Fur flies over call to rid New Zealand of cats

[plwk]

A campaign to eradicate New Zealand’s cats as a way of protecting native wildlife has raised the hackles of pet lovers, with critics leaping to the defence of their feline friends. Gareth Morgan, a businessman turned philanthropist, has called for New Zealanders to give puss the boot, citing research showing the average cat kills at least 13 native birds or animals each year. More here

[Sam Vara]

Don't worry - I'll take them all.

[m0rl0ck]

Unless they can prove that humans are less damaging to native wildlife, i say ban the humans.

[mikenz66]

It's certainly true that the Maori and European immigrants were rather effective at burning and cutting down most of the forests...

Unfortunately, the Europeans went even further, introducing possums (from Australia), deer, cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, stoats (the latter two to try to deal with the rabbits, I believe). Not to mention sheep, cows, thar, various small birds. Oh, and bees for pollination of crops...

Did I miss anything?


Mike

[Cittasanto]

Don't worry - I'll take them all.

well unless you are this person

you may have a fight on your hands!

their is a music version in the sidebar by schmoyoho.

[Ben]

It's certainly true that the Maori and European immigrants were rather effective at burning and cutting down most of the forests...

Unfortunately, the Europeans went even further, introducing possums (from Australia), deer, cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, stoats (the latter two to try to deal with the rabbits, I believe). Not to mention sheep, cows, thar, various small birds. Oh, and bees for pollination of crops...

Did I miss anything?


Mike

I believe you did, Mike. Magpies from Australia.
When I attended a 20-day retreat in New Zealand five years ago, I couldn't believe my eyes when I witnessed Australian possums, as bold as brass, chillin' at the meditation centre. I understand that NZ is over-run by possums and they have done enormous damage to the remaining native forest.
And you didn't include rats and mice which are incredibly destructive.
kind regards,

Ben

[tiltbillings]

The emergence of intelligence, I am convinced, tends to unbalance the ecology. In other words, intelligence is the great polluter. It is not until a creature begins to manage its environment that nature is thrown into disorder. Until that occurs, there is a system of checks and balances operating in a logical and understandable manner. Intelligence destroys and modifies the checks and balances even as it tries very diligently to leave them as they were. There is no such thing as an intelligence living harmony with the biosphere. It may think and boast it is doing so, but its mentality gives it an advantage and the compulsion is always there to employ this advantage to its selfish benefit. Thus, while intelligence may be an outstanding survival factor, the factor is short-term, and intelligence turns out to be the great destroyer. -- written by a crazy character in SHAKESPEARE'S PLANET, a sci-fi novel by Clifford Simak, 1976.

Free-roaming house cats kill an estimated 4 billion wild animals across the U.S. every year, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians

.

[manas]

And you didn't include rats and mice which are incredibly destructive.
kind regards,

Ben

If that's the case, then my fine feline friend is doing her bit for the environment; she hunts down and kills rats and mice quite often.

_/I\_

[Ben]

And you didn't include rats and mice which are incredibly destructive.
kind regards,

Ben

If that's the case, then my fine feline friend is doing her bit for the environment; she hunts down and kills rats and mice quite often.

_/I\_

If that is all she is killing, then I would agree with you.

[yawares]

Dear All,

Never in a million years!! Get rid of them cute cats???...NO NO NO CAN DO





I love cats ..even they all ran away from me when they were older...they stayed only when they were young ...didn't know why they ran away????
yawares

[tiltbillings]

http://news.yahoo.com/staggering-stats- ... 39117.html

Cats being cute:









Best never to let them outside

[GraemeR]

Cats being cute:

We have adopted two cats. The cute kitten has almost eradicated our house of cockroaches! My kids don't want to kiss her after they saw one jump out of her mouth

Graham

[tiltbillings]

Cats being cute:

We have adopted two cats. The cute kitten has almost eradicated our house of cockroaches! My kids don't want to kiss her after they saw one jump out of her mouth

Graham

The only problem with kitties eating cockroaches is the possibility of worms. Because feral domestic cats eat insects and such they are often highly infested with parasites, and as a result they lead short, miserable lives. As for your cockroach eating kitty, you might want to get some deworming pills for it.

[yawares]

Dear Tiltbillings,

Thanks for the pictures...now I know why my cats ran away..they didn't like my foods! They preferred flying/running foods!!

MAY BE THEY PREFERRED " FREEDOM/TRAVEL "...all my cats loved to go walking on the roof/climbed the trees or walking along the fence.

Dear Graham,

You should apply insecticides in and around your home .

Nothing run in my house/in my closets,
yawares

[tiltbillings]

Dear Tiltbillings,

Thanks for the pictures...now I know why my cats ran away..they didn't like my foods! They preferred flying/running foods!!

MAY BE THEY PREFERRED " FREEDOM/TRAVEL "...all my cats loved to go walking on the roof/climbed the trees or walking along the fence.

Dear Graham,

You should apply insecticides in and around your home .

Nothing run in my house/in my closets,
yawares

You let your cats outside, you are then responsible for what they kill.

[yawares]

Dear Tiltbillings,

I never let my cats out...Mixy(my cat in Bangkok) ran out when I opened the door(coming back from school).

Pickle(my green/yellow cat in Columbus,Ohio) ran away while we were moving to Texas A&m, after driving for a long time, we stopped at a rest area to rest/walk around...Pickle just ran away...we waited for him to come back for an hour...but no... he was gone for good...I cried because I loved him since the day he was born..his mother,a stray cat, pregnanted and gave birth to 5 supercute kittens at my front porch on the rug..I moved them inside my house...my Thai/American friends adopted 4 kittens...my daughter kept 1 and named him 'Pickle'...

They ran out many times but always came back...when they were older they were gone..no coming back.

Yawares

[GraemeR]

Dear Graham,

You should apply insecticides in and around your home .

Nothing run in my house/in my closets,
yawares

Dear Yawares,

Nooooo we don't want to kill them! I collect cockroaches when we find them and carry them out in a bag One day I found 12 in the old house. Our new house is cleaner, we don't find many. Also insecticides would kill the lizards, I love those. Now it's raining again (in the dry season!) we have frogs in the kitchen once more.

We only treat for termites about once a month and try not to kill the other wildlife

I saved a frog from the cat today and lizards sometimes too

With metta

Graham

[cooran]

Thank you Graham.

The very first Precept reads:
1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
This includes all life, not just human life.

Here is a sample of the hundreds of sites which explain how to catch and release, or just repel, what humans regards as pests - without breaking the First Precept.

Category:Insect repellents
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Insect repellents (or uncommonly insectifuges) repel insects but do not kill them. Therefore, they are not technically insecticides nor technically pesticides. This category contains articles on insect repellents that are not insecticides, meaning that their main purpose/function is not to kill but to repel. Articles here may relate to chemical, physical or biological barriers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Insect_repellents

Compassionate garden pest control - no kill gardening
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002903284

Non-lethal methods of rat control
http://www.ehow.com/way_5542345_nonleth ... ntrol.html

I remember lots of field mice coming into my house. I bought a Mouse House, a non-harming trap, and mice food and caught four or five. I kept them in the Mouse House for a few weeks, and then released them next to a creek in the bush after digging a safe nest for them.

with metta
Chris

[GraemeR]

Thank you Graham.

The very first Precept reads:
1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
This includes all life, not just human life.
<snip>
with metta
Chris

Chris

I agree, I try to avoid killing anything, I even try and catch mosquitoes and throw them out.

With metta,

Graham

[yawares]

Dear Members,

Please let me show you all these rare cats:

Sand cat


Norwegian forest cat


Chimera cat


Toy cat


**********
Seriously...who can get rid of something this cute???
yawares