• takeheart@lemmy.world
    25·
    1 year 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.

  • AdmiralShat@programming.devEnglish
    249·
    1 year 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
      1811·
      1 year 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
        152·
        1 year 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.

        • Montagge@lemmy.zip
          95·
          1 year ago

          It’s irresponsible and stupid, but my sweet baby would never!

          Or it’s not fair to keep them inside all day! Okay build an enclosure outside they can go into like a responsible owner.

          I don’t even know what all to say to the chucklefuck that thinks it’s fine that the Scottish Wildcat is being bred to extinction. It’s okay though because that’s just evolution.

          Humanity was a fucking mistake

        • Montagge@lemmy.zip
          86·
          1 year ago

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

        • MetaCubed@lemmy.world
          78·
          1 year 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

            • MetaCubed@lemmy.world
              56·
              1 year ago

              Fantastically, a wild cat isn’t a domestic cat! Wow! Who knew!

              Stop thinking that things that make you feel bad about your world view are “patently false information based on an amero-centric worldview”. Please and fucking thank you

              • WldFyre@lemm.ee
                31·
                1 year ago

                Facts and sources, better downvote because that doesn’t match my vibes about my outdoor cats lmfao

                • MetaCubed@lemmy.world
                  32·
                  1 year ago

                  I edited one word of my comment because I had another reply from someone who misunderstood what I was referring to, so i clarified so there wouldnt be further confusion, not to give myself an excuse to be snarky.

                  • I’ve read the article you’ve provided a number of times previously and while yes, it does indicate that there is no scientific evidence for my claim, it is limited to the UK.

                  • I don’t see what interbreed-ability has to do with invasiveness?

                  I don’t care about some American publication talking about cats

                  • I provided 3 sources, one was American, the others were from Oxford (also in the UK last I checked) and Tillburg (Netherlands), both discussing the EU broadly

                  • Here is another study from the checks notes British Ecological Society which concludes in part

                  “…It is also well established that free-ranging cats pose a significant threat to biodiversity conservation and restoration worldwide, and that remedying this threat is relatively easy when compared to other drivers of biodiversity loss…”

                  If you’re not going to read the evidence I’m providing, while saying I’m only providing americentric evidence, then I’m going to respectfully abandon this thread. I apologize for the snark, that was uncalled for.

                  Edit: formatting only

        • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.worldEnglish
          103·
          1 year 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.

        • Montagge@lemmy.zip
          71·
          1 year 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.

      • rtxn@lemmy.worldMEnglish
        41·
        1 year ago

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

    • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
      165·
      1 year 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
      11·
      1 year 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
      61·
      1 year 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 two pigeons at the same time.

    • n7gifmdn@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      1 year 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.