Pets form an important part of many people's lives, providing meaningful companionship. However, our pets can sometimes also be a source of unwelcome pathogens and diseases, particularly if they frequently roam outdoors.
    • Lemmywinks@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 months ago

      I did highlight that I was mostly talking about p laces in which cats are native or naturalised, ie pretty much the entirety of Eurasia and Africa. The genetic differences between domestic cats and wildcats are essentially negligible. Please, please read the study I linked. My cats can’t currently get outside without my supervision, which is something my vet (in the UK, which has had domestic cats for around 1,000 years and wildcats for tens of thousands of years) was actually not pleased about.

        • Lemmywinks@lemmy.world
          1·
          2 months ago

          The raw numbers mean nothing though, and the extinctions are all on small islands. Again, for the last time, read the study I posted, which analyses the data about cat predation in a scientific manner. The fact that predators kill prey animals is entirely to be expected.

          Domestic cats are basically identical to the African wildcat from which they are descended. Eurasian wildcats are also incredibly similar. Wildcat does not refer to any wild feline species, they are a specific species of cat from which domestic cats are descended (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat)

            • Lemmywinks@lemmy.world
              1·
              2 months ago

              Better to have a good life than a long one. My cats currently can’t get outside whenever they want and I feel bad about that, like I’ve failed as a cat owner. Once they’ve known freedom, being locked inside feels like prison.