Cats & Wildlife
I like cats, I really do! But everytime 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. 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. Here are a few facts and suggestions taken directly from the Cornell University vets, if you want to know more about cats and wildlife:
Did you know?
* Cats are NOT native to North America; they are an “introduced” predatory species.
* Domestic cats originated from an ancestral wild species, Felis silvestris, the European and African Wild Cat (see picture on right). The domestic cat is now considered a separate species, names Felis cattus.
* Cats were first domesticated in Egypt around 2000BC
* 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. 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.
How do cats affect wildlife?
* Although rural free-ranging cats have greater access to wild animals and undoubtedly take the greatest toll, even urban house pets take live prey when allowed outside.
* Observations of free-ranging domestic cats show that some individuals can kill over 1000 wild animals per year, many of these are rare and endangered songbirds and mammals.
* Nationwide, rural cats probably kill over a billion small mammals a year and hundreds of millions of birds each year. Urban and suburban cats add to this toll. Some of these kills are house mice, rats and other species considered pests, but many are native songbirds and mammals whose populations are already stressed by other factors, such as habitat destruction and pesticide pollution. And most cats do NOT bring home a lot of their dead prey, which means that they may be killing more wild animals than an owner may realize.
* A well fed house cat will STILL hunt if let outdoors. Not all house cats eat the prey that they take. And most cats do NOT bring home a lot of their dead prey, which means that they may be killing more wild animals than an owner may realize.
* Not only do cat prey on many small mammals and birds, but cats can outnumber and compete with native predators. Domestic cats eat many of the same animals that native predators do. When present in large numbers, cats can reduce the availability of prey for native predators, such as hawks, owls, falcons, foxes, coyotes, mink and weasels.
* Free ranging domestic cats may also transmit new diseases to wild animals. Domestic cats have spread feline leukemia virus to mountain lions and may have recently infected the endangered Florida Panther with feline panleukepenia (feline distemper) and an immune deficiency disease, These diseases may pose a serious threat to this rare species.
What other perils await your pet cat outdoors?
* Cats can be hit by vehicles - thousands of cats are killed by vehicles each year.
* Cats can be attacked or chased by dogs, predators such as coyotes or raccoons, and even other cats. This can result in bad injuries, such as torn ears, scratched eyes, abscesses, internal injuries, diseases, and sometimes, death.
* Outdoor cats are more likely to contract numerous diseases such as feline leukemia or immunodeficiency viruses, they can also become infected with fleas, ticks and other parasites.
* They can be poisoned by pesticides, antifreeze, or by eating rats or mice that have died from rat poison. Cats can also get sick from eating garbage or other contaminated morsels.
* Cats can wander off, or be chased, and become lost (NB: there are now many kinds of safety collars on the market which will release if they get caught on something- you can put contact information & a few bells!)
* Many cats are injured when, seeking warmth, they crawl under car hoods and are killed or maimed when the car is restarted.
And a quick 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.
In summary
Free-ranging cats are abundant and widespread predators. They often exist at much higher densities than native predators. They prey on large numbers of wild animals, some of which are rare or endangered. They compete with native predators, and they harbor a variety of diseases. Keeping a cat fed does NOT reduce their desire to hunt. Yet, cats are popular pets. In order to have and care for out pets—and still protect our native wildlife—we must make an effort to limit in a humane manner the adverse effects that free-ranging cats can have on wildlife.
There are also more perils outdoors than many pet owners realize, so consider all of the above information when making decisions about your pet cat.
Here are some good webpage I found about cats & wildlife:
http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/
http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/100427.html
http://www.gibsonswildliferehabcentre.org/catswild.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/doonething/quick/cats.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/theoneshow/article/2007/09/sb_cats.shtml
http://www.audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/brochures/cats/catsindoors/catspressrelease/?searchterm=cats
http://www.audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/brochures/cats/?searchterm=cats
See also "Cat Attacks" on What to do if you find an injured animal
And here's a great article from The Audubon Society on feral cats and birds:
| audubon-_cats_v_birds.doc |
What can you do?
* If at all possible, for the sake of your cat and local wildlife, keep you cat indoors. Confinement will eliminate unwanted reproduction, predation on wild animals, the spread of disease, or getting injured. The two most common cases of death for rural cats in south central Wisconsin are disease and being struck by automobiles. If cats must be allowed outdoors, consider using a fenced enclosure of runway.
* 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!
* Locate bird feeders in sites that do not provide cover for cats to wait in ambush for birds. Cats are a significant source of mortality among birds that come to feeders. To prevent cats from climbing to bird nests, put animal guards around any trees in your yard that may have nesting birds.
* 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.
* Neuter your cats or prevent them from breeding, and encourage others to do so.
* 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 females 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:
www.gibsonswildliferehabcentre.org/catswild.html
