A recent study by the Smithsonian Institution and the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic cats kill about 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion small mammals each year in the lower forty-eight states. This is far higher—and probably more accurate–than previous figures, and likely exceeds all other sources of human-related losses of these animals. That makes it a major bird conservation concern.
These deaths occur because our nation has a whole lot of cats–about 85 million owned and perhaps 55 million non-owned, or feral, cats. Assuming that California has cats in proportion to its share of the nation’s population, it supports about 20 million, who kill about 300 million birds each year. A similar extrapolation puts the loss at 1.5 million each year in Yolo County. These numbers contradict a common attitude that bird losses to cats are negligible compared to other threats, so there is no need to worry about them.
The study pointed to some ways to reduce bird predation by cats. It found that cats kill birds in proportion to how much time they spend outdoors; so keeping your cat inside helps a lot. On the other hand, feeding cats has no effect on their predation rate; so setting out food for feral cats is no help. Seventy percent of the killing is by the roughly forty percent of cats that are feral; so taking unwanted cats to the County animal shelter in Woodland is much better than abandoning them on the roadside.
The study concluded that programs to trap, neuter, and return feral cats to the wild fail to help reduce their numbers. This is largely because far too small a fraction of the feral population gets treated. Some animal welfare organizations see it differently. For example, the website of the Yolo County SPCA includes a solicitation for donations to its trap-neuter-return program, arguing that it is more humane than euthanizing unwanted cats.
Given the importance of this topic for bird life, Yolo Audubon intends to explore it further in the coming months. In the meantime, visit the website of the American Bird Conservancy for more information, and to read the study cited in this article.
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Cats have been directly responsible for the global extinction of sixty-three bird, mammal, and reptile species. Domestic cats are among the worst non-native invasive species in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Unowned cats, whether strays or feral cats, are the worst offenders when it comes to killing birds. The number of stray and feral cats that prowl the United S. According to a 2012 study, there are between 30 and 80 million; the Humane Society places the number closer to 30 to 40 million.
Since they are essentially wild animals, feral cats rarely interact with people. Many stray cats are subsidized with food by humans. Their populations can increase to heights that they otherwise would not be able to. Feline and stray cats coexist in harmony with local fauna and enjoy a protected lifestyle due to the eradication of most larger predators. These cats, whether feral or stray, kill three times as many animals as cats that are owned.
Homeowners would be upset if a dog wandered the neighborhood like cats do. Owners can keep cats indoors where they are safe. My son owns three big, content, healthy cats that don’t go outside. Cats can climb indoors with the help of shelves, climbing trees, and cat condos that people can construct or purchase. They can provide plenty of toys and distractions.
There are ways to allow them a controlled outdoor experience. To gain access to a screened-in porch or a kennel with a net covering, install a cat door set in a wall or window. Plans for a fenced backyard that cats cannot get out of are available online. People can take a cat for walks on a leash.
Especially, people should not feed stray cats. At least, capture them and neuter them. Discourage or remove feral cats.
Photo and info source: https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/how-many-birds-do-cats-kill/
There are a lot of cats in our country—roughly 85 million owned and possibly 55 million feral, or unowned—which is why these deaths happen. If California’s cat population is representative of the country as a whole, it would support roughly 20 million cats, who kill roughly 300 million birds annually. A similar extrapolation puts the loss at 1. 5 million each year in Yolo County. These figures defy the widespread belief that there is no need to worry about birds because the losses incurred by cats are insignificant in comparison to other threats.
Programs to capture, neuter, and release feral cats back into the wild are ineffective in lowering their population, the study found. This is primarily due to the fact that far too little of the feral population receives medical care. Some animal welfare organizations see it differently. For instance, the Yolo County SPCA’s website asks for donations to support its trap-neuter-return program, claiming that it is a more humane option than putting unwanted cats to death.
A recent study by the Smithsonian Institution and the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic cats kill about 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion small mammals each year in the lower forty-eight states. This is far higher—and probably more accurate–than previous figures, and likely exceeds all other sources of human-related losses of these animals. That makes it a major bird conservation concern.
The study suggested some strategies to lessen cats’ predation of birds. Keeping your cat indoors greatly reduces the amount of time it spends killing birds, according to research. However, feeding cats does not change the rate at which they prey, so providing food for feral cats is ineffective. It is far better to take unwanted cats to the County animal shelter in Woodland than to leave them by the side of the road, as the roughly 40% of cats that are feral are responsible for 70% of the killing.
Given the importance of this topic for bird life, Yolo Audubon intends to explore it further in the coming months. In the meantime, visit the website of the American Bird Conservancy for more information, and to read the study cited in this article.
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Domestic cats kill 2. 4 billion songbirds each year in the United States. Approximately 86 million cats, or one cat in every three homes, are owned by Americans. According to surveys, the majority of cats—roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of them—are tame housecats who rarely or never venture outside. The other 25% of cats that are permitted to roam the neighborhood outside are the ones causing issues.
There are an estimated 600 million domestic cats in the world, distributed throughout the seven continents. It is believed that they are a non-native species wherever they may reside. With a population that has tripled in the last 40 years, the United States is home to between 148 and 188 million cats—more than any other nation. We account for between 25% and 33% of all cats worldwide.
Outdoor cats hunt by instinct even if they are well-fed. All cats are a danger to native animals. Most of the time, cat owners are unaware of or do not see their cats killing. Outdoor cats frequently cross boundaries between properties, bothering neighbors and endangering birds in other people’s yards. More often than not, stray cats cause trouble for a neighborhood than do stray or roaming dogs.
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