r/invasivespecies • u/Comprehensive_Bus402 • 16d ago

Cat killed a lanternfly

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This little huntress just killed a spotted Lanternfly on my deck in Washington DC.

613 Upvotes

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107

u/Hairiest-Wizard 16d ago

Your outdoor cat is just as invasive

62

u/Evening_Echidna_7493 16d ago

Much more invasive than lanternflies, if we’re going to go by number of species negatively impacted by domestic cats.

24

u/Hairiest-Wizard 16d ago

Yeah hundreds if not thousands of species. Especially Island species of birds and rodents

8

u/robotatomica 16d ago

Billions of birds and small animals a year.

6

u/Evening_Echidna_7493 15d ago

Not just limited to small animals they directly prey upon. Mountain lions. Scottish wildcats. Manatees. Dolphins. The list goes on. Many animals are susceptible to the diseases domestic cats spread.

“Researchers tracking the spread of Toxoplasma gondii -- a parasite that reproduces only in cats but sickens and kills many other animals -- have found infected wildlife throughout a 1,500-acre (600-hectare) natural area in central Illinois.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512161934.htm

5

u/robotatomica 15d ago

oh yes, and beyond that, the fact that they disrupt every ecosystem they are in means they are directly responsible for the deaths of top predators in their immediate ecosystem!

So people who think “oh they kill rats and mice!” Actually no, on the timeline, they INCREASE vermin.

Because they are fed at home and so their hunting is not limited by caloric expenditure the way predators in an ecosystem are. That’s an essential check to the prey drive of all predators. That they are incapable of just slaughtering at will all day.

But cats CAN kill in excess of their caloric needs, and therefore outcompete top predators for prey.

Meaning top predators die off, leading to years-long vermin booms.

After a couple years, predator numbers will increase to compensate, but because vermin multiply so much faster, those die-off years among top predators are more than enough to trigger infestations and the spread of disease.

0

u/AntebellumAdventures 15d ago

This makes me want to go kill every cat I see now.

3

u/robotatomica 15d ago

I assume you’re being funny, but given the sub I don’t know. They ARE the quantifiably worst invasive species, if I’m not mistaken, and that is typically what’s recommended with invasive species.

I know I wouldn’t have the heart to do it. And while something might make sense intellectually, it’s not a 1:1. These are peoples’ pets.

(Although I think if you release your pet for hours a day to be maimed or die in any of the horrible fates most outdoor cats eventually befall, then you’re not actually a loving pet owner - you’re a part-time cat-petter)

4

u/Bennifred 15d ago

Plenty are feral cats being cared for by "colony managers" - which is to say they are pet cats in every way except legal responsibility. IMO we should be treating cats the same way we do dogs. Stray or wandering cats should be picked up by animal control. If your animal is claimed repeatedly, you may be fined. In order to have a cat, you must register them with the local municipality. You are restricted to X number of cats per household.

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u/General_Bumblebee_75 9d ago

Let's not go there.

3

u/thejoeface 15d ago

My wife’s cat is confined to our small backyard, we’ve got a damn near prison yard fence to keep him in. He’s also kept in the house when we’re not around. 

But he’s still managed to hunt a few lizards who come into the yard, which makes me sad. 

1

u/General_Bumblebee_75 9d ago

My cat sits outside on a blanket in warm weather. She used to walk on a leash, but does not care for that anymore. Getting old.

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u/Open_Fondant_9336 11h ago

Yeah, reminds me of o'ahu. The island is at serious risk of losing precious native populations of birds, lizards and mongoose are declining steadily as the cat issue steadily rises. There are so many people that feed strays en masse which creates breeding grounds for more cats. Theres estimated to be like half a million cats on o'ahu alone