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[Ratbert_CP]

Hearing a report this morning about Belgium's "cat population problem" had me thinking "MAGMA" before they even described the problem.  I think I've been spending too much time with DF, because the idea of forced sterilization of the entire feline population by 2016 seemed to be such a tame and demure solution... 

[existent]

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=62139
Sweden's in deep as well.

[Ratbert_CP]

That looked like a single incident of psycho-cat lady dementia.  Happens all over the world.  Belgium wants to implement mandatory sterilization of all cats (save purebreds) by 2016.  This includes having all pet owners register their cats and supply proof of sterilization (hopefully not a formaldehyde fulled jar).

[Kogan Loloklam]

Forced sterilization of the cat population by 2016 will only contribute to rat overpopulation by 2026.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did do it though, Belgium does not currently have my respect when it comes to long term planning.

I'd rather hordes of feral cats than forced sterilization.

[Dohon]

Forced sterilization of the cat population by 2016 will only contribute to rat overpopulation by 2026.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did do it though, Belgium does not currently have my respect when it comes to long term planning.

I'd rather hordes of feral cats than forced sterilization.

The problem with all those feral cats is just that. They have no natural "predators" (except for cars ... Do cats even have natural predators?) around this place and they breed faster than rabbits (and I haven't seen rabbits in quite some time now). I always have to take out my trash at the crack of dawn because of those cats. If I take out the trash at night, those cats will tear the bags open, forcing me the next dawn to collect all the trash from the roadside ... again. In the past, it happened rarely, but now, I can count on those feral cats to rip open my bags.

I do concur on the long-term planning though. Right now, 68 days after the elections, we are still trying to piece a government together. We do need civic reforms on a massive scale, since the state will be bankrupt by 2012, 2014 at the latest. But the current constitution and law-package simply is way too complicated and it needs to be reformed. Otherwise this country will tear itself apart. But I'll keep the politics for another thread.

[Kogan Loloklam]

The problem with all those feral cats is just that. They have no natural "predators" (except for cars ... Do cats even have natural predators?) around this place and they breed faster than rabbits (and I haven't seen rabbits in quite some time now). I always have to take out my trash at the crack of dawn because of those cats. If I take out the trash at night, those cats will tear the bags open, forcing me the next dawn to collect all the trash from the roadside ... again. In the past, it happened rarely, but now, I can count on those feral cats to rip open my bags.

I do concur on the long-term planning though. Right now, 68 days after the elections, we are still trying to piece a government together. We do need civic reforms on a massive scale, since the state will be bankrupt by 2012, 2014 at the latest. But the current constitution and law-package simply is way too complicated and it needs to be reformed. Otherwise this country will tear itself apart. But I'll keep the politics for another thread.

So, you have a population of cats that are causing damage to your plastic bags. They can easily get into these bags and eat the leftover food you have in such bags. Instead of reducing feral cats by catching and sterlizing the feral ones, your nation forces every person to sterilize every cat in the country that doesn't have a pedigree.
I'm not sure how familiar you are with history when it comes to cats, but the last time there was such widespread discrimination about cats, serious consequences happened.

As for natural predation, yes they have natural predators. The problem is humans tend to attack the predators that pray on cats. You know, things like cat-killing dogs.

A tip for you, buy a plastic trashcan with a locking lid. I don't think you'll need anything even close to what we people up near the Colorado Rocky Mountains require to keep BEARS out of our trash, but if you have that you'll be sure to be safe from the nasty cats. It works better, just ask the bears, whom remain relatively intact despite some nuisance things they sometimes do. As long as the clasp is simple I am sure your garbagemen won't mind and will understand. Anything requiring opposable thumbs will do.

[Ratbert_CP]

I don't think you'll need anything even close to what we people up near the Colorado Rocky Mountains require to keep BEARS out of our trash...

You need to check out what these folks did...

[Cruxador]

Forced sterilization of the cat population by 2016 will only contribute to rat overpopulation by 2026.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did do it though, Belgium does not currently have my respect when it comes to long term planning.

I'd rather hordes of feral cats than forced sterilization.

The problem with all those feral cats is just that. They have no natural "predators" (except for cars ... Do cats even have natural predators?) around this place and they breed faster than rabbits (and I haven't seen rabbits in quite some time now). I always have to take out my trash at the crack of dawn because of those cats. If I take out the trash at night, those cats will tear the bags open, forcing me the next dawn to collect all the trash from the roadside ... again. In the past, it happened rarely, but now, I can count on those feral cats to rip open my bags.

I do concur on the long-term planning though. Right now, 68 days after the elections, we are still trying to piece a government together. We do need civic reforms on a massive scale, since the state will be bankrupt by 2012, 2014 at the latest. But the current constitution and law-package simply is way too complicated and it needs to be reformed. Otherwise this country will tear itself apart. But I'll keep the politics for another thread.

The easy solution to the bag problem is to just use cans. It's better for the environment anyway; stop wasting all that plastic. The easy solution to feral cats is to just shoot them when you see them. The only thing I can think of off hand that would eat cats much is large snakes, and I imagine Belgium is much too cold for them.

[Kogan Loloklam]

The only thing I can think of off hand that would eat cats much is large snakes, and I imagine Belgium is much too cold for them.

No, the cats traditional hunters are dogs and other predators of that nature(foxes, wolves, coyotes, larger species of cats). Some birds too. There are some snakes that can do it, but it's mostly large birds of prey and dogs. The smaller creatures (foxes, some birds, some snakes) generally target young and won't mess with an adult.

[Alastar]

Applying magma would be a bit of a waste... but Dwarf Fortress still has the answer: just eat them. Cat supposedly tastes nice enough (and is eaten in parts of Switzerland) , and they also have perfectly servicable pelts.

Is there any reason this isn't considered, other than the cuddly wuddly syndrome?

[alamoes]

Forced sterilization of the cat population by 2016 will only contribute to rat overpopulation by 2026.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did do it though, Belgium does not currently have my respect when it comes to long term planning.

I'd rather hordes of feral cats than forced sterilization.

The problem with all those feral cats is just that. They have no natural "predators" (except for cars ... Do cats even have natural predators?) around this place and they breed faster than rabbits (and I haven't seen rabbits in quite some time now). I always have to take out my trash at the crack of dawn because of those cats. If I take out the trash at night, those cats will tear the bags open, forcing me the next dawn to collect all the trash from the roadside ... again. In the past, it happened rarely, but now, I can count on those feral cats to rip open my bags.

I do concur on the long-term planning though. Right now, 68 days after the elections, we are still trying to piece a government together. We do need civic reforms on a massive scale, since the state will be bankrupt by 2012, 2014 at the latest. But the current constitution and law-package simply is way too complicated and it needs to be reformed. Otherwise this country will tear itself apart. But I'll keep the politics for another thread.

Dogs! They eat rats too.  plus they eat cats. The most dwarvenly creature around!

[JohnLukeG]

I'm not sure why, but I laughed really hard when I read the thread title.

[Snook]

I am disappointed in my homeland.

[Asehujiko]

Belgium is where the rest of Europe goes to fight their wars. Looks like the animal kingdom decided to join in on the honorable tradition of bombing Antwerpen.

The ideal solution would be if all coffee shops here would start charging foreign customers in dead cats instead of Euros. That will have the population under control in no time.

[Sheb]

We got no coffee shop in Belgium....


As for that law, do you have a source? I never heard of it, despite living in Belgium...