this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2024
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[–] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 24 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Nope. And the RSPB doesn't believe cats are a concern:

The UK’s largest bird charity, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), is not particularly concerned about the impact of cats on the British mainland.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/14/cats-kill-birds-wildlife-keep-indoors

And a Bristol study found cats kill the "doomed" weak and sick birds - not healthy birds: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2008.00836.x

[–] Repelle@lemmy.world 29 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Cats have also been around in the UK significantly longer than many other places. Here in Hawaii they’re a plague on native species that had no such predators before.

[–] bionicjoey@lemmy.ca 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That's a big part of the difference. Cats in the old world are probably fine since everything there has evolved alongside them. But the native species in the Americas haven't had housecats to worry about until relatively recently in evolutionary terms.

[–] jpeps@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

I'm a outdoor cat person but in fairness one issue to consider is that while cats are natural in Europe, their current numbers and general location are something that's pretty unnatural. I definitely err on the side of not being concerned about it, but I do think it's something to consider as people have more pets.

Personally I have one cat that has brought in a single frog, and another that exclusively brings in recycling.

[–] deweydecibel@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Yeah but Hawaii's ecosystem is different from the mainland, too. Every area is going to handle this differently.

[–] wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one 14 points 9 months ago (2 children)

The UK used to have a different feline species that was native to the isles.

Its likely going extinct because of the UK obsession with outdoor cats.

[–] shottymcb@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Since 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the Cat Specialist Group recognizes Felis silvestris silvestris as the valid scientific name for all European wildcat populations, arguing that it is doubtful that the Scottish wildcat is sufficiently distinct to accord it separate subspecific status.

It's just a plain old cat, it's not going extinct.

[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Yes, according to the RSPB habitat destruction from expanding urban areas and farmland is the main threat to bird life in the UK.

When my family had a cat it would mostly catch and bring home earthworms.

[–] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

When my family had a cat it would mostly catch and bring home earthworms.

I think you had a defective cat. :/

[–] Daeraxa@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago

I get lots of leaves and slugs. Occasionally an alive frog, one loves catching them for me but never even attempts to eat it.