Another pointless thread

I had a bit of luck today I won a Subaru Impreza, felt a bit let down when the box said batteris not included

That's what puts me off buying an electric car - having to flip it onto the roof when you need to change batteries!

I've found a good use for for the car. Theres a cat keeps coming into the garden and today it got one of the blackbirds so I'll sit the car on the path and when the cat gets near chase it using the remote control to steer

Another cat deterrent is to get them with a super-soaker filled with a strong solution of fairy liquid. They hate the taste of it when they try to clean themselves! Not totally sure it works but it certainly is enjoyable if you hate cats and their trail of slaughter/poo.

Edit- I actually quite like cats, I just don't like what they do to wildlife, and the surprise places they seem to always leave their turds. Usually the exact spot I decide to do a bit of digging.

I don't mind cats as long as they don't come into my garden.
They do KILL about 50 million birds in the UK each year for
no reason and it's surprising that there isn't an uproar
over it

I doubt that 50 million is an accurate figure Algi, even the RSPB cant estimate what the number is, or even what effect cats have on bird populations,

Cats do kill for a reason, its in their nature. Doesn't matter how much you domesticate an animal its still an animal and will retain a certain amount of its wild survival instincts.

And yes, water pistols are a good deterent, though I would not agree with washing up liquid.

The RSPB give 55 million link

Also Wild Life Extra News link

As the RSPB themselves point out, there is zero evidence that the activities of cats have any impact on bird populations.

Considering we (humans) have long since eliminated or reduced to the point of virtual extinction most of the natural predators in our environment here in the UK, it is in fact entirely possible that cats are providing a valuable, even necessary service in this area.

Given the amount of birds that die of starvation each year there are arguably more of them around than the environment can comfortably support anyway.

I see no point in getting upset by seeing a cat killing a bird. Cats and birds occupy different places in the food chain, just as humans occupy a different place in the food chain compared to cows, pigs and chickens.

Also next time you see a cat killing a bird, bear in mind if it were not for human interference it would (indeed should) be a fox, wolf or bird of prey (among others) doing the same thing. Unfortunately since we have gotten rid of most of these predators through a combination of deliberate genocide, trophy hunting (I use the term purposely because these animals are/were not hunted for food) and simply destroying their environments, it ain't.

The reason I was annoyed with the cat was: It's been the worst year ever for birds visiting my garden and the bird it killed was apparently the male of the only pair of blackbirds that visited on a regular basis. There was a lone female in the garden today but without "rings" to read etc this may be a separate bird altogether. I won't be physically harming the cat but it will become jittery about visiting my garden in future, I might even give it bath. (see previous posts method No2 )

That is my argument for not keeping cats - it's not the cats fault, it's the fault of people who choose to own them! Cats would not normally be present in such high numbers (nor any predator) without humans artifially supporting their population.

Cats have been around so long our urban ecology is probably adapted to their presence in artificially high numbers... that doesn't take away from the sadness of the sight of birds, small mammals and reptiles half chewed to death entirely needlessly

I don't think anyone would say that about humans Yet it seems acceptable to talk about birds like that

Some birds are almost extinct.

Please let`s not go down this tree hugging route people - things have become extinct over the millenia because they were not able to survive - that`s Nature`s way - nothing to do with us particularly just the environment that they live in - there is always something to take the place vacated whether it be parakeets in London or scorpions in the S.East.This is the same flawed argument that Huhne and his wets would have us accept whilst bankrupting the country and allowing us to freeze to death or starve whilst supporting crazy ideas with our taxes.
Actually Algernon I would talk like that but JR would have me flogged for being a)political or b)controversial !!
I`m sure donkeys,pandas,old horses and bears are really cute and loveable , but so are old people and undernourished children !

Tony

A fart only smells for the benefit of the deaf

Time to liven this place up...... doesn't the rain look nice today!

The light is perfect now, for watching TV with the curtains open