• takeheart@lemmy.world
    17·
    3 months ago

    The source for the bird loss is: Loss et al. Love it when people have fitting names like that. A painter named Brush, an investment banker named Rich, a hairdresser named Mane, etc.

    • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
      92·
      3 months ago

      Barely moves the needle. Birds are extremely adaptable and readily find habitats in rural, exurban, suburban, and even urban environments. Letting a housecat outside is one of the worst things that a single individual can do for the environment.

    • WhippetBowie@lemmy.world
      4·
      3 months ago

      I have. Random outdoor cat walked over to me, demanded pets, it noticed a bird, killed the bird, and came back to me looking for more attention. I was not impressed.

    • Siegfried@lemmy.world
      31·
      3 months ago

      I have feed around 10 stray cats for the last 15 years. Only one of them was a hunter, and by that, I mean it’s like watching captain Levi dealing with giants. I once saw her take down to pigeons at the same time.

    • n7gifmdn@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      Dang, we had barn cats as a kid, and then dad let one inside, and then more, but they would demand to go outside regularly so my parents let them, but the prettiest one, a calico, was always so proud of her catches, she’d leave them on the welcome mat like a present. Sometimes the whole bird, somtimes just like the feet left, she must have been hungry those days.

  • AdmiralShat@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    What about the loss of habitat, anyone who knows even a little bit about birds, at least in the western hemisphere, know that thousands of species only mate in certain areas in certain times of years. The loss of habitats for mating, the loss of food sources in the remaining habitats from pesticides, and the fact that many pesticides and other pollutants LITERALLY DEGRADE BIRD SHELLS AND KILL THEM BEFORE THEY HATCH

    House cats shouldn’t be putting a fucking dent in bird populations and it’s both absurd to think they’re the real threat and disingenuous to the causes of ill that plague our ecology

    I’m not shitting on you, OP, but in definitely shitting on the person who made this infographic and I’m shitting on the people who continue to push the myth that cats are the leading cause of loss in bird populations. They may kill many birds, but they’re not the reason we’re losing them. Not at all by far.

    • Montagge@lemmy.zip
      2·
      3 months ago

      Cat’s shouldn’t be putting a dent in the bird population because they shouldn’t be outside. They’re an invasive species that can definitely destroy local ecosystems.

      Yes habitat destruction is reducing bird population, but that doesn’t excuse the irresponsibility of cat owners that let their cats outside. All that accomplished is creating two problems.

      • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
        4·
        3 months ago

        I don’t understand why people are so defensive about this. Study after study shows that cats are fucking terrible for native ecosystems.

        Not just that, outdoor cats live much shorter lives. There is literally no reason to put a cat outside unless you hate your pet and your ecosystem.

      • Adanisi@lemmy.zipEnglish
        0·
        3 months ago

        I find it weird that Americans never let their cats outside. I mean, they’re outside animals.

        Would you stay indoors forever? No?

        • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          You don’t let your cats out for the same reason zoos don’t let their bears out into your fucking neighborhood ya goddamn dingus. They don’t belong there and can do serious damage to the local fauna.

          also outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years.

          Indoor cats live can for 15-20+.

          So sure, if you are pro-premature cat death. Let your pet cat outside.

          • Adanisi@lemmy.zipEnglish
            01·
            3 months ago

            They don’t belong there

            They don’t cause serious ecological harm. Even the fucking bird preservation or whatever body says cats don’t have a serious impact on local bird populations.

            Oh and they do belong outside, actually. They come in and go out as they please.

            Outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years

            Most cats are outdoor here, and live a damn sight longer than that. My own cat is 7 and counting. I have a relative who had an 18 year old cat.

            Maybe lifespan is different here because we don’t have 10-lane motorways every 10 meters in every direction.

            And for the record, if possible it is better for bears to be, well, outdoors in their natural habitat rather than a zoo.

            • Montagge@lemmy.zip
              1·
              3 months ago

              Hey guys we also killed most other predators, but it’s okay because my cat can live longer and kill more birds

        • Montagge@lemmy.zip
          1·
          3 months ago

          Because we’re more responsible at this one thing apparently. They’re invasive. You want to let them outside take them to their native habitat.

          • Adanisi@lemmy.zipEnglish
            0·
            3 months ago

            There are literally wild cats you can find, especially here.

            This pretty much is their natural habitat. 🙂

            But yeah tell me again how we’re all irresponsible for letting our cats breathe fresh air because they’re “iNvAsIvE”.

              • Adanisi@lemmy.zipEnglish
                0·
                3 months ago

                Talking about my own country specifically here:

                They’re not really in competition. They’re mainly concentrated in the pretty much unpopulated highlands, whereas domestic cats owned by humans are mainly concentrated in the central belt.

                Scottish Wildcats are endangered technically, but not in terms of competition from domestic cats killing them or taking their food. Rather, they’re interbreeding (because they’re so similar!). That’s just evolution at the end of the day.

                Even though they’re still considered endangered because “pure” wildcats population is reducing, the wildcats are still living and creating offspring, some of which are still wild cats, even if they’re not purebred “wildcat”.

                • Montagge@lemmy.zip
                  1·
                  3 months ago

                  So irresponsible cat owners let their cats outside and didn’t neuter or spay them. Cool beans.

                  It’s just evolution lol

        • Montagge@lemmy.zip
          1·
          3 months ago

          Except plastic straws don’t really do anything to accelerate climate change and cats can decimate bird populations

        • MetaCubed@lemmy.world
          1·
          3 months ago

          Except plastic straws aren’t actively hunting marine creatures.

          Domesticated cats are not native to north america and western Europe, and people should be more responsible in how they care for their pets, especially the ones that are invasive fucking species.

          Also, 2 things can be true. It’s possible that bird populations are being decimated by ecological destruction as well as the mass breeding and free roaming of invasive predators introduced by humans.

          Edit: clarified that I meant domesticated cats

      • rtxn@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        3 months ago

        That doesn’t un-kill the animals that died from deforestation, and repopulation can take years or decades.

  • Gladaed@feddit.de
    1·
    3 months ago

    This is misleading: Habitat destruction, e.g. Lack of thorny hedges and maize monoculture decimated wild animal population.

  • MoonJellyfish@lemmy.today
    01·
    3 months ago

    That’s why I say people should not own cats! Or big dogs (they are just dangerous). Buy some small breed dog or adopt one and be happy.