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damagecontrolparty t1_iz0ihsr wrote

I would think cats would keep the rodent population down.

(This may have been addressed in the article but I got blocked by the paywall.)

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_iz0qei7 wrote

Id have thought the same thing too. But they’ve looked at it and they don’t. A lot of the rats they kill are already on deaths door.

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Mossrocks t1_iz0w3aq wrote

They don’t have much impact on rat populations, but when it comes to migratory song birds, it’s a different story.

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CaptainObvious110 t1_iz3p4h7 wrote

So true. They hunt even when they aren't hungry. So while there is a strong attachment to cats they are absolute killing machines. They are not native to this area of the world so are invasive species that would do much better if people would keep in their homes or removed permanently altogether.

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neutronicus t1_iz1g60e wrote

I definitely don't look at the rats I see around Mt Vernon and think "yeah, my cat could take that"

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damagecontrolparty t1_iz1omd1 wrote

There are definitely some big rats around that are almost as big as a small cat.

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BJJBean t1_iz1g4f1 wrote

Cats suck at killing rats. All cats do is obliterate the local bird population which in effect messes with the rest of the ecosystem.

I get people wanting to be nice to animals but they are legit an invasive species. Spaying/Neutering feral cats is a nice sentiment but removal is the most humane option if overall wildlife conservation is your concern.

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