What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died?

rockin'robin · 02-07-2012, 10:27 AM

Perhaps you're a cat lover. Perhaps you abhor the lazy critters. Either way, when you see a cat lounging on an armchair, napping all day but for the occasional stretch or window gaze, "useless" is by no means the last word that comes to mind. Cats, beloved or otherwise, don't radiate the message that they're indispensable, hard-working members of the household, or the world.

But, in fact, they're just playing it cool (as usual). Experts say that if all the world's cats suddenly died, things would quickly go to hell in a handbasket.

Cats, both pets and strays, may fool us into thinking that they depend on our food and trash for survival, but according to Alan Beck, professor of veterinary medicine and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, they're expert predators with adaptablehunting behaviors. "They are a significant predator of small animals, and can survive as almost solitary animals when the prey is scarce, while thriving in high density when the prey is abundant," Beck told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience.

And that's just why we'd miss them. By killing mice and rats in barns and grain storage areas, cats are vital for keeping those pests in check. In India, Beck said, cats are believed to play a significant role in lessening the amount of grain loss caused by consumption or contamination by rodents. In other words, it may be true that humans feed cats, but without cats, humans would have less food in the first place. [Why Do Cats Bury Their Poop?]

So, how dramatically would the rodent population increase if cats suddenly vanished? It just so happens that several scientific studies have been conducted that paint a vivid picture. A 1997 study in Great Britain found that the average house cat brought home more than 11 dead animals (including mice, birds, frogs and more) in the course of six months. That meant the 9 million cats of Britain were collectively killing close to 200 million wild specimens per year — not including all those they did not offer up to their owners. A study in New Zealand in 1979 found that, when cats were nearly eradicated from a small island, the local rat population quickly quadrupled.

And if the rodent population shot up, this would of course trigger a cascade of other ecological effects. On that same island in New Zealand, for instance, ecologists observed that, as rat numbers increased in the absence of cats, the population of seabirds whose eggs rats preyed upon declined. If the approximately 220 million domestic cats in the world all bit the dust, seabird populations would likely fall worldwide, while the populations of non-cat predators that prey on rats would be expected to increase.

"All species have an impact," Beck said.

And let's not forget the emotional toll that a mass cat death would take on us humans: "In this country, cats are much loved by many. While there are more dog-owning households (38 percent) than cat- owning households (34 percent), there are actually more domestic cats than dogs because cat owners own more of them. Cats as pets have always been appreciated for the contact, relatively low maintenance, and pedomorphic (child-like) face and general morphology."

What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died? - Yahoo! News

**Beowulf** · 02-07-2012, 10:29 AM

Einstein said the same thing about bees.

PowerON · 02-07-2012, 10:37 AM

Cats are the problem to the world.

• allergy
•*too damn cute
•*electric enough to take over the world

**Bottesini** · 02-07-2012, 01:33 PM

My last cat could have provided for our family. He often brought me full sized rabbits.

Babyblue · 02-07-2012, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottesini

My last cat could have provided for our family. He often brought me full sized rabbits.

Mine left me presents on the steps also. Rabbits, squirrels, birds, moles, rats.

Oh the joy of having a cat. I had one catch a rat in my home. I tried to get her to release it so she would not get blood all over the floor. She just growled at me and refuse to let it go. I had to throw the cat out with the rat still locked in her jaw.

Needless to say. I never had anymore trouble with rats with her around.

**Jiro** · 02-07-2012, 02:09 PM

rats and critters control?

yorkshire terrier is bred for that. or snakes. or ferrets. large lizards.

Frisky Feline · 02-07-2012, 02:10 PM

my cats are indoor but nice to have them when any small creatures comes in and they would go after it. From what I remember, it was only one time.

that was a baby squirrels. i dont know about other small creatures. *knock on wood again*

Babyblue · 02-07-2012, 02:28 PM

Ferral cats do pose a danger to wildlife. I read some articles on that in the past.

Beach girl · 02-07-2012, 04:24 PM

Yes they do. I hate my neighbor's cats with a passion. I have found too many headless cardinals in my yard. Neighbors think it is their cats' right to roam around, no matter how many birds they kill and how much they poop in our garden. But I am sure they would not like it one bit if I let my dogs do the same to THEIR yard.

webexplorer · 02-07-2012, 08:47 PM

If we have no cats at all, then we will have make some clone cats from the labs. Or, we could use the quick poison traps with painless for some rodents, but not all of them because we have hunting birds such as hawks, owls, etc. However, we must not purchase Monstano Company products due its monopoly. Probably, Monstano may not be printed on the package, but do your homework before you buy them.

**Banjo** · 02-07-2012, 08:49 PM

Most cats die at a young age due to abandonment, irresponsible owners and feral cats.

Beach girl · 02-07-2012, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banjo

Most cats die at a young age due to abandonment, irresponsible owners and feral cats.

True enough. My neighbors have lost at least one cat to a fox or coyote that lives in the ravines around our subdivision. They found the cat's mangled body near the woods.

But they still think it's a good idea to give their remaining cats the "freedom" to roam.

Bloody idiots.

(Other than their cat - ittude, I love these folks dearly - but I think they are idiots about this one issue.)

**Banjo** · 02-07-2012, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beach girl

True enough. My neighbors have lost at least one cat to a fox or coyote that lives in the ravines around our subdivision. They found the cat's mangled body near the woods.

But they still think it's a good idea to give their remaining cats the "freedom" to roam.

Bloody idiots.

(Other than their cat - ittude, I love these folks dearly - but I think they are idiots about this one issue.)

It's pretty normal for cats to roam freely here. I'm used to it. I prefer my cats to be kept as indoor cats due to the health risks if they roam freely.

kokonut · 02-07-2012, 10:22 PM

No more books on "1001 Ways to Use a Dead Cat"?

**Banjo** · 02-07-2012, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

No more books on "1001 Ways to Use a Dead Cat"?

Have you read the book, "1001 Ways to Use a Dead Baby"?

kokonut · 02-07-2012, 10:49 PM

Both books do not exist with that title. Although I was close, it's "101 uses for a dead cat." Oh well.

**mbrek** · 02-07-2012, 11:13 PM

^^^Dislike!!!

Beach girl · 02-07-2012, 11:51 PM

I wish one of the uses for a dead cat were to point out to the cat's owner, "Look, bozo, this is what happens to your dearly beloved pet when you let it roam around all night!!"

Sadly, even a dead cat doesn't seem to get the point across.

I would be heart-broken with grief if one of my dogs were killed by another animal, a car, a trap, bitten by a snake, eating something poisonous, any of the various misfortunes that can happen to an animal loose in the wild. But cat-owners seem to shrug it off, as "oh, well, that's how nature works."

I don't get it, I really don't.

**Jiro** · 02-08-2012, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banjo

Have you read the book, "1001 Ways to Use a Dead Baby"?

deafbirk · 02-08-2012, 02:55 AM

The dorito dog during the superbowl had the right idea

***VamPyroX*** · 02-08-2012, 09:22 AM

I know what would happen... apes would become pets... then slaves... until they learn to talk and take over the world!!!

rockin'robin · 02-08-2012, 10:05 AM

Never been a cat "lover", but we've only had 2 cats, and for some reason, they love me...(maybe it's becuz of the treats I gave/give them?)....One of our cats fought and fought to get outside, even tho' he was neutured and finally did manage to slip outside, and there were a lot of woods behind our house. Next time we saw him...he was happy as a Lark, even climbing pine trees and sitting on the back fence near the woods....We could not catch him...so we left cat food out for him, but more than likely the birds, raccoons, even possums got to it first.

Our 4 month old male "kitten" is trying the same thing. So we are extra careful when we open the doors....It's their nature to hunt for their food.

AlleyCat · 02-08-2012, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

no more books on "1001 ways to use a dead cat"?

sicko

kokonut · 02-08-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin'robin

Never been a cat "lover", but we've only had 2 cats, and for some reason, they love me...(maybe it's becuz of the treats I gave/give them?)....One of our cats fought and fought to get outside, even tho' he was neutured and finally did manage to slip outside, and there were a lot of woods behind our house. Next time we saw him...he was happy as a Lark, even climbing pine trees and sitting on the back fence near the woods....We could not catch him...so we left cat food out for him, but more than likely the birds, raccoons, even possums got to it first.

Our 4 month old male "kitten" is trying the same thing. So we are extra careful when we open the doors....It's their nature to hunt for their food.

Yes, it is their nature to hunt and want to be outside. I have two cats. One is an outdoor type cat and we let her out when she wants outside. And she always hangs around near the house or at least not go very far. And meows when she wants in. My other cat is not so outdoorsy type and pretty much a scaredy cat and would come running back into the house if something spooked her. She likes to go outside and eat grass or if it's a nice day she'll lay outside very close to the house to bathe in the sunshine but she's mostly an indoor cat.

Alleycat...have a little humor.

**Beowulf** · 02-08-2012, 11:06 AM

I guess there are a couple suicidal cats.

**deafskeptic** · 02-09-2012, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottesini

My last cat could have provided for our family. He often brought me full sized rabbits.

Did you cook them?

**deafskeptic** · 02-09-2012, 12:06 PM

Just the title of this thread is enough to make me wonder about the OP. Any who would even joke about this is seriously disturbed. Studies after studies have shown that people who abuse animals especially by deliberately hurting them or neglecting them are more likely to commit violent crimes against people.

This is just sick.

**deafskeptic** · 02-09-2012, 12:07 PM

I remember our cats really kept the mole population under control when I was very young.

**deafskeptic** · 02-09-2012, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babyblue

Ferral cats do pose a danger to wildlife. I read some articles on that in the past.

Yes, that's quite true. They are predators.

**Banjo** · 02-09-2012, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafskeptic

Yes, that's quite true. They are predators.

We are predators too as well. Although we don't eat sparrows, garter snakes and tiny rabbits. Hawks and coyotes eat these animals too as well.

02-07-2012, 10:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 15,263	What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died? Perhaps you're a cat lover. Perhaps you abhor the lazy critters. Either way, when you see a cat lounging on an armchair, napping all day but for the occasional stretch or window gaze, "useless" is by no means the last word that comes to mind. Cats, beloved or otherwise, don't radiate the message that they're indispensable, hard-working members of the household, or the world. But, in fact, they're just playing it cool (as usual). Experts say that if all the world's cats suddenly died, things would quickly go to hell in a handbasket. Cats, both pets and strays, may fool us into thinking that they depend on our food and trash for survival, but according to Alan Beck, professor of veterinary medicine and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, they're expert predators with adaptablehunting behaviors. "They are a significant predator of small animals, and can survive as almost solitary animals when the prey is scarce, while thriving in high density when the prey is abundant," Beck told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience. And that's just why we'd miss them. By killing mice and rats in barns and grain storage areas, cats are vital for keeping those pests in check. In India, Beck said, cats are believed to play a significant role in lessening the amount of grain loss caused by consumption or contamination by rodents. In other words, it may be true that humans feed cats, but without cats, humans would have less food in the first place. [Why Do Cats Bury Their Poop?] So, how dramatically would the rodent population increase if cats suddenly vanished? It just so happens that several scientific studies have been conducted that paint a vivid picture. A 1997 study in Great Britain found that the average house cat brought home more than 11 dead animals (including mice, birds, frogs and more) in the course of six months. That meant the 9 million cats of Britain were collectively killing close to 200 million wild specimens per year — not including all those they did not offer up to their owners. A study in New Zealand in 1979 found that, when cats were nearly eradicated from a small island, the local rat population quickly quadrupled. And if the rodent population shot up, this would of course trigger a cascade of other ecological effects. On that same island in New Zealand, for instance, ecologists observed that, as rat numbers increased in the absence of cats, the population of seabirds whose eggs rats preyed upon declined. If the approximately 220 million domestic cats in the world all bit the dust, seabird populations would likely fall worldwide, while the populations of non-cat predators that prey on rats would be expected to increase. "All species have an impact," Beck said. And let's not forget the emotional toll that a mass cat death would take on us humans: "In this country, cats are much loved by many. While there are more dog-owning households (38 percent) than cat- owning households (34 percent), there are actually more domestic cats than dogs because cat owners own more of them. Cats as pets have always been appreciated for the contact, relatively low maintenance, and pedomorphic (child-like) face and general morphology." What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died? - Yahoo! News deafskeptic likes this.

02-07-2012, 10:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
Beowulf Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 10,514	Einstein said the same thing about bees. deafskeptic likes this. __________________ .

02-07-2012, 10:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
PowerON Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: 37.5, 126.9 Posts: 10,319 Blog Entries: 5	Cats are the problem to the world. • allergy •too damn cute •electric enough to take over the world __________________ • [Illustrator.Blog-alloon.com] • Don't shoot me! I'm only blogger!

02-07-2012, 01:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
Bottesini Joe's Friend Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: With Owl Sock Posts: 37,504 Blog Entries: 1	My last cat could have provided for our family. He often brought me full sized rabbits. deafskeptic, Babyblue and LDNanna like this. __________________

02-07-2012, 02:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jiro Aparecium Deletrius Legil Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Soprano State Posts: 60,420	rats and critters control? yorkshire terrier is bred for that. or snakes. or ferrets. large lizards. __________________ - Don't forget to buy Jiro's Special Edition Sunglasses for $19.95

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02-07-2012, 02:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
Frisky Feline Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 20,205	my cats are indoor but nice to have them when any small creatures comes in and they would go after it. From what I remember, it was only one time. that was a baby squirrels. i dont know about other small creatures. knock on wood again

02-07-2012, 02:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
Babyblue Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 11,995	Ferral cats do pose a danger to wildlife. I read some articles on that in the past. Beach girl likes this.

02-07-2012, 04:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
Beach girl Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: northern Virginia in winter; NC in summer Posts: 3,760	Yes they do. I hate my neighbor's cats with a passion. I have found too many headless cardinals in my yard. Neighbors think it is their cats' right to roam around, no matter how many birds they kill and how much they poop in our garden. But I am sure they would not like it one bit if I let my dogs do the same to THEIR yard.

02-07-2012, 08:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
webexplorer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: New England Posts: 5,476	If we have no cats at all, then we will have make some clone cats from the labs. Or, we could use the quick poison traps with painless for some rodents, but not all of them because we have hunting birds such as hawks, owls, etc. However, we must not purchase Monstano Company products due its monopoly. Probably, Monstano may not be printed on the package, but do your homework before you buy them.

02-07-2012, 08:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
Banjo Expelled Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 11,650	Most cats die at a young age due to abandonment, irresponsible owners and feral cats.

02-07-2012, 10:22 PM	#14 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 15,348	No more books on "1001 Ways to Use a Dead Cat"? __________________ Before AD. After AD. "Restriction on free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us." -Thurgood Marshall, former Supreme Court Justice "... turns out they are telling the truth."

02-07-2012, 10:49 PM	#16 (permalink)
kokonut Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 15,348	Both books do not exist with that title. Although I was close, it's "101 uses for a dead cat." Oh well. __________________ Before AD. After AD. "Restriction on free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us." -Thurgood Marshall, former Supreme Court Justice "... turns out they are telling the truth."

02-07-2012, 11:13 PM	#17 (permalink)
mbrek Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,512 Blog Entries: 1	^^^Dislike!!! VacationGuy234 likes this. __________________ Sarcasm - just another little service I offer.

02-07-2012, 11:51 PM	#18 (permalink)
Beach girl Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: northern Virginia in winter; NC in summer Posts: 3,760	I wish one of the uses for a dead cat were to point out to the cat's owner, "Look, bozo, this is what happens to your dearly beloved pet when you let it roam around all night!!" Sadly, even a dead cat doesn't seem to get the point across. I would be heart-broken with grief if one of my dogs were killed by another animal, a car, a trap, bitten by a snake, eating something poisonous, any of the various misfortunes that can happen to an animal loose in the wild. But cat-owners seem to shrug it off, as "oh, well, that's how nature works." I don't get it, I really don't.

02-08-2012, 02:55 AM	#20 (permalink)
deafbirk Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 613	The dorito dog during the superbowl had the right idea

02-08-2012, 09:22 AM	#21 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: 40.18, 58.41 Posts: 34,136	I know what would happen... apes would become pets... then slaves... until they learn to talk and take over the world!!! __________________ Check out my city... C L I C K H E R E! (If you've already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

02-08-2012, 10:05 AM	#22 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 15,263	Never been a cat "lover", but we've only had 2 cats, and for some reason, they love me...(maybe it's becuz of the treats I gave/give them?)....One of our cats fought and fought to get outside, even tho' he was neutured and finally did manage to slip outside, and there were a lot of woods behind our house. Next time we saw him...he was happy as a Lark, even climbing pine trees and sitting on the back fence near the woods....We could not catch him...so we left cat food out for him, but more than likely the birds, raccoons, even possums got to it first. Our 4 month old male "kitten" is trying the same thing. So we are extra careful when we open the doors....It's their nature to hunt for their food.

02-08-2012, 11:06 AM	#25 (permalink)
Beowulf Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 10,514	I guess there are a couple suicidal cats. __________________ .

02-09-2012, 12:06 PM	#27 (permalink)
deafskeptic Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 14,512	Just the title of this thread is enough to make me wonder about the OP. Any who would even joke about this is seriously disturbed. Studies after studies have shown that people who abuse animals especially by deliberately hurting them or neglecting them are more likely to commit violent crimes against people. This is just sick. __________________ Left ear implanted with Med-El on April 24 2007. Activated on May 9th. Upgraded to Opus 2 9/10/2010 Think Pink. FREE JILLIO!

02-09-2012, 12:07 PM	#28 (permalink)
deafskeptic Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 14,512	I remember our cats really kept the mole population under control when I was very young. __________________ Left ear implanted with Med-El on April 24 2007. Activated on May 9th. Upgraded to Opus 2 9/10/2010 Think Pink. FREE JILLIO!

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