• wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one
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      9 months ago

      I mean… I know Im not lying, and my comments are repeating the current standard. So either you retired 4 decades ago, or youre about as successful an ecologist as you are a conversationalist.

      Letting your cat outdoors means its interacting with wild populations. That makes it succeptable to the same problems. An ecologist would know this.

      A responsible pet owner doesnt let their pets roam outdoors, so thats a confirmed lie. But at least its not breeding, yes.

      Wildcats are often refered to as apex predators in their native environments, because they dont live near all those predators. But piddling over the exact definition of apex doesnt really stop your cat becoming a coyote meal.

      This basic concept is a grade school science lesson. If you dont know algebra, why would I assume you took calculus classes?

      Some of us, sure. I dont think youre part of that collective group though.

      For starters, Ive never met an ecologist who wants to feed their pets to the local wildlife, or who completely ignores the massive issue of feline disease spreading.

      E: I just noticed your edit, on apex predation. Do you genuinely think that cats cannot be an ecological threat to small mammal, reptile, and amphibian populations just because they can be eaten by larger locals? By that logic, you are counting on your pet getting eaten. Thats… Thats insanely fucked up.

      • Pandantic [they/them]@midwest.social
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        9 months ago

        By that logic, you are counting on your pet getting eaten. Thats… Thats insanely fucked up.

        And something an actual ecologist would have thought of, as you are essentially considering your pet cat as part of the food web, a high school level ecological concept.

      • Lizardking27@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        “Never met an ecologist who wants to feed their pets to the local wildlife.”

        “A responsible pet owner doesnt let their pets roam outdoors.”

        Dude. You’re clearly not an ecologist, just some loudmouth repeating sensationalist, unfounded, unresearched pseudoscience. Just stop.

        • wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one
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          9 months ago

          You cited a decade old research paper with funding conflicts.

          But my awareness of cat risk makes me not an ecologist?

          Lol, ok. Your cat is likely riddled with parasites and other diseases, and might vanish one night in a smear of red alongside the road to die a slow, painful, lonely death.

          But you keep spreading your lies. Im sure the slow, painful, lonely deaths of other peopled beloved pets makes it worth it to you.

            • wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one
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              9 months ago

              Ill be completely honest, I am well aware this guy will change nothing. I feel horrid for their cat, who will certainly die young and die violently. But this isnt about facts, its about feeling right about past actions. And they dont want to face that previous pets probably died because of them.

              But my comments serve as signposts for passersby, who will hopefully actually care about their pet and their local ecosystem, and do the right thing.

              Lowkey sucks to deal with a whiney cat who is used to going outside, I get it, but you can harness train cats. Or build a catio.

              • Worstdriver@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                AS a bystander in all this, could all of you… CITE YOUR DAMN SOURCES! If you have proof of your assertions via studies or research papers, LINK THEM!

                Why?

                Because this topic is of interest to me and I want to be informed with actual scientific data. Not by a person, but by peer-reviewed studies.

                • wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one
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                  9 months ago

                  You should just look it up yourself.

                  Im not going to do anything different than you would. Open google scholar, put in various searches about outdoor cats, and read the newer articles.

                  Im not going to badger any of my real world friends about sources for a dumbass internet argument, and my memorized sources are all about my actual work, which is specialized in botanical study specifically.

                  Or reach out to your local university. Im sure there are a few local researchers who are plenty passionate about this and are invested in giving you specific local examples.

    • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      You can put anything you like in quotes, it’s not cited. As a “professional ecologist” you’d habitually cite your sources

    • starman2112@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      If you’re a professional ecologist, then you should know full well that even if a cat is perfectly sedentary and kills nothing, and is neutered, they can still get and spread diseases, they can still get run over, and they can still be attacked and killed by other outdoor animals

    • Alteon@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      If you don’t think outdoor cats, not just feral cats, are destroying the ecosystem, then you’re not only an ignorant ecologist, but a fucking dangerous one. God only knows what other goody-ass looney tunes theories you have. Not only are you misinformed, but you go so far as to defend and spread that misinformation. Jfc.

    • Pandantic [they/them]@midwest.social
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      9 months ago

      Well some us have actual educations, with degrees and everything.

      The argument is based on hearsay, personal experience, and this flimsy excuse for authority.

      Troll, or insane person?

    • trolske@feddit.de
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      9 months ago

      As a “professional ecologist” you should be aware of the concept of “landscape of fear”.
      Non-consumptive effects have an equally strong (some argue an even stronger) effect on prey populations compared to consumptive effects.
      Letting domesticated cats roam freely creates an unnaturally high predation pressure in the area and has more effects on the local wildlife than just killing it.