this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2024
850 points (98.1% liked)
linuxmemes
20453 readers
995 users here now
I use Arch btw
Sister communities:
- LemmyMemes: Memes
- LemmyShitpost: Anything and everything goes.
- RISA: Star Trek memes and shitposts
Community rules
- Follow the site-wide rules and code of conduct
- Be civil
- Post Linux-related content
- No recent reposts
Please report posts and comments that break these rules!
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Realistically, though, that's no different from blaming climate change on plastic straws.
Except plastic straws don't really do anything to accelerate climate change and cats can decimate bird populations
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
"Cats are not native to north america and western Europe"
You're just wrong, at least about the Europe part. There's literally a species known as the Scottish Wildcat. And last I checked, Scotland was in western Europe.
Can Americans stop spreading patently false information based on their Amero-centric worldview? Please and thank you.
Fantastically, a wild cat isn't a domestic cat! Wow! Who knew!
I'm not american
The discussion involved housecats, I assumed it would be obvious that I was referring to housecats, not fucking wildcats
Housecats are native to Egypt and are descendants of the African wildcat
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/free-ranging-and-feral-cats.pdf
https://academic.oup.com/jel/article/32/3/391/5640440
https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/current/press-releases/cats-must-stay-indoors-protect-wildlife
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
Facts and sources, better downvote because that doesn't match my vibes about my outdoor cats lmfao
You edited your comment, so don't get snarky about me not accounting for an edit you made after I replied.
Anyways,
I mentioned wildcats because they are similar to domestic cats and the existence of them here disprove the "it's not their natural habitat" talking point.
The Scottish Wildcat is so overwhelmingly similar to the domestic cat that they can interbreed.
And this fact might entertain you: both types of wildcat mentioned are considered Felis Silvestris. They're really not that different.
I don't care about some American publication talking about cats as that is obviously going to be specific to America, and it's claims of invasiveness do not apply to many other places, or are such a small concern it's not considered.
Here's a UK source, a bit more applicable to where I live:
http://web.archive.org/web/20200206053916/www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/animal-deterrents/cats-and-garden-birds/are-cats-causing-bird-declines/
That's the checks notes Royal Society for the Protection of Birds noting that cats are not causing issues for bird populations. Give it a read.
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 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
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
Wild Cats Of North America:
Bobcat
Canada Lynx
Puma / Mountain Lion / Cougar
Ocelot
Jaguarundi
Jaguar
Margay
I was specifically referring to domesticated cats not being native to these regions since that was what is being discussed.
I'd argue a housecat and a bobcat share a similar ecological niche. Haven't the housecats simply replaced the bobcats that were largely removed by humans?