Feral cats _Evolution_ by Stephen Baxter

On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. There
were no real indiginous ground based predators on the island, which forms
the breeding grounds for large numbers of seabirds many of which nest on
open rocky beaches. The introduced cat population often decimates these
colonies by killing large numbers of flightless chicks,often not even eating
them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?


--
"It's easier to find people online who openly support the KKK than
people who openly support the RIAA" -- comment on Wikipedia
(Email: zen19725 at zen dot co dot uk)

On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. There
were no real indiginous ground based predators on the island, which forms
the breeding grounds for large numbers of seabirds many of which nest on
open rocky beaches. The introduced cat population often decimates these
colonies by killing large numbers of flightless chicks,often not even eating
them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?


--
"It's easier to find people online who openly support the KKK than
people who openly support the RIAA" -- comment on Wikipedia
(Email: zen19725 at zen dot co dot uk)

On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 18:13:26 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
wrote:


My reaction, too! Tempting a cat with the great outdoors when it's
confined and can't explore seems to me extreme cruelty. Although I
prefer to let my cats come and go as they choose (and believe the cats
prefer it that way, too), I now live where Melisande must perforce be an
indoor cat. Her only exposure to the outdoors now (other than window
sitting) is when she must make a trip to the vet. Cats can adapt to
being indoor only, if they must - teasing one with trips outdoors
confined to a cage is giving it the worst of both worlds, IMO.

In the 7 years I've been taking the cats on walks, I have learned a
few things. Number one: cats have their own reasons for wanting to
go outside. For five of those seven years, trips outside consisted of
me sitting down to read a book, and my Rana-cat perching on the porch
rail for a half hour, intently watching for mice in the ivy.
Sometimes she'd actually get to pounce (most often missing), and after
that she was perfectly happy to go back inside. Now, she will demand
to go on the patio so that she can trot across to the detached garage
to sleep on the car.

The point is, from my experience, cats that want to go outside do not
actually want or need to go roaming for vast distances. Cats are
ambush predators. Give them a good spot to hunker down and watch for
prey, and they will be quite happy, even if nothing ever wanders by.

Rebecca

On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 18:13:26 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
wrote:


My reaction, too! Tempting a cat with the great outdoors when it's
confined and can't explore seems to me extreme cruelty. Although I
prefer to let my cats come and go as they choose (and believe the cats
prefer it that way, too), I now live where Melisande must perforce be an
indoor cat. Her only exposure to the outdoors now (other than window
sitting) is when she must make a trip to the vet. Cats can adapt to
being indoor only, if they must - teasing one with trips outdoors
confined to a cage is giving it the worst of both worlds, IMO.

In the 7 years I've been taking the cats on walks, I have learned a
few things. Number one: cats have their own reasons for wanting to
go outside. For five of those seven years, trips outside consisted of
me sitting down to read a book, and my Rana-cat perching on the porch
rail for a half hour, intently watching for mice in the ivy.
Sometimes she'd actually get to pounce (most often missing), and after
that she was perfectly happy to go back inside. Now, she will demand
to go on the patio so that she can trot across to the detached garage
to sleep on the car.

The point is, from my experience, cats that want to go outside do not
actually want or need to go roaming for vast distances. Cats are
ambush predators. Give them a good spot to hunker down and watch for
prey, and they will be quite happy, even if nothing ever wanders by.

Rebecca

"phil hunt" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.
There
were no real indiginous ground based predators on the island, which forms
the breeding grounds for large numbers of seabirds many of which nest on
open rocky beaches. The introduced cat population often decimates these
colonies by killing large numbers of flightless chicks,often not even
eating
them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?



I was using "decimated" in a figurative sense, the damage is probably rather
more extreme than 1 in 10. For example; two species of indiginous ground
birds are now completely extinct, and others no longer nest on the island
itself.

This seems pretty off topic for this group, but if anyone is really
interested take a look at:

http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/restoration.htm

--
Cal

"phil hunt" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.
There
were no real indiginous ground based predators on the island, which forms
the breeding grounds for large numbers of seabirds many of which nest on
open rocky beaches. The introduced cat population often decimates these
colonies by killing large numbers of flightless chicks,often not even
eating
them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?



I was using "decimated" in a figurative sense, the damage is probably rather
more extreme than 1 in 10. For example; two species of indiginous ground
birds are now completely extinct, and others no longer nest on the island
itself.

This seems pretty off topic for this group, but if anyone is really
interested take a look at:

http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/restoration.htm

--
Cal

phil hunt wrote:
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal
wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South
Atlantic. There were no real indiginous ground based predators on
the island, which forms the breeding grounds for large numbers of
seabirds many of which nest on open rocky beaches. The introduced
cat population often decimates these colonies by killing large
numbers of flightless chicks,often not even eating them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?

Like many other words, decimates, is usualy used wrongly. I doubt many
people would know what it actualy means.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy, Milo & Bagheera)
A house is not a home, without a cat.

phil hunt wrote:
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal
wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South
Atlantic. There were no real indiginous ground based predators on
the island, which forms the breeding grounds for large numbers of
seabirds many of which nest on open rocky beaches. The introduced
cat population often decimates these colonies by killing large
numbers of flightless chicks,often not even eating them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?

Like many other words, decimates, is usualy used wrongly. I doubt many
people would know what it actualy means.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy, Milo & Bagheera)
A house is not a home, without a cat.

"Adrian" writes:

phil hunt wrote:
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal
wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South
Atlantic. There were no real indiginous ground based predators on
the island, which forms the breeding grounds for large numbers of
seabirds many of which nest on open rocky beaches. The introduced
cat population often decimates these colonies by killing large
numbers of flightless chicks,often not even eating them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?

Like many other words, decimates, is usualy used wrongly. I doubt many
people would know what it actualy means.

Hmm.. Just curious, but didn't "populus" refer to a groups of of
persons and should be tha above "many person would know"?

"Adrian" writes:

phil hunt wrote:
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:22:14 +0100, Cal
wrote:

A similar situation occurs on Ascension Island in the South
Atlantic. There were no real indiginous ground based predators on
the island, which forms the breeding grounds for large numbers of
seabirds many of which nest on open rocky beaches. The introduced
cat population often decimates these colonies by killing large
numbers of flightless chicks,often not even eating them.

If it only kills 1 in 10 of them, what's the problem?

Like many other words, decimates, is usualy used wrongly. I doubt many
people would know what it actualy means.

Hmm.. Just curious, but didn't "populus" refer to a groups of of
persons and should be tha above "many person would know"?