THE HOUSECAT SYNDROME
Rex Burress
While sitting in my patio swing early one morning, I saw the neighbor's cat walking through my garden jungle. Previously, I have chased that cat out of my mini-wildlife refuge, especially in the spring when fledgling birds are on the ground.
But by summer the chances of a cat catching an adult bird is slimmer, and I tolerate 'Spotty' on a pass-through presence. Maybe it could visit at night and catch a rat, although in the day it is more apt to catch a lizard--and definitely discourage birds from drinking at my bird bath. It even jumps onto the bird bath for a drink, and not so acceptable is the “pee-U-spray” on a flower container it uses for a toilet. But I compassionately condone the cute cat to where it sometimes pauses for a cautious petting.
We had a truce...until August 12, 2017. I found bird feathers around my bird bath, which could have been from summer molting, but then I saw Spotty sneaking through the aloe behind the bird bath and posting its presence in preparation for a leap. Sorry Spotty; I sprayed water on him. Now it's back to a standoff.
Admittedly, I love 'barn' cats from a long association with them on the farm. But I love birds more. Even more, I love big wildcats, especially the lions, tigers, leopards, bobcats, cougars—I have painted them all and rejoice to depict their colorful beauty and symbol of strength.
Actually, a housecat wasn't meant to be kept in a house. They have hunting impressed in their genes, and even though my friend Jana claims to have a dozen 'well-fed and neutered, tame, domestic cats in her yard'--with tons of birds present, I was skeptical, because given the opportunity the most docile pet will pounce on a floundering bird in a second! It's kind of an instinctive game to chase something trying to get away. It especially happens with mountain lions along a trail; stand your ground and yell, and they will shy away. But run—and fall down—and you're seen as crippled prey.
Domesticated cats originated from small African wildcats, Felis silvestris, it is believed, sometime about 8,000 B.C. by farmers utilizing their vermin predation, followed by Egyptians revering the domesticated Felis' about 4,000 B.C. Since then, about 70 distinctive breeds have been cross-bred. Fossils of cat origins date back 30mya, and Big Cats 6mya.
A bunch of cats is called a “Clowder,” and a baby cat is a kitten. Kittens are so cute most people are rather smitten by them to the point of extending their populations into exorbitant numbers, hence the almost unstoppable conflict between cats and birds. The term “kitten” has also been used in a sexual sense of describing a cute girlfriend, hence the slang word of “catting around,” derived from the European promiscuous “katling!”
If you've ever seen cats of any species mating, you'll know about the sexual connotation! It is a vicious affair when a female cat is in heat. Subtleties are thrown out the window in lieu of the pure physical, rough, growling, messy business that might involve hours and numerous males. Yes, by all means, spay your housecats. Don't be swayed by anti-abortion extremists. It is a time to plan.
Now the critical bottom line: “Domestic cats are a threat to global biodiversity and have contributed to the extinction of 33 species of birds, and uncontrolled housecats kill about an estimated two to four billion birds annually in the USA.”--American Bird Conservancy. Google. “Even well-fed cats will hunt and kill, and the mere presence frightens birds.”
There is also an estimated 'tens of millions' of outdoor-feral cats hunting for a living. It was thus, that on a 1948 fox hunt in Missouri ripgut bottomlands that my inexperienced hunter Uncle Frank was on the outer line of our drive, and a huge, orange domestic cat jumped out of the brush and Unc pulled the trigger on his.12 gauge and shot it. “I could have swore it was a fox,” he sheepishly said!
Love cats, but manage their presence in respect toward wildlife.
“No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.”
--Abraham Lincoln
“I wanted to know the name of every stone and flower and insect and bird and beast...
but there was no one to tell me.”--George Washington Carver