Thread: Feral Cats

Thanks for fixing the link, I couldn't figure it out.

I am not suggesting that feral cats are not a problem, I put it up as a matter of interest. Cats in the area the research was done are not your pet moggy, it is too far outside their usual hunting range, nearest would be 5 km or further away.

There was also plenty of bird life research taking place at the same time

The site was a DSIR animal and bird research station with a number of resident staff.

Thanks @steveg for the link.

My concern with the study, and sorry if I might have missed the point, is that the food type was measured by weight.

Concluding that on 4.5% (in weight) of their diet was made up of bird remains, does not really paint an accurate picture.

What it suggests is that they don’t eat many birds. Well by weight, you’d need about 6-43 Tui’s for example, weighing 58-150g, to make up one rabbit for example, weighing 1000-2500g.

What this means is yes, by weight, birds don’t represent the majority, but by numbers (which is what’s important) they do..

Originally Posted by thatguy

Thanks @steveg for the link.

My concern with the study, and sorry if I might have missed the point, is that the food type was measured by weight.

Concluding that on 4.5% (in weight) of their diet was made up of bird remains, does not really paint an accurate picture.

What it suggests is that they don’t eat many birds. Well by weight, you’d need about 6-43 Tui’s for example, weighing 58-150g, to make up one rabbit for example, weighing 1000-2500g.

What this means is yes, by weight, birds don’t represent the majority, but by numbers (which is what’s important) they do..

You could be onto something there. What I'm reading from the link, is no reptiles.

Which is why it so important to know the study's frames of reference. If they are narrow, results are often unexpected.

I would assume that the Orongorongo Valley, is fairly native forested, from photos, it looks so.

No reptiles in cats? how unusual.

So my conclusions reading this are:

No reptiles, but is this natural? i.e. always the case, or have the cats got the lot?

Also, I'd like to meet the cat, that ate a stoat.

Originally Posted by MarkN

Also, I'd like to meet the cat, that ate a stoat.

or see the battle that preceded the dining....... maybe a very young stoat?

Originally Posted by MarkN

You could be onto something there. What I'm reading from the link, is no reptiles.

Which is why it so important to know the study's frames of reference. If they are narrow, results are often unexpected.

I would assume that the Orongorongo Valley, is fairly native forested, from photos, it looks so.

No reptiles in cats? how unusual.

So my conclusions reading this are:

No reptiles, but is this natural? i.e. always the case, or have the cats got the lot?

Also, I'd like to meet the cat, that ate a stoat.

Can't say I can ever remember seeing any reptiles, but then the same applies to feral cats. Through the 70's I would have been spending over 100 days a year in the area so if they were prevalent I would expect to have seen them.

Can be hard to see

Originally Posted by MarkN

Can be hard to see

Attachment 182700

Somewhere I have a photo of the rare Taihape skink. I was moving a boulder down on the banks of the Rangitiei river, and this bloody dinosaur wizzed out and back under cover. Was fricken emnormous. As in foot long enormous

Originally Posted by thatguy

Thanks @steveg for the link.

My concern with the study, and sorry if I might have missed the point, is that the food type was measured by weight.

Concluding that on 4.5% (in weight) of their diet was made up of bird remains, does not really paint an accurate picture.

What it suggests is that they don’t eat many birds. Well by weight, you’d need about 6-43 Tui’s for example, weighing 58-150g, to make up one rabbit for example, weighing 1000-2500g.

What this means is yes, by weight, birds don’t represent the majority, but by numbers (which is what’s important) they do..

edit:
By numbers they make up a bigger portion what what the study suggests - I’d imagine.

You may well be right.

There seem to have been plenty of birds around at the time this research was being done. After the station was closed the area was bombed with 1080 - now there are bugger all birds, although they are starting to make a comeback.

The dog indicated this cat, it was hiding amongst an uprooted stump. A 308 bullet dealt to it. Lots of pheasants and quail in the area so it won't be getting any of those again. The cat must have been in a bit of a scrap recently because on close inspection it was riddled with maggots, all over its stomach and crawling out of its arsehole. Probably why it never bolted.

Nice one @tamamutu
Was that near home?
Parents are in Turangi area, reckon there’s quite a few ferrals and stray dogs around.

Up Kiko road. A few cats about in the area.

I read something yesterday about the "Bird of the Year" i.e. the long-tailed bat, it said one cat had killed something like 102 bats in a week! I'm betting it didn't eat them all.

Originally Posted by Cigar

I read something yesterday about the "Bird of the Year" i.e. the long-tailed bat, it said one cat had killed something like 102 bats in a week! I'm betting it didn't eat them all.

That cat would have died of Covid quick smart?

9.3x62 works ok on cats.