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Feral cats _Evolution_ by Stephen Baxter
In article ,
"Bill Reich" wrote: Well, cats are already pretty effective predators. Baxter has them all die off because they're "too dependent on humanity". Given how readily cats go feral, I'm skeptical. (And note that they tolerate a wide range of conditions, from jungle to desert to subarctic forest.) Cats also have a wide range of genetic variance: they would probably have a large capacity for speciation if given the chance. And they are naturally _predators_ upon rodents -- if the rodent population swelled, any surviving cats would feast. Sincerely Yours, Jordan Unfortunately for feral cats, the bobcat isn't anywhere CLOSE to extinct and considers his domestic cousin a good meal. In areas where humans live, urban or rural, feral cats thrive because the other predators have been discouraged. Feral dogs kill them but feral dog packs often get the attention of the authorities and get discouraged too. The bobcats have become exceptionally bold around Tucson -- rarely does a week go by when I don't see one in our suburb. Last year, one grabbed our cat off the windowsill. Fortunately, I was there and kicked the bobcat until it turned loose. $1600 in vet bills, and Precious is almost as good as new. She doesn't go outside anymore. In fact, I see about as many bobcats as domestic cats in our neighborhood, now. Could be worse. When my parents lived in Kenya, they had friends whose dog slept at the foot of their bed. Until the night when a leopard came through the (unscreened) bedroom window, grabbed the dog, jumped back out. While the couple were in bed, watching in horror. Cheers -- Pete Tillman |
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"Peter D. Tillman" wrote in message ... In article , "Bill Reich" wrote: Well, cats are already pretty effective predators. Baxter has them all die off because they're "too dependent on humanity". Given how readily cats go feral, I'm skeptical. (And note that they tolerate a wide range of conditions, from jungle to desert to subarctic forest.) Cats also have a wide range of genetic variance: they would probably have a large capacity for speciation if given the chance. And they are naturally _predators_ upon rodents -- if the rodent population swelled, any surviving cats would feast. Sincerely Yours, Jordan Unfortunately for feral cats, the bobcat isn't anywhere CLOSE to extinct and considers his domestic cousin a good meal. In areas where humans live, urban or rural, feral cats thrive because the other predators have been discouraged. Feral dogs kill them but feral dog packs often get the attention of the authorities and get discouraged too. The bobcats have become exceptionally bold around Tucson -- rarely does a week go by when I don't see one in our suburb. Last year, one grabbed our cat off the windowsill. Fortunately, I was there and kicked the bobcat until it turned loose. $1600 in vet bills, and Precious is almost as good as new. She doesn't go outside anymore. In fact, I see about as many bobcats as domestic cats in our neighborhood, now. Could be worse. When my parents lived in Kenya, they had friends whose dog slept at the foot of their bed. Until the night when a leopard came through the (unscreened) bedroom window, grabbed the dog, jumped back out. While the couple were in bed, watching in horror. Cheers -- Pete Tillman Why would *anyone* continue to let their cats outside in that environment!! Not to start a flame or anything, but with big cats around, its just too dangerous. Have you seen those pics in abpa? Yikes. Karen |
#3
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On Fri, 9 Apr 2004 14:14:35 -0700, Karen wrote
(in article ): "Peter D. Tillman" wrote in message ... In article , "Bill Reich" wrote: Well, cats are already pretty effective predators. Baxter has them all die off because they're "too dependent on humanity". Given how readily cats go feral, I'm skeptical. (And note that they tolerate a wide range of conditions, from jungle to desert to subarctic forest.) Cats also have a wide range of genetic variance: they would probably have a large capacity for speciation if given the chance. And they are naturally _predators_ upon rodents -- if the rodent population swelled, any surviving cats would feast. Sincerely Yours, Jordan Unfortunately for feral cats, the bobcat isn't anywhere CLOSE to extinct and considers his domestic cousin a good meal. In areas where humans live, urban or rural, feral cats thrive because the other predators have been discouraged. Feral dogs kill them but feral dog packs often get the attention of the authorities and get discouraged too. The bobcats have become exceptionally bold around Tucson -- rarely does a week go by when I don't see one in our suburb. Last year, one grabbed our cat off the windowsill. Fortunately, I was there and kicked the bobcat until it turned loose. $1600 in vet bills, and Precious is almost as good as new. She doesn't go outside anymore. In fact, I see about as many bobcats as domestic cats in our neighborhood, now. Could be worse. When my parents lived in Kenya, they had friends whose dog slept at the foot of their bed. Until the night when a leopard came through the (unscreened) bedroom window, grabbed the dog, jumped back out. While the couple were in bed, watching in horror. Cheers -- Pete Tillman Why would *anyone* continue to let their cats outside in that environment!! Not to start a flame or anything, but with big cats around, its just too dangerous. Have you seen those pics in abpa? Yikes. Tucson is tough country for pets, bears, mountain lions, coyotes and I guess bobcats. I have a friend who lives there and says there is no feral cat population because of the coyotes. As much as the cats enjoy running around here if I lived there I wouldn't let them out. He has a Norwegian Elkhound and it was attacked by coyotes. 98 or 99 I think someone was killed by a bear. I think the idea that cats are dependent on man for their future survival is silly. There are many times as many feral cats world wide as there are living with people. The Maine Coon is said to be adapted to Maine from cats brought over and gone feral they survived and flourished. |
#4
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On Fri, 9 Apr 2004 14:14:35 -0700, Karen wrote
(in article ): "Peter D. Tillman" wrote in message ... In article , "Bill Reich" wrote: Well, cats are already pretty effective predators. Baxter has them all die off because they're "too dependent on humanity". Given how readily cats go feral, I'm skeptical. (And note that they tolerate a wide range of conditions, from jungle to desert to subarctic forest.) Cats also have a wide range of genetic variance: they would probably have a large capacity for speciation if given the chance. And they are naturally _predators_ upon rodents -- if the rodent population swelled, any surviving cats would feast. Sincerely Yours, Jordan Unfortunately for feral cats, the bobcat isn't anywhere CLOSE to extinct and considers his domestic cousin a good meal. In areas where humans live, urban or rural, feral cats thrive because the other predators have been discouraged. Feral dogs kill them but feral dog packs often get the attention of the authorities and get discouraged too. The bobcats have become exceptionally bold around Tucson -- rarely does a week go by when I don't see one in our suburb. Last year, one grabbed our cat off the windowsill. Fortunately, I was there and kicked the bobcat until it turned loose. $1600 in vet bills, and Precious is almost as good as new. She doesn't go outside anymore. In fact, I see about as many bobcats as domestic cats in our neighborhood, now. Could be worse. When my parents lived in Kenya, they had friends whose dog slept at the foot of their bed. Until the night when a leopard came through the (unscreened) bedroom window, grabbed the dog, jumped back out. While the couple were in bed, watching in horror. Cheers -- Pete Tillman Why would *anyone* continue to let their cats outside in that environment!! Not to start a flame or anything, but with big cats around, its just too dangerous. Have you seen those pics in abpa? Yikes. Tucson is tough country for pets, bears, mountain lions, coyotes and I guess bobcats. I have a friend who lives there and says there is no feral cat population because of the coyotes. As much as the cats enjoy running around here if I lived there I wouldn't let them out. He has a Norwegian Elkhound and it was attacked by coyotes. 98 or 99 I think someone was killed by a bear. I think the idea that cats are dependent on man for their future survival is silly. There are many times as many feral cats world wide as there are living with people. The Maine Coon is said to be adapted to Maine from cats brought over and gone feral they survived and flourished. |
#5
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The bobcats have become exceptionally bold around Tucson -- rarely does
a week go by when I don't see one in our suburb. Last year, one grabbed our cat off the windowsill. Fortunately, I was there and kicked the bobcat until it turned loose. $1600 in vet bills, and Precious is almost as good as new. She doesn't go outside anymore. In fact, I see about as many bobcats as domestic cats in our neighborhood, now. Let me get this straight. You see bobcats in your suburban neighborhood as commonly as domestics? *Suburbs"? I know bobcats are a threat; we have them here. But it's a rare thing for them to be seen in the daytime, near the house. . You must have a *tremendous* bobcat population...Has a news crew covered this yet? Are they even educatiing people about leaving garbage out, etc., to prevent encouraging them further? You're also very lucky you weren't seriously injured yourself. Sherry |
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#7
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There are more of them out there, and closer to us, than you would
think. I used to live in a town of appx. 23,000 people, one block off the main street through town. When I got home late, I routinely scared a bobcat out of the dumpster of our apartment complex; he'd leap out and run when my headlights would shine on the dumpster as I turned in. I live in a very small town (pop appx. 3,000) in a fairly large county that's mostly rural, and it's not uncommon to see a bobcat running across the road. The local police have said that you could be *amazed* at the wildlife roaming the street in the middle of the night. Bobcats, coyotes, the occasional bear, etc. Krista, if that happened here, every Bubba with a 12-gauge would march on the Capitol hollering "Overpopulation!" and have an open season on them declared. My dad is a rancher, and he is amazingly tolerant of coyotes/bobcats. If a newborn calf gets killed, he just shrugs and says, "You have to expect to lose a few." He never lets the coyote-hunters on his land. Back to the Bubba-hunters, there's a restaurant here that has 2 stuffed bobcats on the counter as "trophies." I ate there once and marched my butt to the manager and told him I thought dead cats as decor was disgusting. DH was quite embarrassed. It's such a no-win. Bobcats are such magnificent creatures and you have to respectt them just for survivinng on their own. But they can be so dangerous, too, when they start coming into populated areas and getting so bold. Sherry |
#8
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Yeah, Sherry, I don't like stuffed dead things either.....several gunsmith
shops in this area have taxi'd wild boars (they live in the 'Glades) right by the front door and even though I don't especially like wild boars (who would, except another wild boar?) it turns my stomach to go past them into the stores. God knows what's in stores out in western USA. There are bears as well as bobcats here but they stay deep in the Everglades. Not to mention the FL Panther, a protected species (who is on my license plate, BTW). "Sherry " wrote in message ... : There are more of them out there, and closer to us, than you would : think. I used to live in a town of appx. 23,000 people, one block off : the main street through town. When I got home late, I routinely : scared a bobcat out of the dumpster of our apartment complex; he'd : leap out and run when my headlights would shine on the dumpster as I : turned in. : : I live in a very small town (pop appx. 3,000) in a fairly large county : that's mostly rural, and it's not uncommon to see a bobcat running : across the road. The local police have said that you could be : *amazed* at the wildlife roaming the street in the middle of the : night. Bobcats, coyotes, the occasional bear, etc. : : Krista, if that happened here, every Bubba with a 12-gauge would march on the : Capitol hollering "Overpopulation!" and have an open season on them declared. : My dad is a rancher, and he is amazingly tolerant of coyotes/bobcats. If a : newborn calf gets killed, he just shrugs and says, "You have to expect to lose : a few." He never lets the coyote-hunters on his land. : Back to the Bubba-hunters, there's a restaurant here that has 2 stuffed bobcats : on the counter as "trophies." I ate there once and marched my butt to the : manager and told him I thought dead cats as decor was disgusting. DH was quite : embarrassed. : It's such a no-win. Bobcats are such magnificent creatures and you have to : respectt them just for survivinng on their own. But they can be so dangerous, : too, when they start coming into populated areas and getting so bold. : : Sherry : |
#9
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Yeah, Sherry, I don't like stuffed dead things either.....several gunsmith
shops in this area have taxi'd wild boars (they live in the 'Glades) right by the front door and even though I don't especially like wild boars (who would, except another wild boar?) it turns my stomach to go past them into the stores. God knows what's in stores out in western USA. There are bears as well as bobcats here but they stay deep in the Everglades. Not to mention the FL Panther, a protected species (who is on my license plate, BTW). "Sherry " wrote in message ... : There are more of them out there, and closer to us, than you would : think. I used to live in a town of appx. 23,000 people, one block off : the main street through town. When I got home late, I routinely : scared a bobcat out of the dumpster of our apartment complex; he'd : leap out and run when my headlights would shine on the dumpster as I : turned in. : : I live in a very small town (pop appx. 3,000) in a fairly large county : that's mostly rural, and it's not uncommon to see a bobcat running : across the road. The local police have said that you could be : *amazed* at the wildlife roaming the street in the middle of the : night. Bobcats, coyotes, the occasional bear, etc. : : Krista, if that happened here, every Bubba with a 12-gauge would march on the : Capitol hollering "Overpopulation!" and have an open season on them declared. : My dad is a rancher, and he is amazingly tolerant of coyotes/bobcats. If a : newborn calf gets killed, he just shrugs and says, "You have to expect to lose : a few." He never lets the coyote-hunters on his land. : Back to the Bubba-hunters, there's a restaurant here that has 2 stuffed bobcats : on the counter as "trophies." I ate there once and marched my butt to the : manager and told him I thought dead cats as decor was disgusting. DH was quite : embarrassed. : It's such a no-win. Bobcats are such magnificent creatures and you have to : respectt them just for survivinng on their own. But they can be so dangerous, : too, when they start coming into populated areas and getting so bold. : : Sherry : |
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