The drain cats are doing OK

I saw them selling PCP to some dogs from MacGregor.

Did the photographer spray paint the word “MEOW” above the drain hole?

Okay! Okay! I mean *individual animals* not entire species. D’oh!

Buzz2600 said :

There are somes estimates of up to 25 million feral cats across Australia, killing on average three or more species a day to survive. This equals a staggering 75 million species of (mainly) native animals including reptiles each day!

Worst made-up statistic ever.
Three distinct species per cat per day? Madness.
Seriously, mother cats are forced to consume the entire population of a single species of kangaroo, dingo, and koala, so a single kitten can eat all members of a single species of rat, frog, and seagull? And then change species the next day?

(I would assume you have totally misrepresented the fact behind that stat and that ‘on average, three or more species’ are shared species, in that any one cat may eat multiple species, but two cats living in similar areas may actually similar species…)

Otherwise, biologists should just follow the feral cats around and discover where the previously undiscovered 98% of life on earth is had been hiding.

PS: I am not cat people, I can deal with domestic cats that live indoors, but I am a definite feral cat hater. Ideally draincats would be drowned cats.

Buzz2600 said :

This equals a staggering 75 million species of (mainly) native animals including reptiles each day!

Wow, starting with a total of about 1.25 million species of animal there will be none left by lunch time.

Poorly worded sentences aside, I agree with everything you have said.

I fail to see why a lot of people can’t accept that I love my little pet cat while simultaneously hating native eating ferals? I feel the same way about most humans I know.

Urban Adventures said: “They displayed a distinct lack of interest in catching several small birds who seemed to enjoy teasing the cats.”

You were viewing these cats on a lazy sunny afternoon, I’m guessing. Once the sun goes down, it would be a completely different scenario. The cats & birds then “play” the survival game and our native animals are the losers in this game. I heard an interesting statistic a while ago, can’t quote it exactly but … there are somes estimates of up to 25 million feral cats across Australia, killing on average three or more species a day to survive. This equals a staggering 75 million species of (mainly) native animals including reptiles each day!

I’ve seen feral cats in the most remote areas of national parks, its truly sad. They are born preditors and native animals are no match against them. Our local rural dog trapper (paid for by the rural protection board/local council) would often show us the results of his catch … huge, healthy feral cats with protruding fangs like you wouldn’t believe.

And some of you wonder why the cat haters come out of the woodwork when “cute” feral cats are advertised on RiotACT?

Holden Caulfield said :

WE IZ IN UR DRAINZ STEALING UR WATERZ!

LOLZ

WE IZ IN UR DRAINZ STEALING UR WATERZ!

Wow, the cat in the first pic certainly gets around:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socks_(cat)

They all look like they are from one family – except the black persian looks out of place. I wonder if he’s a local upper class family cat just visiting the slums?

Their stares are burning holes into my soul…

That should be “pictures” 🙂

Why do picture of cats always bring out the cat haters? How about some pictures of feral dogs for a change? Let’s even out the hatred a bit 🙂

Also, went for a long drive last night saw a lot of feral rabbits, a feral fox, dozens of kangaroos, some owls and bats but not one single cat in the woods.

arescarti42 said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

So do we need to send Captain RAAF out there with his F88?

I think you’ll find that Captain RAAF prefers steel jaw traps and fireworks.

I suppose they might be reluctant to give him an F88 mightn’t they.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

So do we need to send Captain RAAF out there with his F88?

I think you’ll find that Captain RAAF prefers steel jaw traps and fireworks.

I-filed said :

Fiona said :

awwww

Hardly. Feral cats range far and wide and are destroying our wildlife.

Wow, that sentance is far more truthful if you substitute “humans” for “feral cats”. These kittys are obviously well fed. They displayed a distinct lack of interest in catching several small birds who seemed to enjoy teasing the cats.

Tainted said :

I-filed said :

Fiona said :

awwww

Hardly. Feral cats range far and wide and are destroying our wildlife.

Perhaps they wouldn’t if morons made the effort to properly care for their pets by getting them desexed. ‘Feral’ cats can make fantastic pets, just as my cat from a drain has.

I have a personal policy of having all pets desexed – they really do seem to end up as calmer and happier animals. And when the sad but inevitable time comes to get a new one, there’s still plenty out there to choose from.

UrbanAdventure.org said :

They drink water straight from the drain.

Urgh, that can’t be good.

I-filed said :

Fiona said :

awwww

Hardly. Feral cats range far and wide and are destroying our wildlife.

Perhaps they wouldn’t if morons made the effort to properly care for their pets by getting them desexed. ‘Feral’ cats can make fantastic pets, just as my cat from a drain has.

Fiona said :

awwww

Hardly. Feral cats range far and wide and are destroying our wildlife.

cute as, i love the main one with him/her popping up meerkat-like for a looksie 🙂

So do we need to send Captain RAAF out there with his F88?

Oh, and very nice slide show by the way.

I popped by to take a look at the cute kittehs (lolspeak for Kitty) and counted 9, but apparently missed two way further up, so there is 11. Some are clearly related, as they have the upside down T of white on their face, and white paws.

They seemed to be waiting for something, and rejoiced when the old Asian lady turned up to feed them. The kittehs were fascinating to watch. They have a designated kitteh litter area, so they don’t seem to foul up their home drains. They are social, in that they seem to enjoy each other’s commpany, and groom each other. They don’t fight over food, and tolerate each other sharing food. They drink water straight from the drain. They run up and down the main drain to eat food dropped for them or to communicate / socialise.

Interestingly, they are compleatly silent. They do not meow at all. They do not growl at each other. Oh, hang on, I heard one hiss at another as they were playing in the sun. They are pretty cluey on where to find the last of the sun as well. They’re also very wary of humans. I was not able to get all that close to them.

Almost all of them are either pretty young, or small. Some look to be only a few months old. Possible candidates for living with humans?

I really should have included my user name when I meailed in these. Cute kittehs. 🙂

I have seen cats living in the drains at the CIT Reid dirt carpark.

i spied about 5 of them from the bike path at woden yesterday. they were the healthiest looking ferals i’ve ever seen! i thought i was back in byron bay…

Damn, those cats look a lot….fatter than I imagined drain cats would

awwww

Didn’t see any floating past in the Woden Creek kayaking vid…

Oooh I wantz to know if the fwuffy one has a zipper to put ur jarmies in???

Why, that’s my Tibbles who vanished two years ago – I wondered where the flea-infested varmint had got to!

Those cats are pretty street smart. It will take more than some rain to get rid of them.