Don't let your cats eat the wildlife

[purpletigron]

I believe that the nearest human deaths to Europe so far have been the children in Turkey?

I've just seen a report that would suggests a good reason why we should all be keeping our cats under control, and not letting them roam and catch birds.

Apparently, the first mammal in Europe to die of bird flu is a domestic cat. "Ooo... raw bird... not flying away quickly enough... my favourite! *chomp*" :-(((

Comments

[revdode.livejournal.com]

This is a really difficult one as my two boys are outdoor types, attempts to keep them in result in a destroyed cat flap or REVENGE laid in odd corners of the house. They don't catch many birds despite a fairly good population in our garden and next door but this is going to be another worry to add to the neds with air rifles.
It looks like this is something we are going to have to get used to, short of paving the planet bird flu is likely to be around for some time.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Suicide chickens?

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Keeping your cat inside will protect it and you. However, other animals scavenge dead birds. If there is a mammalian pool of bird flu I expect it to be found in foxes, stoats, weasels, badgers, otters and other native wildlife...

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

Yes but I rarely cuddle foxes, so I'm not that fussed about them.
There's a reassuring article on the BBC website about the (current)difficulty of bird-mammal transmission http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4761024.stm

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

This is an area where the American habit of keeping your cat indoors all the time actually works well - it's usually because of rabies, Lyme Disease, large predators, and massive traffic, and it's actually recommended by animal welfare organisations. The idea still weirds me out.

[mkillingworth.livejournal.com]

It is said by the "experts" that bird flu is not transmitted by eating infected birds, but rather by coming into contact with their faeces. Which, of course, also happens outdoors. We have just gotten over a ten day enforced "everybody stays in" period, and I really don't want to go through it again!

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

Given Max's hunting habits, I'm not going to loose sleep over this.

FF