Kill them all,there should be none at all (Australia also)

https://www.bbc.com/future/art...cats-be-kept-indoors

More total bullshit. People who believe this either don't know much about cats or about the NZ bush.
There are no wild cats in Fiordland or deep and any bush country, they all live around the edges of human populations. Yet the bird life in these areas was still declining over the years.

Its rats that do the most damage, and then stoats. Cats really dont target birds except opportunistically. Cats live off rodents in the wild.
If you dropped a cat in the middle of Fiordland it would starve, in spite of the birdlife. That's why there arn't any out there.

Some idiot with a lisp was promoting this idea over here a couple of years back, even though the DOC scientists said it was crap. It seems the BBC are as dumb as the news people over here.

No its not bullshit at all. Dont kid yourself about cats NOT targeting birds either.

Im unsure about cats in Fiordland, but you pretty much see them everywhere up here. yep more on the farm/bush edge country for sure, but thats also where there is the most birdlife as well.
Stoats and rats are of course a bigger issue for flighted birds due too thier ability too reach the nests of tree nesting species. Likewise possums to some extent.
But I watched the stilt chicks here get decimated by a single cat before I managed to catch up with it.
Likewise the ducklings.
I think its the combined pressure from all predator species that is the biggest issue but do suspect that if we didnt have stoats and rats, the flighted species would do better than they are, with cats about.

I do have an issue though with the attitude of cat owners. Name another pet thats allowed to wander uncared for and effect the property or values of other people.
I do think its sensible to at least mandate neutering of domestic cats so that those that go wild cant breed, and keeping them contained just like we do with dogs.
they are worm ridden destoyers.

The only good cat is a well ventilated dead cat.

Killed lots of feral cats very far from any farms in Australia.

You are kidding yourself if you think they are not a problem in New Zealand.

Especially for you Muzz.

I know you guys want to shoot them, but its still scientific bollocks.
Think about it for seven seconds. If it was true the native bush would have had well established resident populations of cats for the last 150 years right throughout the country eg- like the stoats have done. But they have not -they can't survive on birds. They are purpose designed rodent hunters.

This notion gets trotted out now ands again because its gets attention.

As for them affecting the property or values of other people...that's a different thing about pet ownership, but I personally dont think that a big issue. I'm not going to worry about it. Seeing a cat sitting on the side of the road or walking through my back yard does not offend me. Like most hunters, I like having animals around.

Look, I think every yard in this town has at least one cat. Some times two. People are fine with it, but more than that - the birds are fine with it. This town is full of bell birds, tuis and wood pigeons, apart from the English birds, and aconsioderable population of finches and wax eyes. Easy picking s you would think. There is an annoying bastard of a tui that wakes me up each morning (I do shift work) and I wish a cat would eat him.
One study I read on wild cats showed that they were surviving almost entirely on rodents and insects. These were wild cats living in some scrub near a town. Wild cats can get very big on a diet of rats.

I`m so happy that you did read a study on the matter. There is a bit more scientific study to have a read of pertaining to cats in three countries. The boys in the UK have the same problem and so on and so on.

Australia https://www.anu.edu.au/news/al...ive-animals-per-year

USA https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380

NZ https://www.tandfonline.com/do...80/03014220709510087

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nor...WQ6J233CVG2YOBZS7KE/

Here is something I discovered.

In the Maldives, they have certain island declared as bird sanctuaries.

The are off limit to visitors because birds breed there.

I asked if I could visit one.

I got permission for one day.

From sun up to sun down.

Quite far from our island, so had to leave in a fast small boat late one night.

Got there just before sun up.

Hardly any birds there, but thousands of rats!!

No wonder there were no birds.

Told them, but I suspect my words fell on deaf ears.

Norfolk Island off the coast of Australia has been declared rat free now and the difference is amazing. People were under the impression that having a cat would solve the problem...NO!

https://www.agriculture.gov.au...nts/green-parrot.pdf

Feral cats and wild horses are always an emotional issue for people. They don't belong. Take the wild horses in Nevada - they aren't native and pressure the rangeland and deer. They aren't any different than feral hogs, but no one thinks twice about shooting the 2nd smartest 4 legged animal.