I used to think this was bullshit/overreaction (about cats harming wildlife) until a neighbor moved in next to us with an outside cat. We'd get bunnies every spring in the neighborhood and hearing baby bunnies screaming as this cat tortured them made me an outdoor cat hater. I honestly thought about shooting that cat after about the 5th bunny it killed (and doesn't eat - just tortures them to death). If you've ever heard bunnies screaming - it is one of the saddest sounds that I've ever heard and it honestly permanently fucked me up. Really not looking forward to spring this year. Hoping the rabbits moved to another neighborhood.
My sister had tons of wildlife until she adopted my cat. All her bunnies and many birds vanished quickly. So too the giant rats of the Pacific NW. Within 6 months a coyote killed my cat. It was sad but I knew her wildlife would likely recover. Her kids were upset so their grandparents got them another cat…
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u/rekkodesu Jan 01 '24
Habitat loss and introduction of non-native predators.