[TN-Bird] Re: naive, illogical cat owner replies
- From: "William T. Thornton" <wtthornton@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jreese5@xxxxxxx>, <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 20:49:45 -0600
Careful, Carol, or you will be guilty of a "display of
arrogance or faulty logic to justify (sic) irresponsible behavior."
Way to go girl. I grew up on a farm in Mississippi also. It must be
something
in the water down there to make us both this way.
Terry Thornton
Rinnie, TN (North of Crossville on the Cumberland Plateau)
----- Original Message -----
From: <jreese5@xxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 6:56 PM
Subject: [TN-Bird] naive, illogical cat owner replies
>
> Carol Reese
> Ornamental Horticulture Specialist -Western District
> University of Tennessee Extension Service
> 605 Airways Blvd.
> Jackson TN 38301
> 731 425 4721 email jreese5@xxxxxxx
>
> Thank you all for trying to "impart logic" into this discussion
> (implication being?) I found it amusing that Mr. Roy stated several times
> that he had no beef against "us", yet his choices of words reveal
> otherwise. Just be straight up with me, I can take it! Thanks Meredith,
for
> bravely wading in there! If I ever get into a bar room brawl, I hope you
> are there!
>
> Mr. Roy's comments about Rottweilers eating cats were interesting, and I
> will answer them this way. I grew up on a farm in Mississippi. Our dogs
and
> cats ran loose and so did everyone else's (with the exception of Daddy's
> highly bred bird dogs). If a dog, one of ours, or a neighbors's became a
> problem, killing peafowl, or chasing milk cows, or killing cats, then you
> gave your neighbor warning (friendly) and if they didn't take some action,
> the offending animal was shot. This was understood. If a person's cows got
> out and crapped all over your yard, or if their horses got into your sweet
> corn, you let them know, and they made retribution, and took care of the
> problem, or if they didn't, you took stronger steps. Everyone hunted,
> crossed each other's fences, ate what they killed and no one shot anyone
> else's dog just for running a rabbit or deer across the property lines.
> Just recently, where I live in the hills of Henderson County, my dogs
> killed some goats. Of course the goats were in my front yard eating my
> precious Japanese maples (yes, I sometimes use non-native plants in my
> landscape!) I called the owner of the goats, paid him what the goats were
> worth, and built fence around my yard that the goats (which still roam)
> can't cross, and the dogs only get out to run through the woods and fields
> (almost every day!) when I am with them.
>
> If a Rottweiler came and killed a cat of mine today, I would warn the
> owner, and then if I came out to find another cat, or one of my smaller
> dogs in the Rottweiler's jaws, I would shoot it. It is a simple matter of
> protecting the animals that I consider to be part of my family. If someone
> shot and killed one of my dogs while in was in their yard killing their
> cat, I would understand. When you live in the country (or anywhere,
> really) animals are part of the mosaic, things happen, and yes, it is
still
> "evolution at work" because it weeds out animmals that are "problems" and
> leaves those that are better mannered.
>
> You may see this as "irresponsible pet ownership" Mr. Roy, but then, I
> dont' see myself as any animal's owner - friend and caretaker to some,
> enemy to others that threaten me or my "tribe". When a stray shows up at
> my house (and all of my animals are ones that found me and needned my
help,
> either at home or somewhere on the road, I do what I think is best for it.
> Good food, shelter, medical care, neutering. In my mind, I would consider
> it irresponsible to the animal if I chose to keep it cofined for the rest
> of its life, or on a leash. I choose to let it have a life that includes
> occasional hunting.
>
> There is a lot of killing going on out there as Wallace pointed out (and
> surely you understood, Wallace, that I have no problem with how many quail
> are killed by Cooper's hawks - I was making the point that one of the
> predators we "approve" is the major predator on quail). I still take issue
> with the statement that cats "wreak havoc" on bird populations, even if
> they do kill birds in the millions. Show me where they have influenced
> populations of critical species (in the U.S.) Otherwise, I still say they
> are simply filling a niche left by decimation of native predators.
>
> As Wallace points out, there is lots of killing going on out there, and
> management has often been skewed to favor the species that man likes to
> hunt. The point about all this killing is best made by Joseph Campbell (I
> believe in his book "The Power of Myth") that life is a process of killing
> and eating other living things. This is not sad, except in my mind, some
of
> the excesses, like the vast pig and chicken "factories" that supply our
> nations huge meat appetite (I am a carnivore, but I prefer wild game, or
> locally raised free-range animals) or the countless numbers of animals
> crushed under our wheels of our cars. These deaths bother me. My cat
> killing 3 or 4 (forgive my "naivete" Mr. Roy) or even many dozens of birds
> each year doesn't .
>
> When I fly, and look down at the earth, I see what the main problem is for
> wildlife, Mr. Roy, and it is #@%*!*#@* man and his enterprises. I do
> realize that domestic cats could be counted as one of these but in the big
> picture, who is being illogical?
>
> In the long run, I have faith in what I think may be called "the Gaia
> principle". If I understand it correctly, the earth will continue to
> evolve and adapt to its many changes. If we screw up badly enough, she
> will rise up and smite us off the face of this globe, and hopefully a
> kinder, gentler species of hominid will emerge. I find that comforting.
>
>
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
=========================================================
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