• shalafi@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I’ve had several outdoor cats, and only 1 would actively hunt, and in all these years I only found a single dead bird. 3-4 outdoor cars on my block, never found anything dead. I don’t get it when people say cats are such a scrouge.

    Maybe they’re so well fed now days they don’t bother to hunt? Seems people used to be meaner to strays, haven’t seen a skinny/sickly cat in ages.

    • lazynooblet@lazysoci.al
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      6 days ago

      I think the point that most people miss is that these studies mix together domestic and unowned/ feral cats. It is highly likely that our domestic cats who are fed well don’t hunt as much

      • shalafi@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        Oh! Counting feral cats makes a huge difference. I was only looking at the issue from a pet-centric POV.

        So letting my fixed/neutered pet out, no big deal. Makes way more sense now.

        • NewSocialWhoDis@lemmy.zip
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          5 days ago

          You should keep your pet indoors too. Lots of well-fed pet cats like to hunt small mammals and birds because it’s what they’re wired to do. Many many housecats bring their owners gifts of dead birds and mice.

    • socsa@piefed.social
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      6 days ago

      I find at least 5 dead birds every year. I have blink camera videos of the local cats stalking the birds.

      More than anything else, it’s inconsiderate to your neighbors who might not want your cats on their property. My wife and I take great joy in watching the local doves nest and raise chicks, and we will absolutely defend them from feral pests and outdoor “pets” alike.