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Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

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Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#31

Post by hunson_abadeer »

jack_pp wrote: post #2

Are modern cats even that good at killing rats anymore? Haven't we mostly bred cats that have very rarely even seen a rat their entire life?

Yes. There's plenty of rodents in urban and suburban areas, but above all, cats have an inborn instinct to murder small critters for fun, and don't need to be taught that.

Rodents are their strong preference, but if bored, they will go after bugs, small birds, lizards... or engage in relentless "murder practice" using pieces of paper or cloth.

This is very different than with dogs, which often have to be trained for specific tasks. Source: lived with 10+ cats (not at the same time).

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#32

Post by cameronh90 »

hunson_abadeer wrote: post #31
jack_pp wrote: post #2

Are modern cats even that good at killing rats anymore? Haven't we mostly bred cats that have very rarely even seen a rat their entire life?

Yes. There's plenty of rodents in urban and suburban areas, but above all, cats have an inborn instinct to murder small critters for fun, and don't need to be taught that. Rodents are their strong preference, but if bored, they will go after bugs, small birds, lizards... or engage in relentless "murder practice" using pieces of paper or cloth. This is very different than with dogs, which often have to be trained for…

The strength of those instincts does vary from cat to cat though.

I have two cats, and one is a cold blooded killer that'll attack anything that moves, including my toes. The other will just sniff spiders and cuddles rabbits and hamsters. It did once chase a small mouse, but once it had it cornered, it didn't do anything.

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#33

Post by yomlica8 »

throwbadubadu wrote: post #30
MisterBastahrd wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of the neighbors across the street who were too lazy to get rid of an old half-barrel planter on their porch that was full of dirt and nothing else. It had hundreds of holes in the soil. Bumblebee nests. Every day, they'd take the chance of getting bopped by one of them as they entered or exited their home.

And how often did that then actually happen? Maybe they left it there intentionally?

Bumblebees always seemed pretty docile in my experience.

Come to think of it, I can't recall ever being stung by an actual bee. Asshole wasps are another story.

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#34

Post by VoodooJuJu »

thfuran wrote: post #13
VoodooJuJu wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My cat is good at killing birds, chipmunks, bunnies, and mice. I doubt she could deal with a rat - probably too big.

Where do you live that rats are bigger than rabbits?

I'm talking about bunnies, not adult rabbits, and this is Northeast U.S.

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#35

Post by kbutler »

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #27
AlexandrB wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even that is a bit simplistic since bumblebees like to nest in old rodent burrows.

Reminds me of the neighbors across the street who were too lazy to get rid of an old half-barrel planter on their porch that was full of dirt and nothing else. It had hundreds of holes in the soil. Bumblebee nests. Every day, they'd take the chance of getting bopped by one of them as they entered or exited their home.

That sounds awesome, actually. I'd love to attract bumblebees. I like to watch them, and love the sound they make, plus all the benefits of native pollinators...

Bumblebees are usually not aggressive, though they can sting multiple times (like wasps and unlike honeybees).

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#36

Post by b112 »

dillydogg wrote: post #11
jack_pp wrote: post #2

Are modern cats even that good at killing rats anymore? Haven't we mostly bred cats that have very rarely even seen a rat their entire life?

I know you specifically asked about rats but domestic cats are killing machines. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23360987/ We estimate that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually.

And thabk god they do, or we'd have our grain silos eaten bare in weeks.

No, I'm not joking.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-57698822

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#37

Post by pfdietz »

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #27
AlexandrB wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even that is a bit simplistic since bumblebees like to nest in old rodent burrows.

Reminds me of the neighbors across the street who were too lazy to get rid of an old half-barrel planter on their porch that was full of dirt and nothing else. It had hundreds of holes in the soil. Bumblebee nests. Every day, they'd take the chance of getting bopped by one of them as they entered or exited their home.

This sounds like an excellent thing to have in a garden!

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#38

Post by agloe_dreams »

dillydogg wrote: post #11
jack_pp wrote: post #2

Are modern cats even that good at killing rats anymore? Haven't we mostly bred cats that have very rarely even seen a rat their entire life?

I know you specifically asked about rats but domestic cats are killing machines. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23360987/ We estimate that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually.

This. Domestic cats are some of the most specialized killing machines in nature. Everything is raw murder machine. Massive muscle to weight ratio, optimized for extreme agility. 30mph top speed blows the doors off nearly anything it may encounter in nature. Tail allows for balance while running. Able to jump multiple times its own height. Able to fall a multiple of it's jump height. 20 built-in claws also act as tools to assist in movement and extreme climbing ability. Bite force enables additional attack vectors. Night vision. Ability to track small objects. Insane paw-eye coordination. Cats (big and small) are best predator.

All to sleep on your lap.

Edit: Also did I mention their incredible sense of smell and their built-in instinct to hide their tracks? Every. Single. Detail. Murder.

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#39

Post by JohnFen »

yomlica8 wrote: post #33
throwbadubadu wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how often did that then actually happen? Maybe they left it there intentionally?

Bumblebees always seemed pretty docile in my experience. Come to think of it, I can't recall ever being stung by an actual bee. Asshole wasps are another story.

I was stung once, as a child, when I stepped on a bee.

Even in the moment, I thought "fair enough".

Wasps are just embodied evil.

Re: Why bumblebees love cats and other beautiful relationships (2021)

#40

Post by Garrrrrr »

alexo67 wrote: post #29
adriand wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Put a bell on your cat! Outdoor cats are responsible for a huge amount of ecological devastation, the least you can do, if you insist on your predator roaming freely outdoors, is put a bell on it to try and give local species a warning.

Do not put a bell on your cat, like ever. It is harmful to your cat's health.

It could be harmful to your cat's health if they don't like the noise of the bell. Not all cats are bothered by it though
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