
Should you let your cat go outside? GPS study reveals the deadly consequences - evo_9
https://www.inverse.com/science/should-you-let-your-cat-go-outside-gps-study-reveals-deadly-consequences
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matthewmacleod
I notice that there's a _real_ cultural or geographical difference on this
issue. I've often heard people talk about how they'd never let their cats
outdoors in the US – but we took in two shelter cats last year from a large
and well-known rescue centre in the UK, and part of doing so was signing an
agreement to allow them cat-flap access to the outdoors. The shelter was
pretty clear that they would be visiting to verify this – and taking the cats
back if we didn't.

I guess I understand why it might be an ecological issue in some areas. But we
live in a dense area of relatively central London – our cats wear bells, stay
in at night, haven't brought home anything they have caught (if they've even
ever caught anything), and to be honest I haven't ever observed them
travelling more than maybe 20 metres away from the house. I guess I'm just
unsure if they're actually causing more damage than I can see, but its really
interesting to see the wide variety of views.

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blacksmith_tb
That's a surprise, in US one thing that is commonly stressed to new cat owners
is that outdoor cats have a significantly lower life expectancy than indoor
cats (partly due to disease, partly to being hit by cars or injured by other
animals)[1], so it isn't just a question of how many birds they kill.

1: [https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/indoor-cats-vs-
out...](https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-
cats/)

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gmiller123456
Seems to be an incredibly biased article. Most people would not consider a cat
killing a mouse as a damage to wildlife. While it's true to the meanings of
the words, it misses the principle. People building houses and poorly storing
food also causes an increase in the mouse population by increasing the
abundance of food and nesting areas. And killing mice is one big reason a lot
of people get a cat at all.

They've also assumed that all kills are equal, e.g. a cat killing a mouse is
considered the same as a wildcat killing a coyote, or opossum.

I'm not doubting cats have some impact, but I'd be willing to bet it's trivial
compared to the human impact. And if you're looking for ways to lessen the
impact, your cat is likely one of the last things to consider.

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Ancalagon
Cats have a pretty negative effect on a lot of small wildlife because they are
such proficient hunters:
[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/29/cats-w...](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/29/cats-
wild-birds-mammals-study/1873871/)

I don't know which human activities have the most detrimental effects on
wildlife populations, but this is a good one to focus on.

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iamcasen
Yes this is troublesome, but as an owner of two cats, I can tell you keeping
them inside is equally troublesome. I can tell my one athletic cat is not
fulfilled. No amount of cat furniture or toys keeps him from clawing
desperately at the door for his escape.

I got cats because I've just always had them and I thought nothing more of it,
but now I think I know better. I think it's honestly an ecological disaster
that cats are kept as pets, period. If they are indoors, then there is the
litter box issue. Outdoors, they kill all the local birds.

Cat's are not domesticated in the same way that dogs are. Dogs can be trained
and have instincts that lend themselves to human interaction. Cats are very
much wild animals that just enjoy the free ride that comes with living near
humans.

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chrisseaton
Maybe we shouldn’t have cats at all if they’re genuinely doing serious damage,
but having a cat and not letting it outdoors seems very unusual and cruel.
They’re outdoor animals. If you can’t have one that you let outside then you
shouldn’t have one at all.

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foreigner
I don't understand how it's okay to let cats wander outside simply from a
hygiene perspective. When my dog poops in public areas I'm required by law to
clean it up. Why do cat owners not have the same responsibility?

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kjaftaedi
Living in Iceland, we have a decent size cat population and the majority of
cats are outdoor cats. It's often even seen as cruel to keep your pets locked
indoors at all times.

I've only known one person personally who doesn't let their cat out.

I've never seen cat poop in public, despite there being all sorts of random
cats wandering the streets.

I've never even heard this concern come up before. Killing birds on the other
hand .. that certainly is a debate topic.

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08-15
TL;DR: Cats are very effective at hunting mice.

Why do these articles insist on talking about "small mammals"? Cats don't kill
fluffy bunnies; they kill mice, rats, voles. They basically exterminate vermin
around human settlements. That's exactly why we domesticated them in the first
place! How is that a bad thing?!

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pixelbash
Our friends cat does kill fluffy bunnies, very regularly. Luckily they are a
pest where they are, unfortunatrly he can be quite messy about it.

