[TN-Bird] cats revisited

From: jreese5@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 09:29:05 -0600




Carol Reese
Ornamental Horticulture Specialist -Western District
University of Tennessee Extension Service
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson TN 38301
731 425 4721 email  jreese5@xxxxxxx

Sorry about that last gibberish message! The list wouldn't let me cut and
paste my document out of Wordperfect.

Dev,

Thanks for letting me know about the research on cats as predators. I stand
corrected. However, the quail studies did take into account predation on
adult birds on the nest and on chicks. As for cats making serious inroads
into natural food sources for hawks and owls, raptor species in general are
on the rise, so this must not be a major robbery.

Cats can be devastating when introduced into island countries like New
Zealand that didn't already have similar native predators. No one likes to
see species go extinct. I still contend that cats are filling a niche here
in North America left barren by man's destruction of many mammalian
predators. Is there a study that makes a case for cats beig a problem on
any of our threatened North Amrican birds? The millions of  birds(and other
vertebrates) they kill each year are plentiful and natural prey for the
most part. In an ideal world, we would have a balance of native
predator/prey species. I my heart, I wish for that world, but society isn't
going to allow it.

My cats may indeed kill more birds thatn I know, but in typical cat
fashion, they usually bring the victims to the front porch for me to
admire. Ther is a mouse there this morning, hopefully the one that has been
raidng the bird seed sacks!!

Thank you for your courteous and articulate rebuttal.

Best regards, Carol

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[TN-Bird] cats revisited

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