My premise starts with the absence of squirrels since I saw lots of 'em as I grew but I don't see lots of 'em now so I ask where did all the squirrels go.
It doesn't look like they went anywhere and citations can be provided if you wish but probably you won't need one to accept squirrels are not endangered in the U.S. except in one localized area of Arizona. This doesn't explain why I don't see them so often when at one time I saw many but it's not yet clear whether populations have changed all that much over fifty years.
The reason for looking is the disturbing number of feral cats and likely you won't need a citation to accept there are tremendous numbers of feral cats. I did not find a coherent estimation because they ranged from twenty to sixty million feral cats in the country.
My thinking had been squirrels are disappearing because cats eat them but this does not appear to be true. So I still have the question of where the squirrels went but the bigger one is what do all those feral cats eat.
As you guess, mice are a big favorite for cats and that size range of animals is needed by cats since most of their nutrition must come from meat. They're scientifically-defined as obligate predators and without their nutrition coming largely from meat, they will not make it.
Since a large population of some creature(s) is needed to feed twenty to sixty million feral cats, I wonder what impact that predation has had to native populations but finding that information has been not so successful.
None of this was known to me and I had no idea what an obligate predator was and this may seem like idle thought of a useless nature, the question driving it is whether I do a good thing in feeding the Rockhouse Defense Force since I specifically want them serving as rat killers. My question is whether feeding them in the morning cuts down killing animals or makes for more of it by attracting additional feral but previously-domesticated cats.
There are two in the back and they're an exotic longhair with smoky grey color. That must mean the bigger one was pregnant when the loon lost her here and it also means she has not been neutered. There's no chance I can catch her so that makes her a problem because she will make more.
Note: there were two cats, previously-indoor, which were turned out after they were neutered and that was rigorous from the owner. Yevette had no intention of keeping them long-term in the house but insisted they must be neutered before going outside. No argument from me on that so that's how it went.
One of the previously-indoor cats has disappeared and for unknown reasons. The other remains and seems to be doing fine. There are four or five other cats which must have previously been indoor cats because they lose their fear of me over time. There are some other orbital cats and they never approach. Those were almost certainly born wild.
It's really tough to tell if I'm doing the right thing by feeding them and it's not a matter of global consequence but the problem with feral cats is due entirely to irresponsible ownership so everyone needs to do which bit is possible. I do take it seriously because a whole lot of cats will get sacrificed if the numbers don't come to some sensible level.
The evening needs a wee bit more pop than this but it's a sincere interest nevertheless.
It doesn't look like they went anywhere and citations can be provided if you wish but probably you won't need one to accept squirrels are not endangered in the U.S. except in one localized area of Arizona. This doesn't explain why I don't see them so often when at one time I saw many but it's not yet clear whether populations have changed all that much over fifty years.
The reason for looking is the disturbing number of feral cats and likely you won't need a citation to accept there are tremendous numbers of feral cats. I did not find a coherent estimation because they ranged from twenty to sixty million feral cats in the country.
My thinking had been squirrels are disappearing because cats eat them but this does not appear to be true. So I still have the question of where the squirrels went but the bigger one is what do all those feral cats eat.
As you guess, mice are a big favorite for cats and that size range of animals is needed by cats since most of their nutrition must come from meat. They're scientifically-defined as obligate predators and without their nutrition coming largely from meat, they will not make it.
Since a large population of some creature(s) is needed to feed twenty to sixty million feral cats, I wonder what impact that predation has had to native populations but finding that information has been not so successful.
None of this was known to me and I had no idea what an obligate predator was and this may seem like idle thought of a useless nature, the question driving it is whether I do a good thing in feeding the Rockhouse Defense Force since I specifically want them serving as rat killers. My question is whether feeding them in the morning cuts down killing animals or makes for more of it by attracting additional feral but previously-domesticated cats.
There are two in the back and they're an exotic longhair with smoky grey color. That must mean the bigger one was pregnant when the loon lost her here and it also means she has not been neutered. There's no chance I can catch her so that makes her a problem because she will make more.
Note: there were two cats, previously-indoor, which were turned out after they were neutered and that was rigorous from the owner. Yevette had no intention of keeping them long-term in the house but insisted they must be neutered before going outside. No argument from me on that so that's how it went.
One of the previously-indoor cats has disappeared and for unknown reasons. The other remains and seems to be doing fine. There are four or five other cats which must have previously been indoor cats because they lose their fear of me over time. There are some other orbital cats and they never approach. Those were almost certainly born wild.
It's really tough to tell if I'm doing the right thing by feeding them and it's not a matter of global consequence but the problem with feral cats is due entirely to irresponsible ownership so everyone needs to do which bit is possible. I do take it seriously because a whole lot of cats will get sacrificed if the numbers don't come to some sensible level.
The evening needs a wee bit more pop than this but it's a sincere interest nevertheless.
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