should cats be under license?

[Fuscus]

Originally Posted by Jozz

... driving accross the HAY PLAINS, in the middle of absolutley no-where, and theres a big feral cat on the road! ....

Anywhere there are rabbits you can get cats, they are an important rabbit control. Unfortunately ...

[dude_joel]

native
adj 1: being such by origin; "the native North American sugar
maple"; "many native artists studied abroad" [ant: foreign]
2: belonging to one by birth; "my native land"; "one's native
language" [ant: adopted]
3: being or composed of people inhabiting a region from the
beginning; "native Americans"; "the aboriginal peoples of
Australia" [syn: aboriginal] [ant: nonnative]
4: as found in nature in the elemental form; "native copper"
5: normally existing at birth; "mankind's connatural sense of
the good" [syn: connatural, inborn, inbred]
n : a person who was born in a particular place; an indigenous
person [syn: indigen, indigene]

[dude_joel]

short answer, no, cats arent native. the only statements that apply to cats in australia are,

3: being or composed of people inhabiting a region from the
beginning; "native Americans"; "the aboriginal peoples of
Australia" [syn: aboriginal] [ant: nonnative]

and

1: being such by origin; "the native North American sugar
maple"; "many native artists studied abroad" [ant: foreign]

[Miss_Croft]

Dude Joel - I agree $20 does not mean much - but - to make keeping cats locked up/on lead 24x7 acceptable one has to start soft and once accepted increase the fine over time.

Having a point system is a great idea – But how would you enforce it? Here is a typical scenario:
I have a pet cat – it gets caught over the fence eating a bird – I loose all my points and right to register a cat under my name… I then get my room mate or someone else living at the same address to register the cat under their name. I still have the cat and it is still killing. I think just fine people – after a while they will get the message.

Cats may be as native to Australia as the Dingo – there is a lot of evidence cats were on the mainland well before the first fleet (178. There is speculation they arrived via European ship wrecks or explorers. Looking at where cats fit into the indigenous culture - cats may have come to Australia much earlier.

[Jozz]

You didn't answer my question Miss_Croft

[Miss_Croft]

Jozz
Like anywhere there are rats/mice – there are human introduced cats– Cats are a problem – there are groups who count and control the feral population. I personally do not see many feral cats like the ones reported in Australia – but often do see cats while walking to the office along Houston Street. I sometimes (may be once a year) see chewing on a bird or rat in Central Park. But most I see are someone’s pet cats.
Also note cats are native to the US – we have many species of wild cats like Bobcats/Puma and our animals are use to them. These larger cats also prey on the smaller domestic cats controlling them in the parks. I don’t think Australia has any cat predators and as a result – each generation domestic cats become larger (island effect).

The biggest issue to animals here in the US is habitat destruction (Development such as paving over hibernating tortoises) and the introduction of exotic diseases and parasites from pet populations.

You can find some more information on The Feral Cats database here
http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/

[Moreliaman]

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

Cats may be as native to Australia as the Dingo – there is a lot of evidence cats were on the mainland well before the first fleet (178. There is speculation they arrived via European ship wrecks or explorers. Looking at where cats fit into the indigenous culture - cats may have come to Australia much earlier.

How long does it take before you consider something native then???
Also dogs were apparently the first species to be domesticated by humans 15,000 years ago in Asia, & they say cats were about 9500-10,000 years ago in the middle east (much further away), so would it be a fair assumption to assume that dingoes made it over first ? (or is that what yer saying?)

Wiki doesnt consider the cat to be a native,

The African Wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica), ancestor of the domestic cat, is believed to have evolved in a desert climate, as evident in the behavior common to both the domestic and wild forms. Wildcats (Felis sylvestris) are native to all continents other than Australia and Antarctica, although feral cats have become apex predators in the Australian Outback where they are menaces to wildlife

[Miss_Croft]

Moreliaman - All I am saying is cats may be as “native” as dingo - In Australia before Captain James Cook’s mapping of the Australian East Cost and the historians are unsure as to who or how the domestic cat arrived in Australia.

Some say they came in the first fleet
Some say European shipwrecks
Some say explorers
Or even via trade with South East Asia (some time after 11th century)

There is also evidence for at least two pre Captain Cook European settlements c. 1650 (on in South Australia and the second inland North Western Australia). My understanding of native (Australian definition) was pre Captain Cook – That was to include the dingo.

Anyways just food for thought.

[Tatelina]

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

All I am saying is cats may be as “native” as dingo.

Cats are about as native to Australia as foxes are.
You hurt my eyes.

[Australis]

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

Jozz
Like anywhere there are rats/mice – there are human introduced cats– Cats are a problem – there are groups who count and control the feral population. I personally do not see many feral cats like the ones reported in Australia – but often do see cats while walking to the office along Houston Street. I sometimes (may be once a year) see chewing on a bird or rat in Central Park. But most I see are someone’s pet cats.

There is a Houston st and Central park in Victoria, Australia?

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

Also note cats are native to the US – we have many species of wild cats like Bobcats/Puma and our animals are use to them. These larger cats also prey on the smaller domestic cats controlling them in the parks. I don’t think Australia has any cat predators and as a result – each generation domestic cats become larger (island effect).

There is NO way "larger" cats are controling smaller domestic cats in North American parks, thats just not happening, for a start native cat numbers are over all very low.
Raccoons and Coyotes would be eating more domestic cats in North America than all other predators combined both species are very common and dont shy away from the suburban populations in North America., just my opinion from what ive seen.

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

The biggest issue to animals here in the US is habitat destruction (Development such as paving over hibernating tortoises) and the introduction of exotic diseases and parasites from pet populations.

Habitat destruction is no bigger threat to wild life in the US than it is in Australia, its a global problem.

[junglepython2]

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

Cats may be as native to Australia as the Dingo – there is a lot of evidence cats were on the mainland well before the first fleet (178. There is speculation they arrived via European ship wrecks or explorers. Looking at where cats fit into the indigenous culture - cats may have come to Australia much earlier.

Hmmm dingos have been in Australia for several thousand years, and cats maybe a few hundred? I must of missed all the rock painting of cats.

[Isis]

Originally Posted by Jen

I think anyone wanting to own a pet should have to prove they can take care of it and get a license

Interesting point..........especially seeing as its so simple to get a licence for reptiles. Unforunately it aint going to work. What proof did you show when you get your licence??????

[Jen]

written test on caring for the animal maybe

[Isis]

They dont do that for wildlife they arent going to do it for cats.

[butters]

IMO cats should be licenced just the same as dogs and if found outside the owners property impounded. I mean seriously why do you need a licence for a dog but not one for a cat? It would actually be easier for animal control to round up the strays as for cats you can just use a trap. Set the traps at dusk and then pick them up the next morning.

As licencing would include a tag (just like for dogs) then its a simple matter for councils contacting the owner to pay a fine to pick up their pet. Saying it would be too hard is a crock.

If not it gets euthanased just like any other dog or cat with no tags. Whilst this will in no way stop the killing of native wildlife it will definitely cut down the numbers wandering the streets.

At the end of the day it is about people being responsible with their pets and unfortunately the cat owners who are responsible are definitely in the minority. There are far too many cat owners out there who couldn't give a rats if their animals are killing wildlife or what their cats get up to. If they continue getting fines for their animals they may take notice. I catch on average 20 cats a year on my property and give them to animal control.

As far as cats go I take the hard line and believe we shouldn't be able to keep them at all in Oz but that is never going to happen and its probably too late. I would be morbidly happy if a killer virus that only affected felines did the rounds of Oz. I would feel sorry for the people who lost a much loved pet but I would be doing a jig for native wildlife.