Connecticut Audubon Society

Slowing Down A CAT-astrophe: Keeping Pet Cats Indoors
By Cathy O'Donnell, Director, Communications

A predatory relationship between cats and birds has existed for a very, very long time. In the 1960s, Warner Brother Studios animated their rivalry through the cartoon antics of Tweetie Bird and Sylvester making light of this adversarial relationship. However, in real life, the relationship between free-roaming outdoor cats and birds is no laughing matter.

Concern is increasing among scientists and conservationists around the country and around the world about the adverse impact of free-roaming cats on bird and other wildlife populations. According to researchers from University of Wisconsin, Dr. John Coleman and Dr. Stanley Temple who conducted a four-year field research study on rural cats in that state, they are killing an estimated 39 million birds each year in Wisconsin alone. Multiply that number by 49 other states in the nation and you have the staggering numbers (in the billions!) of birds killed in the U.S. each year by cats.

Staggering Statistics
According to a survey done by the Pet Food Institute, there are at least 66 million pet cats in the U.S. of which only 35% are kept indoors. That leaves more than 40 million pet cats free to roam to kill birds and other wildlife. In addition, there are millions of stray cats (abandoned or lost) and feral cats (descendents of strays who shun all human contact) that roam freely in cities, suburbs and rural communities around the country. Estimates put these cat populations at about 40 to 60 million. Cat predation studies over the past 50 years reveal that while 60-70% of cats' prey are small mammals, 20-30% are birds and up to 10% are other animals such as reptiles, amphibians and insects that are vital to ecosystems. According to Bird Conservation, a publication of the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), there are documented cat kills of endangered species such as the western snowy plover, piping plover, California gnatcatcher and light-footed clapper rail. Even the loss of one endangered animal becomes significant.

Domestic Cats Versus Wild Cats
Domestic cats are not a natural part of ecosystems even though their instinctive predatory nature may make them appear that they are. Descendants of the wild cat of Africa and southwestern Asia, cats were domesticated in Egypt approximately 4,000 years ago. Domestic cats were introduced in Europe about 2,000 years ago and in North American by European immigrants only three hundred years ago.

In contrast to native wild cats like the bobcat and mountain lion, domestic cats are not adaptive to life in the wild. Unlike their wild descendents, domestic cat populations are centered around human settlements living off the direct or indirect support of people. Dissimilar from native predators, cats do not strictly protect or defend their territories. Therefore, cats live in much higher densities and are more prolific breeders having up to three litters per year, with an average of four to six kittens per litter. These are some of the many important distinctions between domestic cats and native wild cats.

Outdoor Cats At Risk
The predatory nature of cats not only put other animals in peril but it is well documented about the misery these animals suffer and endure themselves. According to the U.S. Humane Society, outdoor cats are more susceptible to injury as well as disease (rabies) and parasites (ticks, worms) that can be life threatening to themselves and passed along to humans. Outdoor cats also have a significantly lower life expectancy than indoor cats.

International Concern
Today, the issue of cat predation on birding communities is getting international attention. For example, on islands off the coast of New Zealand, it has been documented that 40 species of birds have all but disappeared. Cats are directly related to their elimination. Newspaper articles report that Australia has legislation pending to address the "epidemic" of free roaming cats and their adverse impact on native wildlife. Cats are silent and agile predators of birds and often disrupt their nesting success on both the ground and in trees.

Closer to home, at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center in Milford, in the summer volunteer sanctuary rangers and interns from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regularly patrol the beach dune areas where endangered piping plovers return to nest. Although the nesting area is secured with light fencing to minimize human disturbance to the site, very little can be done to keep roaming cats away from the nesting birds.

Keeping Cats Indoors - The Best Solution
Some cat owners sympathetic to the plight of wildlife have put collars with bells on their outdoor cats. Unfortunately, birds and wild animals do not associate the ringing of a bell with danger. Cats have been observed silently stalking prey even with bell collars. Some owners contend that 'my cat is well fed at home and doesn't kill animals outdoors.' Research has shown that a cat's instinct to hunt and the urge to eat are controlled by separate parts of the brain. Cats have been observed hunting prey even though dishes filled with food are only a few feet away. Due to the high level of bacteria in their teeth and claws, few animals survive a cat attack and most die of subsequent infections. In 1997, the American Bird Conservancy in cooperation with state Humane Societies, began a national campaign to encourage cat owners to spay or neuter their cats and to keep them indoors because it not only benefits birds, but cats and people too. In some states, free-roaming cats are becoming such a concern that legislation has been introduced to encourage cat licensing and regulations for leashing.

Connecticut cat owners are encouraged to keep their cats indoors for the safety of other wildlife and their pet. "Free roaming cats endanger many species of wildlife," says Milan Bull, Director of the CAS Center at Fairfield. " The 'mouse' your cat deposits at the back door may well be a least shrew, star-nosed mole or some other rare and important species to help maintain the balance of our ecosystem. Outdoor cats also endanger themselves as they are susceptible to rabies, coyotes and cars." Mice and shrews are an important food source for native species like great horned owls, red-tailed hawk and American kestrel.

The loss and fragmentation of wildlife habitat resulting from development, road construction intensive agricultural and other land use is still the overwhelming cause of declining bird populations. However, outdoor domestic cats that are numerous, efficient and nonnative predators have significantly contributed to the decline.

Cat owners who want to protect bird life are encouraged to do the following:

Spay or neuter cats between 8 weeks to 4 months of age.
Keep your cat indoors or in a safe outdoor enclosure and encourage cat-owning neighbors to do the same.
Never abandon cats outside - it's unfair to the cat and other wildlife.
Support cat licensing laws and leash laws
support humane removal of stray cats from neighborhoods and wildlife areas.

For more information on keeping cats indoors and about the ABC Campaign, please contact the American Bird Conservancy, (202)778-9666 or abc@abcbirds.org.

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