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Cats Kill a Staggering Number of Species across the World
Scientific American ^ | 12/12/23 | Jack Tamisiea

Posted on 12/13/2023 10:14:59 AM PST by DallasBiff

Exotic species such as pythons, Asian carp and cane toads often dominate the invasive species discourse. Few biological invaders, however, have wreaked as much ecological havoc as one of our most cuddly companions: cats.

Despite their small stature and memeable mugs, domestic cats (Felis catus) are perfectly adapted killing machines, armed with retractable claws, sharp fangs and night vision. And these potent predators are anything but picky. As humans have spread cats around the world over the past 9,000 years, these ferocious felines—which were likely domesticated thousands of years ago in the Near East—have terrorized native creatures on every continent except Antarctica.

(Excerpt) Read more at scientificamerican.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: cat; cats; fakenews; feliscatus; kittyping; nature; woke
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To: DallasBiff
"have terrorized native creatures on every continent except Antarctica."

NEXT ON DISCOVERY: 10 housecats are accidentally released at McMurdo and destroy the Antarctic biome!

21 posted on 12/13/2023 10:35:12 AM PST by StAnDeliver (TrumpII)
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To: DallasBiff

A BB gun controls the stray cats that come bird and chipmunk hunting in my yard


22 posted on 12/13/2023 10:37:03 AM PST by bert ( (KWE. NP. N.C. +12) Hamascide is required in total)
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To: DallasBiff

Humans do Human things — and the Left hates that.
Animals do Animals things — and the Left hates that.

The Left just hates everything that lives.


23 posted on 12/13/2023 10:37:16 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: blackdog

“Battle trophies include......
Squirrels, Opossums, lizards of all types, pigeons, sparrows, cardinals, rats, mice, moles, voles, Cicadas, and a small raccoon.”

Some birds will also kill the above, including cats.


24 posted on 12/13/2023 10:38:15 AM PST by missthethunder
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To: Danie_2023

OMG. You are correct???


25 posted on 12/13/2023 10:39:56 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Eccl 10:2 - The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left )
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To: DallasBiff

This guy would feel much better if he cleaned out the litter box.


26 posted on 12/13/2023 10:40:01 AM PST by tsomer
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To: DallasBiff

A nearly perfect predator and companion animal rolled into one furry package.


27 posted on 12/13/2023 10:40:35 AM PST by bigbob
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To: missthethunder

Don’t owls kill cats?


28 posted on 12/13/2023 10:40:39 AM PST by DallasBiff (Apology not accepted.la is not the sharpest knife in the drawer)
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To: DallasBiff

Watching (in person and with the cameras) the stray that lives on my porch and that I feed, I, of course, see her killing anything and everything that catches her eye, but what surprised me is that they don’t just do the killing we all know about, but if the little creatures and bugs are plentiful, the cats are snacking all day, for them outdoor life is like a buffet.


29 posted on 12/13/2023 10:41:18 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: DallasBiff

Cats are natural predators. It’s what they do.


30 posted on 12/13/2023 10:42:03 AM PST by ought-six (Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule. )
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To: gov_bean_ counter

The problem isn’t the ones that stay domesticated. Although with those you have the 3rd option: don’t let them outside. Really they last longer and are cheaper as indoor pets. The problem is the feral cats. Because they’re an introduced species the food chain has no place for them, and they tend to be indiscriminant killers, not just hunting for food. Feral species are always a problem. Another good reason to keep your cats indoors, keeps them from spawning outdoors and perpetuating the feral problem.


31 posted on 12/13/2023 10:43:07 AM PST by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: DallasBiff

Now if we could just teach them to kill liberals.


32 posted on 12/13/2023 10:43:17 AM PST by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: DallasBiff

Yet there are plenty of videos of cats and puppies or cats and birds as best buddies, and videos of cats who don’t raid the aquarium or the hamster tank ...


33 posted on 12/13/2023 10:44:59 AM PST by x
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To: missthethunder

Every year the feral cats in our neighborhood have kittens. One at a time the kittens get hit by hawks, falcons, and owls. As soon as the kittens are cute and walking on their own, they are getting eaten. We’ve rescued two, had them neutered and spayed. We are not cat lovers. We put a cat door in the living room window. They come and go as they please. More go is better. We do have a respectful appreciation for one another though.


34 posted on 12/13/2023 10:45:13 AM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) My dog Sam eats purple flowers.)
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To: dgbrown

My barn cats don’t mess around with my hens and their chicks. Everything else they slaughter


35 posted on 12/13/2023 10:45:17 AM PST by shotgun
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To: READINABLUESTATE
"I wish they would just concentrate on killing all the mice."

Dogs were used to hunt rats, once the plague rolled around.

36 posted on 12/13/2023 10:46:16 AM PST by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: DallasBiff

Hi.

“Don’t owls kill cats?”

Of course. Cats have many predators. Birds of prey, coyotes, alligators etc. Even other cats.

5.56mm


37 posted on 12/13/2023 10:48:28 AM PST by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho have got to go)
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To: bert

I was walking my dog down by the lake when she spotted a feral cat she lit up immediately chased it and dragged it into the lake and drowned it good Dog!


38 posted on 12/13/2023 10:49:45 AM PST by ar10 (bumbling Hannity)
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To: x

They ain’t hungry enough.


39 posted on 12/13/2023 10:49:58 AM PST by Kenny500c ( )
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To: DallasBiff

40 posted on 12/13/2023 10:52:12 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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