Cute, Fluffy Murderers

Killer cats leave billions of avian, rodent victims, study finds

Think of the world's most prolific killers, and you might come up with a list that includes sharks, lions and even humans.

But our smaller, feline friends may be higher up on the list than previously thought, says a report in the journal Nature Communications.

Domestic cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and up to 20 billion small rodents each year, according to researchers at the Migratory Bird Center of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

The report, published Tuesday, found that cats -- particularly strays -- are "likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for U.S. birds and mammals."

Their cuteness give them the right to do whatever they want...

I like looking at funny cat pictures on the internet as much as the next guy, but I absolutely despise feral (or "outside") cats. I've always lived on the coast, and the cats here aren't afraid of people. They are well known to attack fishermen in the area and even small children, spread disease, make an annoying racket all night with their whining when one of them is in heat. They are more like beach-rats to me. I think "outside" cats should really be considered "stray/ferral" cats that "I feed".

Someone think of the birds!

According to this site,( 2006 )
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top...opulation.html
there are 76,430,000 domestic cats in the USA.

I absolutely despise feral (or "outside") cats.

They should never kill wild/feral cats, even if they catch birds and rodents. Its natural ecosystem. Let nature decide its course. In the meantime if some species gets extincted, it should be called 'survival of the fittest'. Humans have no business trying to preserve animals that they do not harm actively.

However, all domestic/stray cats should be killed off, if they harm other creatures. I don't see the point of having cats as pets.

Speaking of which, does anybody know any good recipe with cats?

Killer cats leave billions of avian, rodent victims, study finds

Think of the world's most prolific killers, and you might come up with a list that includes sharks, lions and even humans.

But our smaller, feline friends may be higher up on the list than previously thought, says a report in the journal Nature Communications.

Domestic cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and up to 20 billion small rodents each year, according to researchers at the Migratory Bird Center of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

The report, published Tuesday, found that cats -- particularly strays -- are "likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for U.S. birds and mammals."

They must be stopped!

I don't think that when people bring "pets" from other parts of the world and then release them (accidentally or not-so-accidentally) into the local habitat and let them decimate the local wildlife, that it is "just letting nature take its course."
But to lighten things up, I don't mind when the local cats keep the gopher population in check, but I do mind the little "presents" they leave in the garden soil.

We have laws here, it is illegal to allow your cat outdoors unless it's on a leash. It is very rare to see a loose cat now and usually the next day you see a missing cat poster on the grocery store bulletin board.

According to this site,( 2006 )
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top...opulation.html
there are 76,430,000 domestic cats in the USA.

So it seems unlikely that each and every cat has a bird or rodent for lunch each day.
The "cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and up to 20 billion small rodents each year" seems a tad bit on the high end of an exaggeration.
What do they base their estimate on? Potential killing capacity of a cat?