Another place, different creature, similar worrying problem; here in India this particular issue is far, far more with dogs than any other animal. I've seen feral dogs attack deer, Nilgai, foxes, Indian Gray Wolves... Then at the heart and root of this whole tragedy is us.
That's a sobering insight, Ram. Thank you. I've read about dogs in Ladakh, but didn't know how widespread the problem was. They're a much more powerful predator, as you indicate. I wonder what that means about predation on birds. Is there an effort to reduce the dog population? And, out of curiosity, are there parts of India with big feral cat populations too? I suppose the dogs would keep the cats in check.
And yes, these issues are really about us, not about the cats and dogs.
Cats have not been popular here for long. It’s a fairly new love we are developing and it’s mostly in the cities. Feral cats are a definite problem for bird populations here too but not as much as they are in many other countries. Feral dogs are a huge issue everywhere in India. I’ve seen them go after foxes, porcupines, vultures. I did see one get carried off by a cat, by a leopard, right as we were observing that feline.
There’s also a lot of conflict on laws to control their population mainly because the laws are ill-thought out. It’s got so frustrating, the stupidity of it all, that activists have often joked about bringing in more leopards to the areas infested by feral dogs (hey! why not? we brought in cheetahs from Africa to ‘reintroduce’ the species in India).
Cheetahs ARE native to India, and India has had pet cats since when the Indus Valley traded with the Greater Fertile Crescent. Anyways if all the dogs and cats were wiped out pigs would be the menace - and take care of the rats. If the cats and dogs were wiped out in Australia and New Zealand the pigs would take care of the rats but also run amuck. Getting rid of one predator results in another replacing it, so if you got rid of all invasive species you would have leopards and boars replacing them instead of the tigers coming back.
Thanks, Mike. Feral cats are one of many blights that we're responsible for, certainly. And part of what makes this one so complex is that these cats run the gamut from cute to terrifying. From my reading, cats in these colonies can, if in steady contact with folks who provide food and TNR services, display a range of personalities from friendly to always hostile. Life for a feral can be pretty horrible, full of disease, injury, and cruel people. But, to your point, from the perspective of other animals, they are killers. And a billion furry little killers are enough to alter the natural world.
Getting rid of all the cats as I said only means another invasive species fills the void. If you get rid of all the invasive species, the destruction of the ecosystem means only a few native predators could dominate, outcompeting other ones and driving almost extinct native species to extinction. Euthanasia only solves the short-term problem. My idea is simply to drive the feral animals out with stuff they hate: have the Air Force and firefighters spray vast quantities of animal spray on the forests and coasts, thus driving out all the invasive species into the sea over a period of months, thus driving them to rocky islets where they will die due to the elements: the vast quantity of invasive species can be sent to the laboratories, since there will be no lack of demand, unlike demand for pets. The others can be kept as pets, euthanized, or neutered. I would think the kittens can be kept as pets, the males euthanized, and the females neutered.
Gosh, yes, this is such a horrible matter to have to consider. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of your readers. It is eloquently written (such that I didn’t notice the length you warned about) and an important reminder of the responsibilities we humans (to generalise) have to engage as ethically as we can with the problems that we have created. Thank you for this post.
Thank you, Suzanne. It was a hard one to write. There's so much more to say, and so much to consider about both the cats and their impacts, and none of it is easy. I'm glad the writing flowed for you.
Since in Australia marsupial predators were wiped out, invasive predators could simply be taking the unused niches. Camels are considered good for Australia because they fill the role of the Diprotodon, and dingoes fulfill the role of the marsupial lion. I would think pigs fulfill the role of the megalania, horses fulfill the role of giant kangaroos, cats fulfill the role of mainland thylacines, Burmese pythons fulfill the role of the genus Yurlungur, and rats fulfill the role of mainland Tasmanian devils. It is cattle and mice that are the problem, so let us destroy the Speewah and use the Air Force and firefighters to spray the entire Outback and bush and rainforest, thus killing all invasive species within a few months, and summer bushfires will prevent invasive species from returning IF you don't put out the bushfires!
Fascinating. I’ve never considered this. There are feral cats by a Starbucks near us and they are straight terrifying. Literally look like demons. Also, your writing about the natural world is beautiful.
Thank you, Kirsten. I'm always trying to balance writing that celebrates the world with writing that tries to reduce our harms to it. As for those furry demons, life for ferals can be terrible, so it's no wonder they show up with ferocity. My understanding is that few can be domesticated, so the options are limited for either improving their lives or reducing their impacts.
Another place, different creature, similar worrying problem; here in India this particular issue is far, far more with dogs than any other animal. I've seen feral dogs attack deer, Nilgai, foxes, Indian Gray Wolves... Then at the heart and root of this whole tragedy is us.
That's a sobering insight, Ram. Thank you. I've read about dogs in Ladakh, but didn't know how widespread the problem was. They're a much more powerful predator, as you indicate. I wonder what that means about predation on birds. Is there an effort to reduce the dog population? And, out of curiosity, are there parts of India with big feral cat populations too? I suppose the dogs would keep the cats in check.
And yes, these issues are really about us, not about the cats and dogs.
Cats have not been popular here for long. It’s a fairly new love we are developing and it’s mostly in the cities. Feral cats are a definite problem for bird populations here too but not as much as they are in many other countries. Feral dogs are a huge issue everywhere in India. I’ve seen them go after foxes, porcupines, vultures. I did see one get carried off by a cat, by a leopard, right as we were observing that feline.
There’s also a lot of conflict on laws to control their population mainly because the laws are ill-thought out. It’s got so frustrating, the stupidity of it all, that activists have often joked about bringing in more leopards to the areas infested by feral dogs (hey! why not? we brought in cheetahs from Africa to ‘reintroduce’ the species in India).
Cheetahs ARE native to India, and India has had pet cats since when the Indus Valley traded with the Greater Fertile Crescent. Anyways if all the dogs and cats were wiped out pigs would be the menace - and take care of the rats. If the cats and dogs were wiped out in Australia and New Zealand the pigs would take care of the rats but also run amuck. Getting rid of one predator results in another replacing it, so if you got rid of all invasive species you would have leopards and boars replacing them instead of the tigers coming back.
Excellent - a blight on our natural world that too many want to ignore. These are not cute kitties - they are killers.
Thanks, Mike. Feral cats are one of many blights that we're responsible for, certainly. And part of what makes this one so complex is that these cats run the gamut from cute to terrifying. From my reading, cats in these colonies can, if in steady contact with folks who provide food and TNR services, display a range of personalities from friendly to always hostile. Life for a feral can be pretty horrible, full of disease, injury, and cruel people. But, to your point, from the perspective of other animals, they are killers. And a billion furry little killers are enough to alter the natural world.
Getting rid of all the cats as I said only means another invasive species fills the void. If you get rid of all the invasive species, the destruction of the ecosystem means only a few native predators could dominate, outcompeting other ones and driving almost extinct native species to extinction. Euthanasia only solves the short-term problem. My idea is simply to drive the feral animals out with stuff they hate: have the Air Force and firefighters spray vast quantities of animal spray on the forests and coasts, thus driving out all the invasive species into the sea over a period of months, thus driving them to rocky islets where they will die due to the elements: the vast quantity of invasive species can be sent to the laboratories, since there will be no lack of demand, unlike demand for pets. The others can be kept as pets, euthanized, or neutered. I would think the kittens can be kept as pets, the males euthanized, and the females neutered.
Gosh, yes, this is such a horrible matter to have to consider. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of your readers. It is eloquently written (such that I didn’t notice the length you warned about) and an important reminder of the responsibilities we humans (to generalise) have to engage as ethically as we can with the problems that we have created. Thank you for this post.
Thank you, Suzanne. It was a hard one to write. There's so much more to say, and so much to consider about both the cats and their impacts, and none of it is easy. I'm glad the writing flowed for you.
Since in Australia marsupial predators were wiped out, invasive predators could simply be taking the unused niches. Camels are considered good for Australia because they fill the role of the Diprotodon, and dingoes fulfill the role of the marsupial lion. I would think pigs fulfill the role of the megalania, horses fulfill the role of giant kangaroos, cats fulfill the role of mainland thylacines, Burmese pythons fulfill the role of the genus Yurlungur, and rats fulfill the role of mainland Tasmanian devils. It is cattle and mice that are the problem, so let us destroy the Speewah and use the Air Force and firefighters to spray the entire Outback and bush and rainforest, thus killing all invasive species within a few months, and summer bushfires will prevent invasive species from returning IF you don't put out the bushfires!
Fascinating. I’ve never considered this. There are feral cats by a Starbucks near us and they are straight terrifying. Literally look like demons. Also, your writing about the natural world is beautiful.
What do they look like?
Thank you, Kirsten. I'm always trying to balance writing that celebrates the world with writing that tries to reduce our harms to it. As for those furry demons, life for ferals can be terrible, so it's no wonder they show up with ferocity. My understanding is that few can be domesticated, so the options are limited for either improving their lives or reducing their impacts.