Should we kill feral cats who kill endangered birds?
December 2, 2007 6:46 PM Subscribe
Should we kill feral cats who kill endangered birds? A case study in applied ethics. "The National Audubon Society has declared that 'worldwide, cats may have been involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause, except habitat destruction.'" Is destroying feral cats an acceptable solution, or barbarity?
This post was deleted for the following reason: Just talked about this, including Stevenson, a couple weeks ago. -- cortex
This is the nature of nature and we should not try to control feline delinquency.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 6:57 PM on December 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 6:57 PM on December 2, 2007 [1 favorite]
Killing off invasive species isn't news, and, if the introduction of a species by humans results in the destruction of other animals, species and ecosystems, culling them isn't unethical either, or no more so than any other animal killing I can think of.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 6:58 PM on December 2, 2007
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 6:58 PM on December 2, 2007
It's the only solution and it's no more barbaric than what the cat will do to hundreds of birds in it's lifetime.
When I was a kid everyone let their dogs run around loose and un-neutered. I'm hopeful there will be a similar change in attitude amongst cat-owners in the next decade. That Wessen guy in the article is a dick, moving somwhere with five cats and allowing them to decimate the local bird population. My dog would be happy to decimate the local cat population, not o mention the local trash cans, but I keep her confined much of the time to prevent it and it's no more natural for her than it is for his cats.
posted by fshgrl at 7:00 PM on December 2, 2007
When I was a kid everyone let their dogs run around loose and un-neutered. I'm hopeful there will be a similar change in attitude amongst cat-owners in the next decade. That Wessen guy in the article is a dick, moving somwhere with five cats and allowing them to decimate the local bird population. My dog would be happy to decimate the local cat population, not o mention the local trash cans, but I keep her confined much of the time to prevent it and it's no more natural for her than it is for his cats.
posted by fshgrl at 7:00 PM on December 2, 2007
The Cat Defender blog is hilarious:
Bird lovers all over the world are still whooping it up following serial cat killer James M. Stevenson's great victory last Friday afternoon in a Galveston courtroom. Even the usually dour cat-hating monster found it difficult to contain his elation as he strutted out of court all the while laughing up his blood-soaked sleeve at the travesty of the American judicial system.
posted by dhammond at 7:04 PM on December 2, 2007
Bird lovers all over the world are still whooping it up following serial cat killer James M. Stevenson's great victory last Friday afternoon in a Galveston courtroom. Even the usually dour cat-hating monster found it difficult to contain his elation as he strutted out of court all the while laughing up his blood-soaked sleeve at the travesty of the American judicial system.
posted by dhammond at 7:04 PM on December 2, 2007
Harry Butler said he hated doing it - but he would kill any feral cat he saw.
BTW, Harry Butler was the softly spoken animal lover that Australian kids looked up to, before being a MORON YAHOO became de rigeur.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:13 PM on December 2, 2007
BTW, Harry Butler was the softly spoken animal lover that Australian kids looked up to, before being a MORON YAHOO became de rigeur.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:13 PM on December 2, 2007
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posted by finite at 6:49 PM on December 2, 2007