From: "William Zardus" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> But if they don't have that option, what do you think they are going to eat ? I'm not sure what the point of that study would be. You'd have to conduct the study in a neighborhood that was very committed to eliminating access to garbage over an extended period for the results to be meaningful.
I think the study Kyle mentioned was based on REALITY. What kind of idealistic urban environment would it be if one could "eliminate access to garbage over an extended period"? Impossible. How on earth could you possibly enforce such a thing in a city this size, or even a smaller one such as Baltimore (where the study was conducted)? Even if homeowners banded together and decided to eliminate their household trash, there are still public trash bins on the street, not to mention those folks who use the street/sidewalk or other people's yards as their own personal trash bin. Life is not lived in a vacuum.
To keep this UC-related, there are some more points to ponder when considering feral/stray-cats-as-low-cost-pest-control. I come from Center City, where the feral cat problem is not nearly as extensive as I have seen in UCity (in 6 whole years in CC I saw only two stray cats). I have noticed while walking through certain parts of UC that there is a TERRIBLE stench of cat urine. This is not a problem I have ever encountered in CC (though, granted, parts of CC do have other interesting smells). Cat urine, especially in unspayed/unneutered cats, is extremely odiferous and nearly impossible to eradicate once it's around. Male cats also "spray" to mark their territory, and that smells awful, too. So, a surfeit of feral cats = surfeit of stinky cat pee all over the place. In your garden, on your house, under your car... you name it.
Also, consider that wild animals are repositories of diseases like rabies, distemper, etc., among others. A wild cat is no different in this regard from a wild raccoon, a wild opossum... This may not be such a big deal for adults, perhaps, but if I had a small child I would be very concerned about such a possibility.
Just my 2 cents.
CB
How long does it take a rat to grow to full size ?
WRZ
----Original Message Follows---- From: Kyle Cassidy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [UC] Stray Cats Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 18:40:01 -0500
the idea that ferel cats affect the rat population in urban areas is largely
a myth (or an urban legend?). from the defense enviornmentla network and
information exchange (https://www.denix.osd.mil/):
"Q. Don't cats control rats, mice, and other nuisance critters?
A. A study of stray cats in the city of Baltimore, Maryland showed that the
cats did not prey on rats over 6 ounces. In fact, cats were seen eating side
by side with rats at garbage dumps. There are other studies that show Black
or Norway Rats are a very small part of a cat's diet. House Mice, another
exotic pest species, can live in small spaces, such as walls or attics,
where cats cannot follow, so cats do not do a good job of eliminating these
rodents either. In fact, food that is left out for cats can attract and
support rodent populations."
And if anybody's near a library, maybe they can find J.E. Childs "And the
Cat Shall Lie Down With the Rat" in Natural History magazine 1991, which I
keep finding references to on the internet, asserting "cats do not do a very
good job of controlling rat populations"
that said, i saw my second rat just last week! on locust walk at about 8:00 at night. ten years in the city and only two rats. must be my clean livin'. now, if something would only break up those cockroach hodowns i see on the sidewalk all summer ....
kc
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