So cute. So shnuggly. So lethal.: Jax, the mighty hunter, eyes some tasty birdies from his window perch.
Courtesy Gene
As spring approaches (no, really, it is coming! You've got to believe!), house cats everywhere are sniffing at the fresh air coming in under the door, and are just itching to get outside. However, a politician in Boulder, Colorado is trying to pass a law that would require pet owners to keep their cats inside. It may sound funny – or like an unnecessary government intrusion into citizens’ lives—but outdoor cats are a big problem for wildlife. According to the American Bird Conservancy There are some 77 million house cats in America, and a similar number of feral cats. Each year, they kill hundreds of millions of birds, and perhaps a billion small mammals. Many of the prey species are threatened or endangered.
If you own a cat, keep it inside! Or invest in an enclosure so it can enjoy the outdoors without menacing the local wildlife.
Cats aren't killing the birds, we are. Cats can only kill birds that are frail and not going to make it to the next breeding season in a Darwinian fashion. They've been doing it for millions of years. We are killing the birds with our tall glass buildings, our electronic phone towers and our poisons to kill rats and loss of habitat. Do a bit of research and you'll discover the facts.
While the things you mention are indeed bird hazards, the fact remains that cats kill perhaps 100 million birds a year. By no means are these only the sick and frail birds.
House cats are not native to North America. Introducing this predator into our ecosystem has had a devestating effect on our native songbirds.
Gene
(proud owner of two beautiful cats who, after "the robin incident," are only allowed outdoors in an enclosure)
i have a cat and it is a house cat we dont force our cat to say in side thats what she wants to do. I dont think its right to make your cats stay in the house i mean its alot of animals that eat eachother and i dont see you trying to keep those animals pinned in the house all day so let cats be cats if they eat a bird oh well it was low enough to get caught lol......
People are responsible for their pets. If your dog digs up your neighbor's yard, or leaves "presents" on the lawn, or even bites somebody, it's your fault for not controlling them. Same with cats.
House pets are not part of the natural ecosystem. They are fed and cared for by humans. These cats are not killing birds and squirrels to survive; they are doing it out of instinct. It is up to the owners to manage the animals under their care so their pets do not damage the environment.
And what damage can cats do? Plenty! Birds and squirrels provide many important ecological services, such as spreading seeds and eating bugs. They also provide natural beauty and enjoyment.
So, if you own a pet, care for it responsibly so that we may all enjoy the great outdoors.
I don't know about squirrels...
I mean, sure, I get some enjoyment out of watching anything eat from a trash can, but I don't know I'd go so far as to ascribe "natural beauty" to them.
Come to Lansing and check out the black squirrels.
I don't know. They kind of frighten me. Seriously.
my dads dog likes to chases squirrels in our yard at my house
Who are we to boss the cats around? Go FREE cats, you are liberated from the bondage and slavery of your evil cat masters!!!!!
Any cat owner can tell you who the REAL master of the cat-human relationship is! ;-) Actually, there is a theory that humans didn't domesticate cats; rather, cats domesticated themselves. Some even go so far as to say that cats domesticated us! With dogs, horses, cattle and a host of other creatures, humans saw that the animal could do us good, and so we tamed it. In the case of cats, it appears it was the other way around -- cats saw that these human creatures were a good source of food, and they trained us to take care of them.
That's certainly the case in my house...
i think that's just weird
and cats are my favorite animal for that reason
I think this is good advice but let me tell you something...
Okay so cats are all meant to be wild any way. But people are taking them in as pets every day. God made cats wild. So it was meant for cats to kill these animals for food. My theory is that birds are becoming more and more so more are dying and thats okay.
I have a cat but the only reason i dont let him outside is because i dont want it to get lost.
Actually, the populations of many song birds are shrinking rapidly. Keeping cats indoors help protect these vulnerable species.
Science Buzz is supported by the National Science Foundation.
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