they're devastating the countryside, you've just got to go out there and replicate the missing predators by shooting a lot of them. It sounds bad, but let no-one believe getting shot is less pleasant than being chased a couple of miles in abject terror, dragged down and savaged to death by tooth and claw. I'd rather murder every spare rat and cat in New Zealand - because the world has no shortage of rats and cats - than see 53 unique species of New Zealand bird go extinct.
Life is special, and all that. But nature is red in tooth and claw, and we often need a bit of that brutality to keep nature rolling along as it should to make up for how we fucked it up in the first place.
The Call of Duty franchise should branch out and cover the great emu war instead of the same old historical go-to's. You could play as an emu for one half, then an Australian the next half, then unlock the final campaign as the emu and Australian work together to overcome their oppressors, finally freeing the genius inventor of the reinforced fence to continue their humanitarian/emutarian work.
Eh, two options, either humans (in this case, pet owners) act responsibly and do the right thing, or we kill lots of feral cats.
So, we have to kill lots of feral cats.
So, we have to kill lots of feral cats.
Perhaps with deer. But with cats and dogs-- animals for which we have quite a lot of medical/veterinary know-how-- death is not necessary to prevent propagation.
Catch, spay/neuter, release (or re-home if feasible). What's lacking is money, training & willingness. But to prevent unnecessary pain & death, it's a moral duty to bridge that gap.
- Nov 27, 2009
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I hope they're fine, but if she went into surgery they might not have access to Internet for a while, a friend of mine was in surgery recently and it was complete radio silence for two weeks, it was a surgery regarding a heart condition but I prefer not to intrude so I didn't ask him much about it.
But if it helps you worry less, a successful surgery can have a long recovery time depending on what type of surgery it is, so they could be perfectly fine or even healthier.
I mean, they're also tasty. I've had them as jerky and used them ground as a lean red meat (typically mixed with beef, for example in a meatloaf). I think I still have a couple of venison steaks in the freezer, actually (from my father-in-law's last hunting trip). Never underestimate the value of being delicious in getting people to engage in a little conservational hunting.
I used to have an indoor/outdoor cat years back that definitely killed no birds. She was terrified of birds. If it lived on the ground and entered her territory however she was going to injure or kill it. Including removing an ear from a great dane and once bringing a gopher to the door, up a couple of stairs.
My old cat brought down a Ring tailed Possum in her youth and left its carcass in the rhubarb patch, presumably as a warning to others.
Truly what endangered animals need is to become delicious. Thats a trait thats never worked out badly for any animal that encountered humans!
Absolutely, I commend you. Free range organic meat requiring no antibiotics, hormones, not locked in tiny, filthy, grotesque pens, etc. Farming should be more like that.
I remember a NZ friend telling me a story that he was visiting his parents in NZ with his girlfriend. She was driving, and she hit a possum on the road. She insisted on taking it for care, but when they got to his parents, was surprised (and even more upset) when they congratulated her for hitting it and finished it off.
Yeah, while they are native to Australia, possums can be huge pains in the arse if they decide your roof cavity is a nice new home. And they’re also pretty dangerous - handlers who work with them have to use heavy Kevlar weave gloves - but only if you provoke them or threaten their young like lost animals. And usually their first instinct is to let it up a tree anyway.
Oh yeah, cats are an apocalypse on native animals here in Australia. I honestly think they will drive many species extinct in the long run. They kill a LOT more than they bring home, cats just kill for fun even when they aren't hungry, the same way you shake a little cat toy and they attack it is the same way they react to seeing darting creatures small enough to eat except more intensely.
A big problem with cats is that carnivores are supposed to be in lower numbers in areas, a very low amount compared to their prey. But there are huge concentrations of cats because we keep breeding them and the strays survive in our land.
I used to feel really sorry for cats that were locked indoors all day but now I understand.
A big problem with cats is that carnivores are supposed to be in lower numbers in areas, a very low amount compared to their prey. But there are huge concentrations of cats because we keep breeding them and the strays survive in our land.
I used to feel really sorry for cats that were locked indoors all day but now I understand.
Uh, literally no one I have ever met considers desexing a cat monstrous. Declawing them is considered cruel.
When I was there, a Kiwi pointed out bits of forest where loads of the trees were either dead or stripped bare - they said that was the possums. I think they'd happily annihilate them from the country if they could. All in all, I wouldn't mind if they did, for reasons already stated in an earlier post.