Cats and Wildlife
When cats see something flutter, they cannot help but pounce. Image by Sebastian Nebel from The New York Times.
I like cats, I really do! But every time I bring up the fact that outdoor cats can harm wildlife, it seems to stir up all sorts of emotions in cat owners that let their cats outdoors. Cats CAN harm wildlife, and we get lots of cases of wildlife that have been very critically injured by cats, dogs too, but usually cats. Imagine a healthy baby bunny, in good condition, with no broken bones, but with its skin taken off most of its body after its been “toyed with” by a cat. I’m sorry for that image! But that’s what we get and there’s nothing we can do except to humanely euthanize the animal.
FromThe New York Times 1/29/13, That Cuddly Kitten is Much Deadlier than you Think.
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Cats kill billions of wild animals every year and represent a serious ecological threat to our environments. They kill more native animals that any other human related cause, such as car collisions and pesticide consumption, and are considered greatest human-linked threat to wildlife in the US.
Cats kill enough prey to leave our native wildlife, such as fox, hawks, raccoons, skunks, opossums, etc... hungry and less able to survive. Diseases from cats have been found to put native wildlife in danger. Marine Mammals have started dying from the parasite causing toxoplasmosis that found its way into the oceans from cat poop left on land. |
On the other side-of-the-coin, there are many perils waiting for our pet cats outdoors, and many end up in hospitals every year injured and sick from being hit by cars or after catching diseases from wildlife. Recent projects like "Kitty Cams" conducted by the University of Georgia attached cameras to the collars of indoor-outdoor pet cats to track their activities, and found cats not only preying on native wildlife, they also showed cats lapping up antifreeze and sewer sludge, dodging under moving cars and sparring violently with much bigger dogs.
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Did you know?
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Felis silvestris is not native to the Americas. House cats are a human-introduced predatory species that disrupt nature's balance. From Google Images.
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- The estimated number of pet cats in urban and rural regions of the United Stated has grown from 30 million in 1970 to 60 million in 1990 and may be as high as 90 million today. These estimates are based on the U.S.
- Census data and include only those cats that people claim to “own” as pets, NOT cats that are semi-wild or free-ranging.
- In most areas, the person who provides care for a cat is legally responsible fir its welfare and control. As with other domestic animals, if ownership can be established by collars or other means of identification, a cat is considered personal property. It is usually the responsibility of the owner to control the cat’s movements.
- Outdoor cats can bring fleas, ticks, diseases and parasites into the home, exposing owners to multiple diseases.
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How do cats affect wildlife?
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A cat's sharp teeth can easily puncture the organs of a small animal. The bacteria in a cat's mouth may proove deadly even days after an animal is bitten. From Google Images.
A Note on Being a Good Neighbor:
Being a good neighbor means have the courtesy not to impose your pets on other people. Consider talking with your neighbors if you keep your cat outdoors. Many people do not like cats threatening their wildlife, their pets & children, or defecating in their gardens. Consider fencing in an area of your yard for your cat or other pets, or supervising them while they are outdoors. 
Peter Marra, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, talks about the threats free-ranging cats pose to biodiversity and public health throughout the world, and proposes possible solutions to this thorny problem.
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What perils await your pet cat outdoors?
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Image courtesy of Amusing Time.
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In Summary:
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The number of birds killed each year by human activities. From Discover, November 2014.
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What can you do?
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Don't turn your cat into a killer and disrupt nature's balance by letting it outside. From Google Images.
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- Bells are mostly ineffective in preventing predation because, even if the bell rings, it’s usually too later for the prey being stalked. You can try putting on 3 bells which has been reported to be more effective.
- Declawing may reduce hunting success, but many declawed cats are still effective predators.
- One of the best things you can do to keep wildlife safe is to keep your cat in at night. Sunset and sunrise are the times of day when cats like prowling most – and the time they catch the most wildlife. These are also the times of day that most animals are hit by cars, so keeping your pet in at these times of the day keeps them safe too!
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Did you know that even by chasing wildlife, cats and dogs can harm an animal? A stressed animal can go into shock, which may lead to death. From Goggle Images.
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- Don’t dispose of unwanted cats by releasing them in rural areas.
- Don’t feed stray cats. Feeding strays maintains high densities of cats that kill and compete with native wildlife populations.
- Spay and neuter your cats to prevent them from breeding, and encourage others to do the same.
- Keep only as many pet cats as you can feed and care for.
- On farms, keep only the minimum number of free-ranging cats needs to control rodents. Well-fed, neutered cats will stay closest to farm buildings and do most of their killing where rodent control is needed the most.
- Make a fun cat play area! I found this webpage that has great examples of cat outdoor play areas that keep wildlife safe at the same time: Indoor Play Area from Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Center
Online resources
- Outdoor Cats And Their Effects On Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Cats Indoors, American Bird Conservancy
- The Campaign for Safer Birds and Cats, American Bird Conservancy
- Keep wildlife safe from your cats, Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
- Help cats to be wildlife-friendly, BBC
- Cats and Wildlife, National Audubon Society of Portland
- Cat Bibs- The most effective way to stop cats killing birds, Cat Goods, Inc:
- That Cuddly Kitty Is Deadlier Than You Think, The New York Times, by Natalie Angier, 1/29/13
- What's Killing the Birds? Discover, November 2014
- See our information on "Cat Attacks" on What to do if you find an injured animal
Downloads
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Your Home Their Territory: Creating the Right Habitat for your Indoor Cat, by Dr. Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD from the Indoor Pet Initiative
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The Ultimate Hunter, New York State Conversationalist, by Christine Donovan, April 2012
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The Audubon Society on feral cats and birds
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The University of Georgia's "Kitty Cams" brochure:
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Enjoy and protect the nature that surrounds you!
Some more info on CatBibs
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Learn More & purchase a Cat Bib:
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