Should we eradicate cats in Australia?

[What'sinaname]

A load of fluff when you consider animals include insects.

Australians kill about 2 billion flies per year.

[stui magpie]

If cats just ate flies and mozzies, breed the £$%$ers and set them free, but they don't.

Introduced vermin worse than rabbits or foxes.

[What'sinaname]

https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/2020-results/

The number of birds in Australia is going up, so I don't think we really have a problem

If cats killed more possums and cockatoos, I'd be in favour of more cats. Possums piss all over the place and cockies are noisey destructive bastards.

[stui magpie]

Interesting count. They should go bush where long billed Correllas are massively overtaking Galahs and Cockatoos as the dominant species.

As a bonus, they're vicious bastards. Any cat that attacked one would quickly be eviscerated by the flock.

Just desex your cat and keep it in the house.

[roar]

Corellas are awful things and causing many problems. More destructive than cockies but also ugly. Seems only eagles have any success at halting their dominance.

My folks live in Doncaster and now that there is a ban on cats outside there is a huge mouse and rat problem so there is always a knock on effect that comes with any change. No new flocks of wrens or other little birds, either, just more magpies and crows.

Had an interesting chat last night to an older local guy who has been living in the otways for over 60 years. He said that he used to shoot feral cats but now sees them having as much right as him to be living here and so these days, he leaves them be. We discussed how the environmental balance adjusts to having a apex predator and removing it could cause a whole bunch of other unforeseen circumstances. I still wouldn't have a cat that I would let outside because I love having lots of wrens, robins and spinebills in our garden but I don't think the issue is as simple as some make it.

[Woods Of Ypres]

I live in Croydon, near the Mullum creek, heaps of birds around but if you do a count they are mostly introduced species. I see the occasional rosella or wren but mostly its mynas, starlings, doves, crows. The council have chopped down a whole heap of native trees near the station for the upgrade, will only make things worse.

I had a cat that went berzerk during the day hunting birds but I can honestly say all the dead birds were introduced.