The Great Cat Fight of 2012

Last week a town about twenty minutes away from Arlington voted on whether or not cats should be leashed outdoors. It was a topic which the people of Arlington could not resist discussing until every list reader wanted to gouge out their own eyes with toxoplasmosis infected cat claws. 

"One lister took the historical/cultural approach."

"Domestication of feral cats first occurred several thousand years ago in Mesopotamia, following the invention of agriculture and the storage of grain. Humans and cats made a deal: Cats would keep the granaries rodent-free, thereby preserving grain for people. In return, they got to stay around and eat the rodents, likewise anything else they could get their paws on, and we humans promised not to eat them. And for nearly ten millenia, we have preserved this detente, this symbiotic relationship, *without* have to debate cats in a town meeting. Until now."

 Of course not everyone agreed with this understanding of cats.

"A feral cat is generally considered to be a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. So cats were not feral prior to domestication.

Also, we didn't have to debate lots of things until very recently in our history: water fluoridation, women's rights, gun control, vaccines (including those for domesticated animals), seat belts, smoking, use of x-rays, and so on. Things change, and they change very quickly now. I'm not sure why the relationship between cats and humans should be exempt from any consideration of change."

Then there was a big heap of joyless lecturing with a side dish of "We're all going to die".

"Coming in late this conversation, so I don't know what's been said
before....the domestication of cats on a wide scale first occurred in
Africa. However, cat are an invasive species here in North America, and
like invasive species, they wreak havoc on indigenous species, in this case
songbirds. As for bells, there are conflicting studies, some show that cats
wearing bells killed less birds (though not by a large ratio), whereas some
studies showed cats wearing bells actually killed MORE birds (
http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/materials/predation.pdf).
Either way, wearing bells doesn't offer any real solution to the problem.
And it is a problem.  Cats also carry and spread toxiplasmosa in their
feces, which is highly toxic to many wild species here in New England,
including the river otter (oh yeah, and young children), which is much more
prevalent in outdoor cats than indoor ones.  And one of the number one
reasons people ask to have coyotes killed is because it predates their
cats. So, I think it's a good idea to have an ordinance to collar and keep
cats indoor or at least leashed/fenced if outside.

I have worked in the field of wildlife conservation for about 7 years now
and there is no way around it: cats decimate songbird populations. In
relation to climate change, Concord is a place that is known for prime
songbird habitat. Thoreau recorded the habits in terms of breeding,
nesting, and migration of songbirds at Walden, which gives bird biologists
a blueprint for seeing how changes in climate are impacting birds today.
However, increasing cat predation rates on birds skew these numbers. Cats
are domesticated animals, not wild ones, and should not be allowed to roam
free and compete with wild animals as though they are wild...and it is
human hubris to show utter disregard for the impact our actions have on
nature in letting cats outside. Should we also allow our dogs to just go
out unleashed and unsupervised? Our farm animals? No one seems to have a
problem with ordinances to leash or fence all of our other domestic
animals, but suggest it for a cat and people get testy and ignore all of
the science and couldn't seem to care less about any of the other animals
it harms (including the cats themselves, which often succumb to car
collisions, predation by wild animals or dogs, or diseases contracted by
being outside). And I say all of this as someone who has three cats, and
does a lot of volunteer work in animal rescue."
NAME REDACTED

This lister admirably tried to diffuse the situation with some humor!

"Yes, cats are from Africa.

So are humans.  (We are the ultimate Invasive Species.  Only cockroaches are more successful...)

And songbirds fly all over the place - eating worms, among other things.  But -

Guess what! 

EARTHWORMS are an invasive species!
http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/invasive-species/invasive-eartworms-in-american-soil/4545

NAME REDACTED
(who just let her cat out to hang out in the swamp)"


This was followed by more joylessness and some "It's all your fault that we are all going to die."

Hey NAME REDACTED,

And did you scroll down to the link you provided about earthworms that
spoke about the ecological harm they do cause in certain areas in the US?
Did you even read all of the link that you posted here to contest my point?
Would you now also like this opportunity to brag about some other thing you
do that harms the environment just because you can? Perhaps how many
disposable plastic items you blew threw today, or maybe you idled your car
for 10 minutes just for fun?

We can engage in real dialogue or you can quip and make jokes and just
ignore the facts/science and make snide comments (which is often just a
signal that the person is uneducated and defensive about the issue and
doesn't like at all for something they do to be challenged, no matter who
or what else is harmed by their choices)...MassAudubon and the American
Bird Conservatory and even the Humane Society of the United States and
countless universities and institutions have done prolific research on this
issue and have concluded time and again that cats cause significant
ecological damage (and that outdoor cats have substantially increased
incidences of disease and premature death)...but hey, you Googled a generic
link (which seems geared more for grade school age) that was off point and
went down the slippery slope...

Ever hear of the Tragedy of the Commons?"
NAME REDACTED

Finally we had this query.


"Here's a question I probably shouldn't ask but will: What is the difference between a neighbor's cat pooping in your yard versus a neighbors toddler pooping in your yard?

Both contain potentially dangerous pathogens/bacteria, both are the responsibility of someone else, both are icky. "

NAME REDACTED





Be grateful I left out the bits about people eating cats and cats who carry water bottles.

I'm pretty sure this is dirty in some way...

"Dear list,

Does anybody have half a carrot I could borrow?
I'd like to cut it up and put it on a salad I'm making for lunch today!


NAME REDACTED"

Perhaps you have heard of google?

Now look, you were tech savvy enough to sign up onto the list, compose your message and then press send, and yet you cannot google "wrist watch" yourself to find out where to buy one. Have you never in the last twenty years walked into a store which sold wrist watches? Amazingly about eight people resisted to urge to bitch slap this lister and instead offered many suggestions of where to buy watches. The list is full of enablers.


"Hi savvy listers,

My reliable Timex became not so reliable and has now died. It lasted
about 20 years. The shop I bought it at, for maybe $20, is no longer
around, and I have no idea where one buys wristwatches at a decent
price.

I want a simple watch, analog with numbers (not Roman numerals, not
lines), and a clean design so it's easy to read; ladies' size; leather
band (not a stretch or metal band).

Swansons will be getting in a watch that matches my requirements, but
it's $180!

Have prices for simple watches gone up that much in 20 years? Where
else might I find a simple watch?
 
NAME REDACTED"

It's been a busy day on the A-list!

Today the list had 101 posts! About 50 were people arguing about the math of the recent election.


Here's an example:

"NAME REDACTED, this reminds me of the time my highschool calculus teacher tried to prove
to the class that .99999999 (ad infinitum) = 1. On the face of the exercise it
seemed plausible, but we all just know that the two aren't equal."


Followed by:

"Huh. Then you're probably the kind of guy who doesn't believe that the
sum of the infinite series 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 (etc.) equals 1, either.

Although they're both easily provable."

Then there was an extremely long and honestly bizarre comparison of farm animals to politicians with a bunch of math thrown in. I did not read the entire thing because I was an English major and I know when the math geeks are getting their grok on.

Finally, it was suggested that the farm animals be turned into barbeque with a leaf blower on Mass Ave. Not a bad idea actually.

Kudos to this lady for recognizing humor when she she reads it.

"I hope those people who love to pick out unusual Arlington list
conversations and blog about them can fully recognize the wonderful
undertones and leg pulling that this thread is full of!!!  Net result (a
vaguely math term):  The Schlichtman Way will get you to pastrami, while
sneaking up on the George Washington Bridge.  It works
.9999999  of the time, which we all now realize is 100%".
NAME REDACTED

About 51 posts are about bike path etiquette. It starts out all polite.

"Hello Listers,

I have a few requests of the many bikers here on the List.

1. When you are coming up behind a pedestrian, and intend to pass that
person, could you please indicate that intent either with a "On your left"
or perhaps one of those cheery bells of yesteryear?  The dogs and I get
taken off guard many times, causing us to go in opposite directions, often
into the path of the biker.

2. And when you pass, could you only pass on the left?

3. And when you pass on the left, if it causes you to go into oncoming
"traffic", please realize it is not the responsibility of the oncoming to
get out of your way.

Thank you very much, in advance, for your courtesies in these requests."

After about 15 posts arguing about whether people should yell, "On your left!" or whether that is too annoying on a sunny day, 15 about whether dogs should be leashed or unleashed, 10 about whether the bikepath should be used for walking at all, and 5 requesting the return of the bicycle bell we arrive at this:

"You're right, of course. How many times can we re-hash the same nonsense.

We should go back to talking about things like Coyotes.

Or leaf blowers.

Or Mass Ave!

Tell me, again, about how rotaries are safer, and bicycle paths, like communism, are just bad European ideas that failed..."

And this:

"We haven't talked about power-outage-causing squirrels in a loooong time."

And finally this:

"I've been lurking this list now for three days, and all I can say is, wow.
You people have TIME.

Jealously,
NAME REDACTED"


Me too, NAME REDACTED, me too.

Update on those not so free chairs...

 Has this lady never read this list? Free crap is the lifeblood of Arlington!

"that's nuts, why would people take something that's still on your property?!"

NAME REDACTED

For Sale: Racist Paint!

 First of all, just be grateful you are done painting. Secondly, no one is going to buy your paint, especially with a name like that.


"My loss, your gain!  A beautiful  deep red "Moroccan Spic" eggshell finish,
Ben Moore paint.  Unopened gallon plus one third gallon (opened) both
purchased two weeks ago.  No use for them now.  Have receipt.
$45 + tax will sell for $25!"

NAME REDACTED

The perfect addition to your suburban lawn!

 Could anything be more wonderful on your front lawn?


"FS  Statue of David created by Michelangelo
Stands approximately 44 inches high
I believe it's resin, indoor/outdoor
Great for garden, three season room, foyer, etc
Pictures available, Excellent condition, $40.00"

Uh oh! When it's not free!

"If you took my dining room chairs from 106 Newport street please return them!  They were not free I was moving them that is why they were on my driveway!"
NAME REDACTED

Free expired calendars!

I do understand the appeal of pictures of puppies, but I wonder about the people who are so eager for pictures of them that they are willing to drive somewhere to get them from expired calendars.

"I have three never used (expired) calendars with pictures of puppies.  Last
time I posted calendar pictures I had a lot of takers. Here is the
Craigslist posting with the pictures.

http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/zip/2943417302.html"
NAME REDACTED

Leaf blowers...

There is a discussion about leaf blowers happening on the list right now about which I would post except that if you read it you'd want to kill yourself.