Cats have driven many species to extinction. Experts share tactics for reducing feline destruction

[marmar]

Cats have driven many species to extinction. Experts share tactics for reducing feline destruction
Outdoor and feral cats can seriously harm native ecosystems. Here's how to fix it

By MATTHEW ROZSA
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 26, 2023 5:30AM (EST)




(Salon) Cat owners and cat admirers alike tend to be intrigued by their enigmatic companions. When we see an intrepid feline carefully stalking its prey or happily playing with other cats, we ponder the mysteries of its mind and the depths of its soul. What manic misadventures do cats engage in when we're not around?

Unfortunately, the real world of cats differs significantly from the innocent, whimsical versions depicted in movies like "Cats" and "The Aristocats." In fact, when domesticated cats are allowed to roam freely, they often leave a trail of ecological destruction in their wake. Many species have gone extinct due to domesticated cats being allowed to roam outdoors, and many other animals are suffering immensely because of it.

....(snip)....

"These birds have been ravaged by outdoor cats, even more so than other introduced predators, because cats not only kill the young in the nest but also kill adults, eliminating the chance for that adult bird, which has already survived the trials of youth, to breed again in subsequent years," Sizemore explained. "Sadly, whether on islands or elsewhere, the impacts of cats adds up, and cats have now contributed to the extinction of at least 63 species of birds, mammals and reptiles worldwide." Outdoor cats have a particularly devastating impact on birds, ranking as "the top source of direct, human-caused bird mortality in the United States, killing an estimated 2.4 billion birds every year."

....(snip)....

If there is any good news here, it is that humans can solve the problem they helped create. According to Arie Trouwborst, a professor of nature conservation law at Tilburg University, "the only effective way to protect vulnerable wildlife from cats is for people to keep their cats indoors or otherwise within their control — just as we expect pet owners to do with any other animal." He cited the Australian city of Canberra as an example of a government that has done this effectively. .........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2023/11/26/cats-have-driven-many-species-to-extinction-experts-share-tactics-for-reducing-feline-destruction/

[mopinko]

1. interesting

Dr. Sarah Crowley, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter's Centre for Geography and Environmental Science, argued that there are "several techniques that could help people reduce the amount of wildlife killed by owned domestic cats. The most successful were feeding a meat-rich, complete diet and playing with cats in a way that simulates hunting behaviors (e.g. with a feather wand) for 5-10 minutes a day."

i have neighbors who have outdoor cats. we got into an argument when 1 of my chickens went walkabout, calling me irresponsible for not chasing it down and bringing it home immediately. i pointed out that she had feral cats. she took exception. swore they come in at night, that they’re pets. except i have insomnia sometimes, and i see them out all hours.
saw 1 get nailed by an actual feral.

too bad we dont speak. i cd send her a link.

[MichMan]

2. Easy solution. Expand leash laws

What's good for dogs is good for cats. Why are dog owners legally required to keep their pets being in their control, while cat owners get a free pass ?

[Autumn]

3. I live in a rural area. There are feral cats everywhere. Why? Because of these fucking ignorant assholes

and their "barn cats" and "mousers". I hate those people. They have them all the time on the community page and they are never spayed and neutered.

[intheflow]

4. My dogs will kill any cat they see.

Two bonded dogs who had to survive on their own before I adopted them. I’ve had to clean a cat carcass from my fenced backyard because someone thought their kitty deserved to be outside. I have been injured walking my dogs as they saw a cat and decided to chase it, and they’ve killed a couple cats while out walking on leash because the cat decided to jump out at them. Not to mention I live near protected space that lynx, fox, coyotes, and bear routinely use as an urban highway. FFS, People! Leave your cats indoors and walk them in a leash outside.

[viva la]

5. I used to let my cats outdoors, because that's their natural state....

Then one got killed by a coyote.
The ones since then have been perfectly happy to look out the window. They're housecats, not tigers.
We did have one who would go on a leash with the husband, just for about a minute before he'd get scared and want to come back in.

[pansypoo53219]

6. i only have feline hostages.

my grandparents little hunter only got mice/voles. never found a dead bird. at least 3 of my cats would have killed birds.

[housecat]

8. We used to let our cats outdoors during the day thinking that they would

get into more trouble outdoors at night. Bad idea. One was hit by a car, two had fatal injuries, and three we believe were poisoned. Our next cat will enjoy all nine lives indoors. If he/she needs to climb a tree, we will supervise, applaud, and compliment his/her skill in climbing up and down. Then back indoors.

Our current cat resident is an old stray we've been feeding and sheltering for more than ten years. He declines our invitations to come inside the house, but we will keep trying. Wildlife is safe with him, because he has no teeth and enjoys just watching them.

[Envirogal]

12. Six cats dead before you figured it out?

[calvito]

9. Heartbreaking cat crisis'

This article is made by people that hate cats, there is no way cats kill 2.4 billion birds per year , if that’s the case there wouldn’t be no birds in existence today .

As a cat owner and volunteer in a cat rescue I agree that the homeless cat situation is heartbreaking and in a crisis, hundreds of thousands of cats on the streets that are hungry, abused and sick with very little help from the the authorities and the big not for profit organizations that keep most of the donations to pay their members.

We need more help for trapping cats to be fixed and get medical treatment and more assistance to feed and take care of community cats, and more fines for people that abandon their pets on the streets.
Abandonment of pets is the worst form of betrayal

[marmar]

14. .....

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/faq-outdoor-cats-and-their-effects-on-birds/#:~:text=of%20bird%20deaths.-,It's%20estimated%20that%20cats%20kill%201.3%E2%80%934%20billion%20birds%20each,to%20feral%20or%20unowned%20cats.

[calvito]

18. Not so fast

https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/02/03/170851048/do-we-really-know-that-cats-kill-by-the-billions-not-so-fast

The problem is humans that abandon their cats and humans that they don’t fix their cats. The just cats want to survive like the coyetes killing cats or humans killing millions of chickens and cows

[intheflow]

19. You are engaging in science denial.

The report and subsequent NPR report are from 10 years ago. Several more recent reports confirm what the Smithsonian paper found, and continue on finding that domestic cats also have had a tremendous impact on overall biodiversity by diminishing populations of rodents and reptiles, as well. Moreover, the claim that people making these observations are anti-cat is ridiculous. Keeping your cat indoors increases their life spans by a decade or more on average. If you love your cats so much, why do you want them exposed to wildlife that could harm them, domestic dogs, cars, illnesses, or even other people deciding to take the "stray" into their home?

[MiHale]

10. Overrun with feral cats here...

Plus side first…the mouse population is down.

Then…fleas, ticks, cat poo in the garden soil, screaming at night mostly from cat/rabbit encounters, half eaten birds that need to be cleaned up.

People that take ferals in and domesticate them are another way of controlling them and need to be praised.

Our great member here, Siwsan, is a fantastic example.

[Oopsie Daisy]

11. I'll trap the feral cats in our neighborhood and turn them over to the county's animal control.

Well, I just call, and Animal Control comes out to retrieve them. Sadly, most will be destroyed, but if they're younger and have any redeeming (gentle) personality traits, they can be put up for adoption and homed.

[usaf-vet]

13. Our town has a leash law, but for some reason, the cat owners in our neighborhood don't think it applies to them.

They don't know how lucky they are that this neighbor wouldn't kill any animal if the chance presented itself.

I have live-trapped dozens of animals. Cats, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and chipmunks.

I have a small fortune in live traps. Especially skunk traps that make it safe to capture without spraying. They work, but $85.00 is the going price.

We have an animal control officer that can issue citations. But when it comes to cats, they don't always have ID collars.

One neighbor, in particular, has a troublesome cat. I have trapped it three times, and she has denied it is hers thrice.

The animal control officer has taken the cat to the animal shelter, and there is a $25.00 to claim the cat fine. But the cat would end up back in the neighborhood within days.

Our pets and entertainment are feeding and watching the birds and grey squirrels. I have taken pictures of multiple cats sitting near our bird feeders and hunting.

Fortunately, the neighbor with the troublesome cat moved. But not before I trap the cat one more time.

Maybe because I told her the next time I trapped her cat, I would transport it 20 miles away and let it loose in the wilderness, moving it down the food chain. I was lying, but for some reason, the cat never ended up in my live traps again.

Cats can be a menace if you feed the birds.

[roamer65]

15. My adopted cats are always indoor only.

There are two ferals who have adopted my home as home. Got them spayed through the local TNR, plus I feed them daily so it cuts down on their hunting. Can’t remember the last kill I saw from them. Been a long time.

[thesquanderer]

16. I, for one, welcome our new feline overlords. n/t

[vanlassie]

17. I adopted two cats in 2021. I had to sign a contract with the

non profit Cat House On the Kings that I would never allow them out and that I would return them if I ever couldn’t care for them.