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A collection of some classic Lemmy memes for your enjoyment
I witnessed basically this exact conversation once. We were in the exam room, and our vet stepped out to the computer in the hallway to show a woman her cat's X-rays. Apparently it had been attacked by a dog and wouldn't make it.
The vet literally said, "So what did we learn today? Don't let your cat outside if you want it to live."
Funny.
In Europe we've the same discussion for the opposite reasons.
Do not let the cat outside, it will kills other animals.
It's really both. Eventually cat will get into an accident, but on the way there it will take a whole bunch of smaller animals and birds with it.
This works for people with empathy who care. The former works for people who are selfish. Both are good to tell people. One may work where the other doesn't.
Bigger issue imo is cats destroying wild life not the wild life destroying cats. Either way, keep your cat inside.
Some of us live in countries that don't really have dangerous wild life and cats have been allowed outside for over 1000 years.
Humans can sustain a large density of cats that wasn't possible in the wild. If it's a pet cat, don't let it hunt. It will imbalance the ecosystem by adding too many predators who don't depend on the prey for sustenance
I always love bringing out this good ol chart.
Fake news. Birds aren't real.
cats have been allowed outside for over 1000 years
That's simply not true. There were never as many outdoor cats as there is today and cats used to have natural predators everywhere to keep environmental balance which is lost today. Keeping all of your pets indoors (or at least backyard) is the only ethically viable position.
Downvoted by people who don't like facts. There isn't a country in the world with a domestic cat population that wouldn't see a huge benefit to their native wildlife by keeping those pets inside or in a pet run. But people don't like the change or the effort of doing so, so they ignore this inconvenient fact.
Indeed, pet owners simply don't want to hear the truth which is incredibly irresponsible.
Even if you really must let your cat out there are things you can do like colorful collars with an attached bell which:
The BBScc reduced the number of birds brought home by 37% (probability of reduction of 88%). The number of mammals brought home was reduced by 54–62%, but only with the additional bell (probability of reduction of >99%)
https://zenodo.org/records/15210938
I've never seen a cat owner who cares enough to even do that when we have clear evidence this works. The naturalist argument of "oh they are local animals" is such an irresponsible cop out where they can't even bother to put a collar on to diminish the damage. It's inexcusable laziness, nothing else.
>countries that don't really have dangerous wildlife
>cats have been allowed outside for over 1000 years
Sounds like your country does have dangerous wildlife, you just like the predator more than the prey
So, now you're starving coyotes?
Get a catio.
Don’t let cats kill more birds and amphibians. Cats being let outside has contributed to the extinction of countless species.
Also, lead walking! Most cats can be trained to be very receptive to lead walking especially if you start them young. Your cat still gets the enrichment from walking around outside and all the lovely smells and sights that entails but without the danger of cars or the cat killing everything is feels like.
Walking your cat is a great way to get them outside, but (depending on the individual) it's quite different from walking a dog. Most cats aren't very interested in the actual walking part of walks, and may be much happier finding a nice bush to sit under for half an hour. However a leash is a great way to keep your cat supervised and under control for outside visits, either in the back yard, around the block, or to a nearby park.
Other warnings: starting them young is ideal, but older cats can get used to the leash with a lot of patience (on both of your parts). Cats that were previously outdoor cats will have the most trouble adjusting to their loss of freedom, but indoor-only cats may be excited for the opportunity (or terrified: pushing your cat a little out of their comfort zone is okay but don't overdo it!). A well-fitting harness/vest is crucial, and even then a very determined (or scared) cat can probably wriggle out so be prepared. Keep a very close eye on your cat's emotional state and be ready to go home at signs of anxiety. Low-stress outdoor places (with few cars, dogs, screaming kids, etc, and with some form of cover like trees and bushes) are best especially to start. Treats and verbal encouragement, paired with small steps and lots of patience, are key! Above all stay consistent: once you've made the decision to make your cat leash-only, don't let them go outside without it: your cat needs to make the connection that they have to be on a leash if they want to enjoy the outside.
I know they do a lot of killing and they fuck up the local ecosystem, but I never knew they actually made extinctions happen. What species?
https://gizmodo.com/8-species-driven-toward-extinction-by-cats-1848059691
Over half of pet cats in the U.S. spend time outside, and worldwide the animals have contributed to the extinction of at least 33 species, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sadly, it’s already too late for dozens of species, including the Stephens Island wren (a flightless songbird), the crescent nailtail wallaby, and the adorable desert bandicoot.
[Suprise the Trump admin seems to have taken that page down — sure there is an archive tho]
That is absolutely crazy. Thanks for sharing!
Holy crap..yes. leash your cats for the love of all that is fuzzy.
The anger people have when you tell them it's neglect when you just let a cat roam free. It's insanity. Your cat can easily just never come home or be found dead to many things, and they also destroy lots of wildlife and crap on people's property with no respecting owner to clean up.
No one would take this from dogs..so why cats? It's literally for their safety and the safety of other animals...its mind boggling and the downvotrs prove it
The anger people have when you tell them it’s neglect when you just let a cat roam free. It’s insanity.
If you want to see people loose their mind, suggest that the way we dominate these animals to please us is the root cause of all that suffering and neglect.
*I live with a cat and am having beef for dinner. I'm a hypocrite, not PETA.
Peta is also Extremely hypocritical but I agree.
I can't take anyone seriously on cat welfare if they have a cat mutilated just to prevent furniture getting some scratch marks.
My cat loves her 6 C-size breast implants thank you very much. The reduced scratching is just a tangential benefit to her self image.
My Nextdoor app = 1000 I lost my cat posts daily.
I had a idea of how to stop them but my wife wouldn't let me.
Respond with a picture of a coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, great horned owl or other predator with the caption, "Thank you for dinner, it was delicious."
I lost my cat for a week once but he wasn't an outdoor cat, he just snuck past as I was coming home in the dark once. It was so difficult to try to explain to people that no, he is not an outside cat, and please please help me get him back home because he doesn't know how to get home. So many people in the neighbourhood saw him but they just assumed he was an outdoor cat and didn't bother.
Thankfully I found him after many nights of going out to search for him, but I really can't imagine people would've reacted the same to a lost dog.
This was like 15 years ago but I'm still in the habit of opening my door foot first now to make sure I push any curious kitties back before I walk in.
It is better for the bird population, too.
As a coyote, this hurts me more.
I've had to chase the neighbor's cat away several times in the mornings before work because the scrub jays that had a nest in our bushes would be screaming at 5 in the morning because the cat would be out there
I set up motion detector sprinklers in my yard this year for pretty much the same reason. Has worked really well. I definitely forget they are on sometimes and get blasted but worth it otherwise.
