Cats Killing Billions: Study Finds Domestic Cats Threaten US Wildlife

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the impact of domestic cats on wildlife, particularly focusing on a study that estimates the number of birds and small rodents killed by cats in the U.S. Participants express various opinions on the implications of these findings, the nature of feral versus pet cats, and the potential solutions to the perceived problem.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants cite a study claiming domestic cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and up to 20 billion small rodents annually, suggesting this makes them a significant threat to wildlife.
  • Others express skepticism about the study's estimates, questioning the methodology and whether the numbers are exaggerated based on potential killing capacity rather than actual observed behavior.
  • Several participants share strong negative feelings towards feral cats, describing them as nuisances and harmful to local ecosystems, while others argue for the natural role of cats in the ecosystem.
  • Some participants propose extreme measures against feral and stray cats, while others advocate for their protection, emphasizing the complexity of the issue.
  • There are discussions about local laws regarding outdoor cats, with some areas enforcing leashing laws and others lacking such regulations.
  • Humor is introduced in the form of jokes about cats and their predatory nature, reflecting a mix of serious concern and light-hearted commentary.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; multiple competing views remain regarding the impact of cats on wildlife, the classification of cats, and the appropriate responses to the issue.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying assumptions about the definitions of feral and domestic cats, the ecological implications of their predation, and the effectiveness of proposed solutions. The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences and regional differences in cat management laws.

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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."
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/30/us/cats-predation-impact/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

They must be stopped!
 
Biology news on Phys.org
There's a simple cure for these cursed cats (or "Lunch" as they're known in some circles). Meet Fluffy ... o:)

http://cdn.themonolith.com/wp-content/uploads/Leviathan-Attack-Dog.jpeg
 
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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!
 
There's a fantastic (if graphic and NSFW) cartoon that's applicable. As there are already mods present, should I post a link, do it in spoilers, post "search for these terms", or just keep it to myself?
 
Lisa! said:
Their cuteness give them the right to do whatever they want...

Fluffy says "Their tastiness gives cats the right to be eaten... Yum, Yum!"
 
QuarkCharmer said:
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".
one base I was stationed at had some rather large guard dogs that were very good at their jobs. Every few months the local feral cats would get to be such a nuisance that the dogs were let out on a Cat Cull.

Someone think of the birds!
Rifles or catapults will do the job!
 
According to this site,( 2006 )
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-most-pet-cat-population.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?
 
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.
 
  • #10
256bits said:
According to this site,( 2006 )
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-most-pet-cat-population.html
there are 76,430,000 domestic cats in the USA.
That's a stat for pet cats, not all domestic cats. The article I linked says most birds and rodents are killed by feral cats, not pet cats. This article says there are 70 million feral cats, so that would be 146 million total cats in the US:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0907_040907_feralcats.html

And just to be clear:
QuarkCharmer said:
I absolutely despise feral (or "outside") cats.
An "outside" cat is a pet cat that partly lives outside, not a feral (wild) cat. I think the article confuses this by calling them both "domestic", which is just the breed but some people take to mean "pet".

For example, my parents have two pet cats that live about half inside and half outside. They eat two meals a day in the house and about one dessert a week outside.
 
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  • #11
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?
 
  • #12
Kholdstare said:
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?

Regarding "Let nature decide its course..."
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.
 
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  • #13
russ_watters said:
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 have yet to hear we have a problem with a lack of "small rodents". This is just part of the food chain. They seem to reproduce quite well, as my friend who got a pair of guinea pigs last year can tell you. I am thinking of the Star Trek show Trouble with Tribbles...
 
  • #14
Geek4Life said:
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.

Two sides of the same coin there.
 
  • #15
Evo said:
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.

Really? Do you know the reason that they passed that law, because they're cute fluffy murders or something else? Just curious :smile:
 
  • #16
They don't have such laws in my area, but my townhouse owner's association does have a leash rule due to reasons of population density and cleanliness of shared space.

I once almost accidentally killed my neighbors cat when it snuck into my garaged and got locked-in for 30 hours
 
  • #17
256bits said:
According to this site,( 2006 )
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-most-pet-cat-population.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?

lol I hear ya, I read the article out load at the office and laughed at the estimate between 1.4 & 3.7 billion. I've never even seen a variance of that amount on estimates.

I suspect dogs came up with most of the figures & calculations in the study.
 
  • #18
256bits said:
According to this site,( 2006 )
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-most-pet-cat-population.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?

My friend's cat, according to him, "wrestles water moccasins for fun." I'm guessing this one contributes about half of those birds and rodents, meaning every other cat only has to eat a bird or rodent every other day to make up for the deficit.
 
  • #19
My sister works in a zoo and once brought home one of the feeder mice for her cat. She lived in an apartment on the second floor, so the cat couldn't go outside and practice its instincts. So, she thought, by bringing the mouse the cat could rediscover its roots. She covered the floor in the hallway with newspapers, brought her cat there and released the mouse. Nothing happened, the cat was uninterested and didn't fancy to play or have a meal. Some cats are just cute and fluffy.
 
  • #20
How many dogs?
 
  • #21
Monique said:
My sister works in a zoo and once brought home one of the feeder mice for her cat. She lived in an apartment on the second floor, so the cat couldn't go outside and practice its instincts. So, she thought, by bringing the mouse the cat could rediscover its roots. She covered the floor in the hallway with newspapers, brought her cat there and released the mouse. Nothing happened, the cat was uninterested and didn't fancy to play or have a meal. Some cats are just cute and fluffy.

Its mother probably never taught it to hunt.

Sometimes the teaching process isn't a pretty sight, when mom brings home some half-dead mice for the kids to practice on.
 
  • #22
Some indoor/outdoor cats never finish their training if separated at a young age and go through life just batting mice around until they get bored or the head falls off.
 
  • #23
Monique said:
Really? Do you know the reason that they passed that law, because they're cute fluffy murders or something else? Just curious :smile:
I think people here are anti-animal. Very strict pet laws.
 
  • #24
Our cats are indoor-outdoor and they get lots of critters. Life for us is a never-ending trail of headless and gutted bodies. We used to have humming bird feeders but that just created opportunities for the cats, one of which was quite adept at catching them in mid flight!

Little Tyke is good for about ten or twenty snakes a year. Generally she just brings them into my office and let's them go.
 
  • #25
I just read in one of my weekly magazines that cats are not native to New Zealand and since they were introduced, some 30% of the bird and mammal species there have gone extinct due to feral cat (and some domestic cat) predation.

Now the native bird, the kiwi, is endangered by them and New Zealanders are not pleased.
 
  • #26
I don't even know if there are leash laws pertaining to cats in my city. But nobody seems to have cats on a leash ever, and many people have "outdoor" cats.

For the reply to my first post. I know the distinction between wild and domestic "pet" cats outdoors. The domestic cats are just as nasty though.
 
  • #27
QuarkCharmer said:
I don't even know if there are leash laws pertaining to cats in my city. But nobody seems to have cats on a leash ever, and many people have "outdoor" cats.
Fluffy says he knows just how much cats like trees and has just the leash for them. o:)

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/6087/759933-noose_lg_716525_large.jpg

For the reply to my first post. I know the distinction between wild and domestic "pet" cats outdoors. The domestic cats are just as nasty though.
Nastier. At least wild cats have the semi-excuse of needing to feed themselves, whereas the domestic variant just do it to indulge themselves.
 
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  • #28
They should never kill wild / feral cats, even if they catch birds and rodents. The natural ecosystem. Let nature take its course to decide. In the meantime if some species are extinct, called "survival of the fittest. People do not like animals they do not actively harm trying.
 
  • #29
steve Parker said:
They should never kill wild / feral cats, even if they catch birds and rodents. The natural ecosystem. Let nature take its course to decide. In the meantime if some species are extinct, called "survival of the fittest. People do not like animals they do not actively harm trying.

:confused:
 
  • #30
steve Parker said:
They should never kill wild / feral cats, even if they catch birds and rodents. The natural ecosystem.

These cats are not part of the natural ecosystem. They are pet cats that were abandoned by their owners, or descended from such cats. They're not like bobcats, cougars, etc. which are true wild cats in North America. They're more analogous to kudzu. :wink: