Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners • Hacker News Board

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#111

Post by daniellarusso » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:11 AM UTC

knicholes wrote: post #17

klowrey wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be frowned upon, but we communicated to our cats that meowing at the door was not acceptable by discouraging them with a vacuum cleaner. Flip the switch on the vacuum and run the cord under the door to your bed side. Upon meow, quietly plug the vacuum in to activate -- if the cat senses that you activated the device, the process doesn't work. If "the environment" doesn't want them to meow at the door, they lea…

I tried programming my arduino to trigger a servo to pull the handle on a spray air can when a sound over a threshold was detected by the microphone, but the servo wasn't strong enough. Enabling an outlet to an already-plugged in vacuum sounds good, though. Excellent... I had plans to train a cat meow classifier so I wouldn't activate the can due to other noises, say a fire truck, fireworks, or a neighbor slamming a…

They actually sell these devices, but they are IR motion activated, not via sound.

https://store.petsafe.net/ssscat-spray-pet-deterrent

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#112

Post by adflux » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:23 AM UTC

DocTomoe wrote: post #101

croo wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must be living on the other side of the planet! Is there a place where keeping a cat outside is illegal? Poor cats :( I have a garden and sandbox for kids and the soultion for cat poop was a dog. Is there a similiar research for dogs?

Actually, keeping your cat inside should be the norm. Cats are, essentially, a highly invasive species that has been linked to massive decline and sometimes extinctions of local fauna.

Despite the large numbers of birds killed by cats in gardens, there is no clear scientific evidence that such mortality is causing bird populations to decline. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds.

We also know that of the millions of baby birds hatched each year, most will die before they reach breeding age. This is also quite natural, and each pair needs only to rear two young that survive to breeding age to replace themselves and maintain the population.

It is likely that most of the birds killed by cats would have died anyway from other causes before the next breeding season, so cats are unlikely to have a major impact on populations. If their predation was additional to these other causes of mortality, this might have a serious impact on bird populations.

Those bird species which have undergone the most serious population declines in the UK (such as skylarks, tree sparrows and corn buntings) rarely encounter cats, so cats cannot be causing their declines. Research shows that these declines are usually caused by habitat change or loss, particularly on farmland.

From https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-...

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#113

Post by pvaldes » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:34 AM UTC

clydethefrog wrote: post #104

nix23 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Actually, keeping your cat inside should be the norm. Not in Europe, maybe new zealand. But in Europe we had/have wildcats until we destroyed the large forests. And nearly ever farmer depends on a cat to keep vermin's in check, if you have to keep your cat inside DONT BUY A CAT.

The majority of cats in Europe is city cats that demolish the local bird and critter population. https://academic.oup.com/jel/article/32/3/391/5640440

Still autochtonous (more or less) species. Old world birds evolved with them for thousands years and somehow they will not have problems to survive.

We know to do more research about the cat effect on that fauna instead to just repeat one preliminary study.

We need to know for example, if there is a percentage of those migrant birds allegedly chased by cats in US that just crashed against a window or were stunded by pesticides. The problem in that case is not the cat, is the glass pane, or the absence of trees.

...............

Second point. Some scientists hypothesize that Toxoplasmosis remain in the body alive for years and is a chronic disease. We should however take in mind that this is not the main current of thinking.

We know that parasites don't survive usually when end in the wrong host because immune response works "like this" and "like that" and because the temperature, organ structure or life cycle of the true host, matter for the parasite survival.

I can't see why Toxoplasma should behave different that the other ten thousands of cases, or why the immune system should make an excepcion here.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#114

Post by laurowyn » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:35 AM UTC

teekert wrote: post #102

croo wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must be living on the other side of the planet! Is there a place where keeping a cat outside is illegal? Poor cats :( I have a garden and sandbox for kids and the soultion for cat poop was a dog. Is there a similiar research for dogs?

Where I live most people with dogs either let them poop in nature or clean it up. They certainly don't come into my garden to do their business. Telling someone to take a huge pet with huge responsibilities just to get rid of neighborhood cats pooping in their garden is a bit of a non-solution. But I guess, it's all funny when you own and love cats. But, please try to imagine what it can be like for your neighbors wh…

This, in my opinion, is why we can't have nice things. Calling for the death of any living thing that we disagree with isn't okay. And trapping an animal indoors where it can't exercise its natural tendencies is also a non-solution.

I completely understand the want and need to protect your property from intruders, animal or human. But calling for the death of any and all animals that enter your property is borderline psychopathic IMO.

There are humane ways to deter animals from entering your property. Something as simple as spraying a cat with water will deter it effectively - no need to murder it. Other options include putting down plastic spikes (that don't cause injury) on garden fences, growing certain plants which cats dislike the smell of, or even sprays that cats dislike.

And for future reference; if your neighbours cats are pooping in your garden beds, keep the surface of the soil moist. Cats (generally) won't dig in wet soil, and will instead find somewhere else to go. And your plants will appreciate the extra water.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#115

Post by tincanned » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:37 AM UTC

gadders wrote: post #107

teekert wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as you keep it inside (where it isn't defecating in my garden, hunting my chickens or trying to get inside where I may lock it in by accident causing mayhem, etc, I'd like my pregnant wife to still be able to do gardening and also I like eating things from my garden). I live in a country where it is legal to just keep you cat outside all day. It's madness.

Cats are supposed to be outdoor animals. Ours never attack our chickens.

Humans are supposed to be outdoor animals.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#116

Post by laurowyn » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:47 AM UTC

DocTomoe wrote: post #101

croo wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must be living on the other side of the planet! Is there a place where keeping a cat outside is illegal? Poor cats :( I have a garden and sandbox for kids and the soultion for cat poop was a dog. Is there a similiar research for dogs?

Actually, keeping your cat inside should be the norm. Cats are, essentially, a highly invasive species that has been linked to massive decline and sometimes extinctions of local fauna.

You should probably qualify this with location.

Countries that have had domestic and wild cats for millennia are mostly unaffected by domestic cats being outside, especially in urban areas where wildlife is overrun by vermin.

Yes, there are plenty of examples of cats causing issues, but only in locations where they were introduced and not where they are native. Australia is a good example, as domesticated cats have become a nuisance and bred in the wild. But then you look at what has happened since the cat population was culled, with the many videos of mice on farms. Removing them isn't a perfect solution, as they've been around long enough to become a part of the ecosystem and not just a destructive force.

I would also qualify this with; cats should be kept inside whilst in heat. Many of the issues caused by cats are due to owners letting their cats reproduce. Where cats have a good supply of food, naturally they will reproduce up to a balancing point with the available food. Many cat owners are unaware (or just don't care) about cats reproducing and the impact that has. Spaying/neutering is also a viable option if owners don't want to have to lock their cats in during their heat cycle - cats birthing can be traumatic for the mother, so this can be a major benefit. Similarly, male cats will mate with multiple females so neutering is many times more effective than spaying alone.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#117

Post by laurowyn » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:55 AM UTC

tincanned wrote: post #115

gadders wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cats are supposed to be outdoor animals. Ours never attack our chickens.

Humans are supposed to be outdoor animals.

What is this even supposed to mean?

Humans are outdoor animals. Yes. Well done. A+. We even have opposable thumbs, which means we can operate door handles and make our own way outside. Or are you asking us to demolish our houses and live out in the farmland now?

We build homes for warmth and security. Even our nomadic ancestors built movable homes (tents, teepees, caravans, mobile homes, RVs etc.). Just because an animal is supposed to be outside, doesn't mean it has no benefit from access to an indoor area. The rules for survival fit animals just as much; 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. The numbers will be different, but if an animal cannot find shelter on a cold night, it's unlikely to survive (unless specifically adapted for that situation).

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#118

Post by bregma » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 10:58 AM UTC

gilbetron wrote: post #7

gcheong wrote: post #3

"Sixty percent of cat owners sleep with their cats, which may enhance their sense of security and improve their quality of sleep" Maybe, but now only between the hours of 10pm - 5:30am, for me anyway.

We learned years ago that our cats get put in the lower part of our house with the door closed at night. We felt bad about it, but being able to sleep all night made up for it. Quick story: for several nights, I'd wake up in the middle of the night with horrendous stomach pains. I was thinking I needed to see the doctor it was so painful. Then on the fourth night when the pain hit I woke up fast enough to notice our…

A 15 lb cat? You need to see a vet, not a doctor.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#119

Post by avh02 » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 11:01 AM UTC

canada_dry wrote: post #77

prirun wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I opened the door once one morning for my cat who was meowing. Big mistake! He started doing in on a regular basis of course. Ignoring him didn't work, so I started getting up and closing him in the basement until I got up a few hours later. After a few days of this, I'd open my door and he'd walk to the basement so I could shut him in. It took about 2 months, but he eventually quit the meowing. New rule: never, ever…

My kid's cat - I've taken care of since they've left for college - started scratching at the bedroom door earlier and earlier in the morning - because that's when it was fed. Now, it's fed at bedtime so it doesn't care what time I get up.

Yeah our cat's big meal is in the morning , I randomly change around when in my morning routine I feed them so they don't assume that just cos I'm up and about they'll be getting fed. It helped with them making noises at the door as soon as my alarm goes off in the morning (we kick them out if they're annoying at night).

Otherwise they'd assume every time I open the door to go to the toilet or whatever is meal time.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#120

Post by Nursie » Wed, Jun 23, 2021, 11:06 AM UTC

laurowyn wrote: post #116

DocTomoe wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, keeping your cat inside should be the norm. Cats are, essentially, a highly invasive species that has been linked to massive decline and sometimes extinctions of local fauna.

You should probably qualify this with location. Countries that have had domestic and wild cats for millennia are mostly unaffected by domestic cats being outside, especially in urban areas where wildlife is overrun by vermin. Yes, there are plenty of examples of cats causing issues, but only in locations where they were introduced and not where they are native. Australia is a good example, as domesticated cats have b…

> Spaying/neutering is also a viable option

Spaying/neutering should be the default option, unless you have a specific wish to breed your cats, and then you should have a plan for it and do so responsibly.