This Topic was moved here from General Board by freediver.

Sir lastnail wrote on Jan 5^th, 2011 at 10:39pm:


You're quite right. When I bought my property 22 years ago, Indian Myna birds were a real rarity around here.

And now they're in plague proportions. Aggressive little buggers who strut about like they own the place.

I'm thinking of buying a blunderbuss. For my neighbour's chickens.

Well okay ~ for the Indian Myna birds too. 

freediver wrote on Jun 6^th, 2013 at 7:24pm:


There must be another 'Herbert' registered here, because I've never said cats can't kill native birds.

It's not the killing of native birds that is the worry.

The killing of native birds is overwhelmingly due to imported birds occupying their nesting places and feeding off their resources, and humans expanding into bushlands. Cats are WAY down the list of culprits responsible for the extermination of Australia's native bird population.

Again, in the 22 years I've had cats on my property they only killed exotic birds that are not native to Australia ~ and in doing that they have rendered a service to the native species.

freediver wrote on Jun 6^th, 2013 at 9:26pm:


Actually, yes.

And here I might have a credibility problem with you. Cats behave in a totally different way towards you if you live alone with them, and they regard you as the 'den mother'.

(Others here may confirm this).

Every 'kill' my cats make ~ they bring to me, whether it's a sparrow or a skink. It's part of their instinctive 'moral' ethic to show me their booty ... but then they usually run like hell if I try to snatch this off them.

Upon waking in the morning, my two male cats (not the female) won't eat out of the biscuit bowl until they've 'touched base' with me first. They'll come and nudge me for a brief petting ~ and only then will they go to eat out of the bowl. It seems to be a 'getting your permission first' thing... maybe to save themselves from getting beaten up for presuming to have 'first bite' before me ~ the 'alpha-male'.

They all follow me around the property like dogs ~ (despite having full bellies). So far as they're concerned, I'm 'Top Cat' ~ the leader of the gang.

Cats in family situations are a totally different animal. 

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This is very true and it does apply to cats who have an owner who cares for them and keeps a careful watch over them.

The cats I had for many years were always dropping little dead mice on my doorstep. To my knowledge they caught no birds apart from a little love bird, which unfortunately had escaped from my aviary a couple of days before. A quick chop to the back of the neck made him release it.

The first thing the little cat I recently adopted did was go under the house and drag out a rotting, maggoty rat carcass and bring it to me. She spends most of her time there now chasing baby rats.

The pity of it is - too many people don't care about their cats and they are left to wander when they're hungry or neglected - particularly young renters who move on and leave the cat behind.

I have seen many a shredded bird in my yard during the period I didn't have cats. Some I blame on the sea hawks - others are killed by local domestic cats.

Dogs do almost as much damage to lizards, birds and other small animals if they get the opportunity.

I'm still not overly enthusiastic about cats, but having one that I can keep an eye on does keep other cats out.

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Mantra...

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Wow. That's special.

I once saw a segment on 'A Current Affairs' in which a very elderly man who lived alone was being moved to an Aged Care facility. He stood there crying his eyes out when someone came to take his cat away. The Home didn't allow for animals.

If I ever become a millionaire I'll make certain to build an Old People's Home where they can live with their cats, dogs, and canaries.

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It's funny because it's true.

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Of course - but only after the cats have wiped out all the vulnerable native species.