Otherwise we might as well just pack it in for our birds. No point trying to conserve them when all the bloody idiots out there just let them out to snack on our remaining wildlife on a nightly basis.
What do you lot reckon?
Wouldn'rt be a problem if the cat owners were all responsible types and kept their little nuisances indoors around the clock. But that is not what's happening.
The sad fact is they cannot keep these little buggers under control and our country's wildlife is paying for their stupidity and selfishness.
It is long past time to complain about this. I reckon if you care the least bit about the welfare of our birds and other critters, you have a responsibility to call out cats and their irresponsible owners and shame the hell out of them at the very least.
This is a war for the sake of our dwindling wildlife. So whose side are YOU on?
I can understand your vigorous sentiments about cats, major myna. They're certainly an important factor in the destruction of our wildlife. If we had a wildlife friendly culture then all cats outside confinement would be regarded as feral & therefore open to eradication.
However, other factors are involved, particularly the wanton, unbridled destruction of natural habitats & their replacement with human developments driven by our species' addiction to materialism. The invasion of natural habitats by feral plants & animals is another factor, not to mention the poisoning of natural habitats by pollution. Oh, yes, & let's not forget climate change which seems to have slipped below the covid 19 radar lately.
Therefore, I believe a multi-pronged approach is required if we are to preserve what's left of our native wildlife. But on the cat front, go to it, major myna. Each of us has a role to play.
Theres plenty that needs doing no doubt mate, but the cat problem is one that everyone around the country seems to be contributing to with their pets. And its therefore one that ordinary Australians have the power to change right now and SHOULD be changing for the sake of our threatened wildlife, immediately.
What we need is for EVERYONE concerned about bird life in Australia to unite and speak out to demand pverwhelming change and to shame the cat owners who are directly contributing to the mass demise of our wildlife. Nothing short of that is going to have any real effect on this problem, or on any other.
It's one thing to have a nice little website for a few people to read about birds and contribute to a little survey every year. But it is achieving nothing in slowing the massacre of these creatures by our negligent society which takes all these wonderful critters for granted, even though they are struggling to survive now more than ever.
I admire your passion for preserving our wildlife, major myna. It would be wonderful if we had a pro-wildlife culture but achieving such a state is fraught, I'm afraid. Still, that shouldn't stop each of us from using our talents & resources to work towards this goal.
From my own observations it seems there is a gradual move towards controlling cats but the move is ever so slow. Local councils are introducing regulations which, if observed, should gradually change things. However, I fear that the rate of change will not be fast enough to keep up with the rate at which our wildlife is being destroyed by cats & other causes. Also, it's all very well to regulate cats but enforcing those regulations is another matter. Therefore, as individuals we each need to consider what we can do to protect & restore our wildlife. As a start, firing off a wildlife-friendly letters to relevant authorities at various levels of government might be a useful thing to do in these times of social isolation.
How about a petition? I don't know how to go about settting one up, but it would be easy for people to spread around on Facebook and so on and get other people involved.
I am not even sure who to address one to. Maybe we should do more than one, for different levels of government, or the RSPCA.
The important points are that we need stronger laws and heavier fines and penalties for cats caught outside their owners properties, and an awareness campaign to make sure cat owners realise the extent of the damage their pets are responsible for and so that all wildlife conscious Australians are encouraged to keep an eye out for cats being where they shouldnt, as well as more aggressive measures to wipe out ferals and especially to catch stray or free roaming domestic cats with an eye to fining their owners. We also need an end to cat breeding in this country as well as mandatory desexing of all felines sold as pets, and extra penalties for anyone who doesnt comply withese standards.
How's that for a start?