It is time that people in Bend wake up. I live by the Old Mill District and I have had almost no songbirds around this year.
I live by the canal, yet I have not seen any gold finch. My chickadees that nested last year did not come back to the birdhouse when they should have. Also, the couple of the robins I had around are gone. We are losing our songbirds to cats and windows in this town.
A few days ago, I got up at 5:30 a.m. to put my dogs out. There was no sound; it was complete silence. This is not normal. Songbirds should have been very actively singing by this time. This should raise the alarm.
It is time that a leash law and heavy fines be given to irresponsible cat owners who leave their cats out. Cats belong indoors!!
This town is also invaded by feral cats who come out at night.
Cats are destroying our native wildlife. They kill hundreds of
millions of songbirds every year, some ornithologists even say that
cats kill 2 billion songbirds every year. When the parent birds are
killed during nesting season, the young will die of starvation.
Songbirds are on the decline in all states, big time. Something needs
to be done!!
Cats are an introduced species and just like any exotic species, they do not belong outside.
I am outraged by the “laissez faire” attitude of our local
politicians and the little respect some human beings have for our
songbird populations!
Please, Google “wildlife and cats.”
Elisabeth Schneider, Bend
This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2008.
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i hear plenty of birds right now, maybe they just hate your commercialized filth of an old mill district
More coyotes would help control the feline problem. Feral cats are doing more damage than proponents of trapping, neutering, and re-releasing them will ever admit. The elimination of colonies is the on solution.
Are you the same selfish woman that brought your kid to Baltazars and then sent out hate mail to all of Bend about how he did not have a high chair?
Cats have rights and are great animals and are following their course of nature to kill birds and mice. I am more annoyed by your dogs using my yard as a toilet and I will make sure I call the cops next time and have them issue you a fine for five hundred dollars and then you will not be able to afford bird seed for the next year or so….
Get a life woman
You may also notice an increase in invasive bird populations in the area. It’s survival of the fittest, and the crows and urbanization are winning. Cats are not totally to blame. In fact, they’re rather tiny in comparison.