Fido And Fluffy Are Ruining The Environment, UCLA Study Says

originally posted by: richapau
a reply to: Christosterone

wrong, people are ruining the environment

Your statement belies an inherent lack of knowledge regarding planetology...

I would have accepted "volcanoes(super or otherwise)" or "interstellar bodies" but not humans...

The American corn belt, for instance, creates more ozone gasses than the entirety of the South American rain forest...
Corn is a genetically engineered grass created by native Americans in the mesolithic era(around 10,000) years ago...

And don't get me started on Cambrian explosion and its subsequent end at the hands of snowball earth, the Great Dying, or KT event...

-Chris

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: InsaneIthorian

That's not even about pissing a cat off though.

Thing is that cats have their claws, and they will use them. Dogs don't have that advantage.

It's just second nature for a cat to use his claws to gain traction, and if you are in the way when one scrambles, he might scramble over you ... with claws out. And you have to be careful because those claws get used in a lot of places and will have bacteria on them.

Yeah. As a Maine Coon owner i understand what your saying.

It basically about learning how to correctly handle cats. People forget they are not dogs and really they are still wild in some regards.

Biggest problem i see is people corning cats or trying to pick them up when the cat doesnt know the person, the cat panicks and the person gets hurt. Of course it depends on the cat and how social it is.

My cat can be gentle as anything but slice your hand open by accident in her play if you dont watch your hands.

a reply to: InsaneIthorian

Yep.

Our tabby is half Abyssinian, so she has all kinds of nervous energy. She never got chill enough to let us handle her paws enough where we could clip her nails, and she could really us it! You have to be careful because those little stilettos are sharp!

a reply to: ketsuko
Talk about claws.

I rescued an infant squirrel after it scampered onto my foot and held on to my pants leg for dear life. Every time I gently removed it, it scampered back. At the time it had no teeth so I bottle fed it and played mother squirrel, thanks to the amazing information I got from folks all over the internet.

I quickly learner that I had to wear heavy material pants or denim pants and long sleeved sweatshirts, every time I let him out to play, or took him for a walk on my shoulders. He was quick as greased lighting, and he thought human arms and legs were the same as tree trunks. Those claws could slice through your skin like a hot knife through butter.

My cat knows the difference. He uses his claws to gain traction when climbing on inanimate objects and to defend himself, but he knows to keep his claws retracted when bitch slapping his pack when he is pissed, but not in attack mode, and when climbing on a two legged member of the family.



Talk

a reply to: ketsuko

Sounds like mine. She wont let as safely clip her claws so they are like razor blades.

She is also extremly payfull and has s habbit of causing accidental injurys with her claws. Especially when she plays chase and pounces on you.

And her toys dont last long before they are shreds.

a reply to: Christosterone

Don't shoot the messenger. Plant a tree, then hug it. We all can do a small part to help, such as...

news.nationalgeographic.com...



www.arborenvironmentalalliance.com...

onetreeplanted.org...

www.thoughtco.com...

This is the site where I donated to have a tree planted and I have the touque to prove it.

treecanada.ca...

Then go an adopt a kitten or puppy from animal control and save a life.

originally posted by: InsaneIthorian
a reply to: ketsuko

Sounds like mine. She wont let as safely clip her claws so they are like razor blades.

She is also extremly payfull and has s habbit of causing accidental injurys with her claws. Especially when she plays chase and pounces on you.

And her toys dont last long before they are shreds.

All sounds familiar. And ours is the ugly duckling of kitties. Poor thing is a comfort eater, so she got monstrously obese. Plus she has a small head and tiny paws, and she's pigeon toed on a stocky, tanky body.

Since we've put her on diet and it's finally working, she has also developed these absurd skin folds under belly and in her front legpits too.

She's still a good girl though. Has really pretty eyes.

UCLA is ruining my environment.

a reply to: ketsuko

Haha mines the opposite. Very fussy eater and only eats the mimimum. She has access to food unlimited food 24/7 but keeps her weight to the low side of healthy. Vets checked her out but there is no medical issue, she is just a kiera knightly of cats.
I can imagine with a cat that likes food like your it is very hard to refuse them as cats can be extremly resourcefull at aquiring things they want. Unlike dogs that completly depend on us cats can just take matters into there own hands.

Cats do have very distinct personalitys.

Yeah but I like my cats. I don't like the people at UCLA.

Hopefully those rising sea levels get all the cat haters first.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
Save mankind and give up my dogs?

I second that.

I gladly choose my dogs over most of the people I meet.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Christosterone
For PETA sympathizers:

Other than people in PETA is there really such a thing as PETA sympathizers?

Back in the day when PETA's main focus was protesting the killing of animals in very painful fashions just for their fur, or domestic animal abuse or neglect, or mistreatment of circus animals, that was reasonable. I was an actual PETA member back then.

But when PETA started up all with the naked celebrities and nonsense that we shouldn't have companion animals, combined with them running a high kill shelter, and some of their other outrageous statements, I parted ways with PETA. I stick to supporting my local animal shelter and low cost spay/neuter clinics.

The link is not working for me, I wanted to see the methodology. I strongly doubt the accuracy of this study and it's findings. It reads a little far-fetched to me.

a reply to: Christosterone

Well... possibly they are, but loose (living undomesticated predators) they'd cause similar problems though not on the same scale. And the amount is actually fairly trivial.

Dogs are evolving towards being omnivorous and the diet we give them (meat mixed with plant food) reflects this. Cats aren't yet headed as firmly towards being omnivores but even they get a substantial amount of plant protein in their diets.

I think the tradeoffs are worth it and that we should promote ethical and responsible pet ownership (pick up your dog's poop, make them indoor animals if possible and keep your cats indoors... and spay and neuter.)

I'm not giving up my poofy pocket panther, thanks. I'll make reductions elsewhere.

a reply to: Christosterone

We have 7 dogs,all rescued ones,and 4 cats,and we will continue to have as many as we can afford to feed and provide veterinary care for.The environmental loonies can sit on it and swivel.

Well Guys, I think we settled this issue! They would need a court order and swat team to get my pups.

originally posted by: burgerbuddy
Anyway, what does PETA say?

PETA has historically killed more cats and dogs than any other group on Earth. Who gives a flip what they say? As for the OP article, I love it... this is the type of extremist BS we need to make people open their well meaning idiotic eyes to the ponzi scheme farce of AGW. This is a money making and control scam, nothing more.

originally posted by: InTheLight
a reply to: Christosterone

Don't shoot the messenger. Plant a tree, then hug it. We all can do a small part to help, such as...

I flat out refuse to "hug" a tree. No way, no how will I "hug" one.

I helped plant entire orchards as a kid on my fathers land.

While on vacation in my early twenties I was manipulated into helping plant a few acres of new forest. Backbreaking work and my hands were hamburger at the end of it, so I think I did my share and the share of others, but nope, not hugging a tree

Then go an adopt a kitten or puppy from animal control and save a life.

My wife and I have done that multiple times. So can I with a clear conscience kick Al Gore in the shin (keeping it clean but please know that I mean a target a little higher on his anatomy) , TP his massive mansion (I'll plant an extra tree for that) or cut off the power to it for a few hours to save a lot more tree's.

ETA: In college in the early 70's I was taught as a fact, that all the trees north of the Canadian border would be dead by fifteen years or so ago. Same group that is currently on the GW train, so the jig is up for them.

a reply to: Blaine91555

I'll bet you've never tried to hug a tree. I did, and it was grand.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I still remember the uproar when PETA was caught red handed in the mid 90's picking up animals from shelters, telling them it was to save them and then killing them and throwing them in dumpsters. That's when it came out that their real goal was to eliminate all domestic animals from the planet, not help them.

Now people have forgotten that and they no longer talk openly about what they came together to do. Cat's don't change their stripes.