Posted on 05/18/2022 11:47:50 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Many news stories stress that our ecosystems are under assault by Burmese pythons and Asian carp. This leads people to conclude that it is the less charismatic fauna such as reptiles and fish that are the most threatening of invasive species.
Proposed amendments to the Lacey Act that the U.S. House passed Feb. 4 seem to perpetuate this narrative, with a proposed ban on all exotic animal species moving across state lines. (The 122-year-old Lacey Act bans trafficking in illegally taken fish, wildlife, and plants.) But one animal that the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers among the world’s worst invasive species is also one of America’s most popular pets: Felis catus, the domestic cat.
For the record, I love cats. My rescued girl, Drama Queen, is one of the greatest joys in my life. However, I am firmly of the opinion that she belongs indoors for her own safety, the safety of other animals and the overall well-being of my suburban environment. I don’t intend to shame those who may give their cats outdoor access. I merely wish to present the case that cats are a highly significant invasive species that poses a threat arguably greater than that posed by any other pet animal, including reptiles and amphibians.
Two of the most obvious and significant impacts invasive species may have on an ecosystem include increased disease transmission and predation on native species. Outdoor cats can have these impacts. In 2014, cats made up 61% of rabies cases among domestic animals. Cats are also responsible for the transmission of toxoplasmosis, a fecal parasite that can result in illness and death among wildlife as well as potentially producing birth defects, behavioral disorders or other consequences for people with compromised immunity . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Anything that you enjoy is “problematic” with these folks. The Puritans were not as big a buzzkill as these busybodies.
First they came for the unborn, then to starve the infants, then to groom the children, now they are after your pets.
I’m sure the Florida legislature would like the exotic pet industry to pay to rid our state of undesirable imported critters.
Indeed so. ;-)
After all, they are so very dangerous that Andrew Lloyd Weber created a Broadway show about them where he revealed the bombshell news that they were even reaching for the “Heavyside Layer”, thereby insuring the extinction of humans.
I’m going with liberal progs from NYC, NJ and IL.
5.56mm
Here Kitty,Kitty.
.
The Yellow ones
Taste like Chicken!
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https://wildlifeinformer.com/invasive-species-in-florida/
They rate feral cats as problem #15 and the air potato vine as problem #14.
I would uprate the air potato vine.
To be fair, felines are the originating source for all Toxoplasma gondii infections.
outdoor-feral cats, have an impact, true.
has anyone noticed the decrease in the backyard wild bird population?
feral cats, unlike some species, do not ‘tailor’ their broods, in regards to the abundance of their prey. they are consistant in their litters.
My 2 kitties NEVER have had their paws outside it is to dangerous for them out there!! I live in a very suburban neighborhood on a golf course, my neighbors kitty who was always outside was found on his front lawn ripped to shreds by a coyote!! The coyotes come in from fields because of the water on the golf course!! Kitties don’t NEED to be outside!!!
Feral cats tend to have short lives.
Covered in dried cat spit that is caked with litter box stuff.
I don’t let my cats roam because of traffic and feral cats here. But people with farms and barns find outdoor cats very useful to keep vermin DOWN.
And in the neighborhoods where I’ve lived, crows killed more songbirds than cats ever did.
(Humans contract toxoplasmosis from indoor cats far more easily and often than from outdoor ones.)
We do not need a new problem #15.
This is actually true. I like cats, but they’ve always got slaughter on their minds. If you could hear what your cat is thinking you’d probably kick him out of the house.
I have a bunny problem.
They eat several hours a day, including my caladiums.
My husband says they’re very good eating.
Lol... Careful around here. Tell you what, if the Vegans have their way this invasive species will become rare to find real quick.
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