• Ultraviolet@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    The danger isn’t to the cats, it’s to everything else. Ecologically speaking, cats are an invasive apex predator. They absolutely wreak havoc on local bird populations.

    • emergencyfood
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      10 months ago

      Cats aren’t apex predators. But yes, they can be quite damaging in araes where they are invasive.

      • Ultraviolet@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Not in the wild, but in a suburban neighborhood they are. Apex is relative to what else is out there.

        • trolske@feddit.de
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          10 months ago

          They are still mesopredators. A big bird of prey, a coyote, or a fox wouldn’t mind going for a cat.
          But it’s not even relevant for the discussion whether they are apex predators or not. They are efficient predators and the artificial high number of individuals is harmful for the ecosystem.