Cats vs. Wildlife
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How
many cats are there in the United States?
The estimated numbers of pet cats
in urban and rural regions of the United States have grown from 30
million in 1970 to 60 million in 1990. These estimates include only
those cats that people claim to own as pets, not cats that are
semi-wild or free-ranging. Nationwide, approximately 30% of
households have cats. In rural areas where free-ranging cats are
usually not regarded as pets, approximately 60% of households have
cats. The combined total of pets and free-ranging cats in the U.S. is
probably more than 100 million.
What effects do domestic cats
have on wildlife?
Although rural cats take the
greatest toll, even urban house pets take live prey when allowed
outside. Small mammals make up approximately 70% of these cats’
prey while birds make up about 20%. The remaining 10% is a variety of
other animals.
Observation of free-ranging
domestic cats shows that some individuals can kill over 1000 wild
animals per year. Some of the data on kills sug
gest
that free-ranging cats living in small towns kill an average of 14
wild animals each per year. Nationwide, rural cats probably
kill over a billion small mammals 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.
Worldwide, cats may have been
involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause,
except habitat destruction. Cats are contributing to the endangerment
of populations of birds such as Least Terns, Piping Plovers and
Loggerhead Shrikes. In Florida, marsh rabbits in Key West have been
threatened by predation from domestic cats. Cats introduced by people
living on the barrier islands of Florida’s coast have depleted
several unique species of mice and woodrats to near extinction.
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The effect on native predators
Not only do cats prey on many small
mammals and birds, but they 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. Free-ranging
domestic cats may a
lso
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 panleukopenia
(feline distemper) and an immune deficiency disease. These diseases
may pose a serious threat to this rare species. Some free-ranging
domestic cats also carry several diseases that are easily transmitted
to humans, including rabies and toxoplasmosis.
Because many cats are protected and
fed by humans, their population is not checked by the natural
occurrences such as disease, predation and scarcity of wild game.
The effect on cats
The average life span of an
indoor house cat is 15 to 20 years. A free roaming domestic cat
can expect to live only 4 years. This is due to disease,
injuries and infection resulting from fights with wild animals and
other cats, gunshots and automobiles. Domestic cats are also
one of the favored foods of the Eastern Coyote and the Great Horned
Owl. Keeping a cat indoors not only protects local wildlife,
but the cat and (as you will see) the people with whom the cat comes
in contact.
Rabies is a virus that
attacks the central nervous system of warm blooded animals, including
humans. Once it reaches the final symptomatic stage, it is 100%
fatal. Cats are one of the most common carriers of rabies and many
rural cats are not vaccinated. Because of their close association
with people and other domestic animals, cats pose a greater risk of
transmitting rabies to humans and other pets than do wild rabies
vector species such as raccoons, skunk, fox, woodchucks, coyotes and bats.
How you can help
Pet cats
Keep only as many pets as you can
control and care for
Keep domestic cats indoors
Spay and neuter all cats
Vaccinate all cats regularly
Place birdfeeders away from areas
where cats can hide and stalk birds
Leash train your cat for outdoor exercise
for rodent control:
Keep only as many cats as needed to
control rodent populations
Spay and neuter all cats
Spayed female cats are more likely
to stay close to farm buildings
Vaccinate all cats regularly
Place owl boxes near barns to
attract natural predators
July 18th, 2008 at 6:46 am
I understand the damage done by cats, however, when are we going to make rules and regulations that now apply to dog owners, apply to cat owners? I have 2 dogs and live in the country, where, on an average, 3-4 kittens and sometimes their mother, get dropped at our doorstep to become our responsibility. These are innocent creatures trying to survive. When will we learn, wildlife conservation begins with HUMAN responsibility.