Policy: Should we ban / control cats?

Firblog

I've read bits over the years about how damaging that cats are to the environment; this article has only highlighted it more starkly.

Given the amount of destruction they're responsible for shouldn't the Greens / conservation lobby be pushing for control / eradication of the feline destroyers?

Everlong1

I for one welcome our new feline overlords.

Hungry Burger

I’d say the pest species they prey on ie rats, mice, shrews etc cause a lot more environmental damage!

Baybay

Banning / killing cats didn’t work so well on Macquarie Island

Rosahane

It’s simple really.

Domestic cats kept on their owner’s property are fine.

Feral cats should be destroyed!

Earth24

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121489076#Comment_121489076

Apparently that is because they didn't eradicate the rabbits, so the rabbits (also invasive) population exploded after the cats were gone and the rabbits ate too much vegetation. I can't post links yet but Ref New York Times from 2009.

However apparently rabbits have been eradicated since, Guardian article from 2022 suggests things have improved since.

Ubbquittious

I think this plan is pure cat