Feral Cats

[Christie insb]

Perhaps you do not understand the meaning of the expression: "When the rubber meets the road". Have you ever had to fix a flat tire? It does not matter how much hot air you have if there is a hole in your tire and it does not hold air. Some of us function in the real world and we want to know what really works and gets the job done. In the real world of you want to get paid you have to do what you said you would do. That usually requires more then a lot of talk. Fancy talk may get you the job but action gets the job done.

I question evolution theory and if it really works in the real world or if it is just a lot of hot air that you get out of people that do not know how to get the job done in the real world. The reason why I question the theory is because people fail to provide evidence that the theory is more then just talk. That is why I often say I trust NASA because if they do not get it right people die. I am skeptical when evolutionists can not provide evidence to show what they are saying is true.

Evolution is irrelevant to this topic. Maine Coon Cats may be descended from Norwegian Forest Cats although I did not find this explanation anywhere. But they are not native. How evolution worked in Maine was that the cats with lots of fur lived while their short haired cousins died off. But someone brought these animals over here from the Old World. They are not part of the natural ecosystem here, so you do not have to worry about having them spayed/neutered.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Evolution is irrelevant to this topic.

The point is that by definition feral cats are not stray cats. Stray cats were indoor cats at one time. Feral cats are wild and they have never been a inside cat.

 

[TLK Valentine]

The point is that by definition feral cats are not stray cats. Stray cats were indoor cats at one time. Feral cats are wild and they have never been a inside cat.

What then does your point have to do with evolution?

 

[joshua 1 9]

Question: Do feral cats have any natural predators?

Dogs of course but they can hold their own against most dogs. They can have very fierce competition with each other for territory and for available food. That is why we neutered the male because he was getting to aggressive with the other cats.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Sounds like it's already working in the real world.

Then why do we have to get involved? The raccoons, possums and skunks do not need us to get involved in their affairs. Although skunks can be pretty friendly as long as you do not get them upset.

 

[joshua 1 9]

What then does your point have to do with evolution?

The question is why do we have to get involved with dealing with over population of various species. If evolution works so good why do we have some species that are over populated and other species that are under populated?

 

[TLK Valentine]

The question is why do we have to get involved with dealing with over population of various species.

We choose to because sooner or later that overpopulation is going to inconvenience us. Some people prefer to solve problems before they start.

If evolution works so good why do we have some species that are over populated and other species that are under populated?

Because they don't stay that way for long. If we allow the feral cats to overpopulate, they're going to run through their food supply and slowly starve to death.

On the plus side, this will deal with the overpopulation problem, but on the down side, nobody wants a city littered with dead, emaciated kittens, now do they?

 

[PsychoSarah]

I am not talking about stray cats, I am talking about Feral cats. The mother did not bring her kittens to me until she could not provide enough milk for them. They were maybe 5 weeks old at the time. Once she caught a rabbit for them and gave it to them to eat. When they were done eating the rabbit she took the fur and lined the nest with it. I spent two or three hours in the middle of winter cleaning that mess up so I did not have any problems with the health department. This got the mother cat mad at me and she packed her kittens up and moved them someplace else. Eventually she moved them back her but it was quite a while before I saw those kitten again. If you do not understand the difference between feral cats and stray cats then you need to do some research on the subject.

Feral cats, stray cats, and house cats are all the same species, with the only distinction between them being the level of human interaction they are accustomed to.

Feral cats are no less of a burden on the ecosystem than stray cats are, and they are not a natural part of any ecosystem because they are a species we artificially influenced the evolution of. Thanks to irresponsible breeding practices and pet owners, there is an overabundance of both domestic cats and dogs. Since we can't exactly just ask them not to breed with each other if they manage to get outside, it is up to us to prevent them from breeding too much and harming the ecosystem.

The second litter was more like 2 months old before I ever saw them. There were only four of the and she was able to feed them longer then she was able to care for her first litter.

To put it bluntly, you should have had their mother fixed after she had the first litter. Do you understand how many kittens get euthanized?

 

[PsychoSarah]

The point is that by definition feral cats are not stray cats. Stray cats were indoor cats at one time. Feral cats are wild and they have never been a inside cat.

-_- that's an experiences sort of thing. A banker and a nurse don't have the same day to day experiences, but they both are human.

 

[joshua 1 9]

that's an experiences sort of thing.

The mother hides her kittens and you only see them when they are hungry. So there is really NO opportunity to work with them. I have a fishing pole with a toy on it that I play with them sometimes but right now the mother is mad at me for getting two of her female kittens spay so I do not see her for long periods of time. Her second litter has spent very little time here in my yard. She pretty much keeps them on the move. I got a hold of one once and he was like a jack in the box. He went straight up in the air three feet and took off running. I just could not hold onto him. Also she teaches them to avoid traps. If she sees a trap she will move them to a different location.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Then why do we have to get involved?

Because we're a part of the real world.

The raccoons, possums and skunks do not need us to get involved in their affairs. Although skunks can be pretty friendly as long as you do not get them upset.

The raccoons, possums, skunks, and feral cats tend to involve themselves in our affairs, however. Most people don't like them, and would prefer to be rid of them.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Dogs of course but they can hold their own against most dogs.

Dogs, in general, don't eat the cats. That's kind of what I meant by "predators."

They can have very fierce competition with each other for territory and for available food. That is why we neutered the male because he was getting to aggressive with the other cats.

No chance of that one passing on its genes to any offspring, then... you've done your part.

 

[mmksparbud]

Feral, stray--whatever--a cat is a cat. They get pregnant by 5 mths. Overpopulation of any species starts getting cruel to that species. They are hungry, and end up diseased due to malnutrition. They have vicious fights (over mating, food, territory), and scratches and bites get infected and they can die slow, cruel deaths from those infections or loose body parts that then make them vulnerable to even further starvation. Maybe you can live with 100's or 1000's of feral or stray cats dying of hunger and disease, I can't. Spay and neuter the things. They fight less, and live longer happier lives.

 

[joshua 1 9]

To put it bluntly, you should have had their mother fixed after she had the first litter.

I bought into the myth that as long as she was still feeding the babies she could not get pregnant. Now the problem is she can put up a really good fight and I do not feel like fighting with her to stuff her in a cage. Are you available to cage her for us? We would be glad to get her spayed if someone can get her in a cage.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Feral, stray--whatever--a cat is a cat. They get pregnant by 5 mths. Overpopulation of any species starts getting cruel to that species. They are hungry, and end up diseased due to malnutrition. They have vicious fights (over mating, food, territory), and scratches and bites get infected and they can die slow, cruel deaths from those infections or loose body parts that then make them vulnerable to even further starvation. Maybe you can live with 100's or 1000's of feral or stray cats dying of hunger and disease, I can't. Spay and neuter the things. They fight less, and live longer happier lives.

There were two female kittens and we just got both of them fixed. I really like the kittens but these are community cats and at least three neighbors asked me to get them spayed. As they say a veted cat is a legal cat. I do not like to see their female organs removed and the tip of their cut off but we live in a fallen world and that is just the way it is. I do not like to see hundreds of thousands of people killed in wars but I do not know of anything I can do to stop the carnage.

 

[joshua 1 9]

you've done your part.

Yes, no one can be critical of me now. If they want the little ones fixed they can try to catch them.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Yes, no one can be critical of me now. If they want the little ones fixed they can try to catch them.

There's the real-world application you were asking for. Soon the only feral cats breeding will be the ones smart enough, fast enough, and/or sneaky enough to not get caught.

 

[joshua 1 9]

There's the real-world application you were asking for. Soon the only feral cats breeding will be the ones smart enough, fast enough, and/or sneaky enough to not get caught.

That is already the way it is. Most cats are a lot smarter then people give them credit for. Even the stupid cats are starting to wise up a bit. If a cat is dumb enough to get caught then they lose the right to reproduce. That is the game they play. They are not afraid, they are just playing the game.

Cats eat, sleep, groom, hunt - play, and reproduce. They also avoid something hunting them. This is all a part of the evolutionary process from the beginning. When you put a cat in a cage and it is crying every cat in the neighbor is watching and is aware of what is going on and learning how not to get caught. They are learning how to play the game and the consequences of losing the game.

 

[TLK Valentine]

That is already the way it is. Most cats are a lot smarter then people give them credit for. Even the stupid cats are starting to wise up a bit. If a cat is dumb enough to get caught then they lose the right to reproduce. That is the game they play. They are not afraid, they are just playing the game.

Cats eat, sleep, groom, hunt - play, and reproduce. They also avoid something hunting them. This is all a part of the evolutionary process from the beginning. When you put a cat in a cage and it is crying every cat in the neighbor is watching and is aware of what is going on and learning how not to get caught. They are learning how to play the game and the consequences of losing the game.

As I said, there's the real-world application you were asking for... right in front of you the whole time.

 

[joshua 1 9]

As I said, there's the real-world application you were asking for... right in front of you the whole time.

What sticks in my mind is the Prairie Vole and the studies that show they mate for life. How do you make an evolutionary connection between the hormones in the Prairie Vole and humans without all mammals having those hormones?