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Fact:
Every year hundreds of thousands of birds are killed in the
United States by free-roaming domestic cats.
Why:
Cats are natural hunters. Even your cute house pet is innately a predator.
But while hunting is an instinctual behavior, cats are not a natural link
in local food chains. Cats were introduced to North America by humans
towards the end of the 19th century as a method of pest control. Since then
feline populations have exploded out of control. Their predatory activities
are an unnatural burden on birds. Keeping your cat well fed does not deter
it from attacking birds; hunting birds is a natural behavior unrelated to a
cat's hunger. You may not see your cat in action, but if you routinely let
it outside it is likely to be killing up to 10 birds every year. With
nearly 60 million pet cats in America today, that is a significant number
of bird kills. Combined with many other threats birds face, this adds
significantly to their struggle to survive. When you allow your cat to roam
free outside, you are risking the lives of countless birds. You are also
risking the life of your cat; those that are kept indoors live happier,
healthier, and longer lives.
What
You Can Do: A cat is only responding to a natural instinct.
Ultimately you are responsible for your cat and its behavior.
- Keep
your cat indoors, especially during the peak migratory
seasons in the fall and spring.
- Put
an alarm collar on your cat. Many collars exist which
will hamper the cats' stalk and attack. These collars
will not harm the cat, but will give an unsuspecting bird
ample warning to escape before a cat strikes. Bells alone
will not stop a cat from attacking.
- Spay
your cat. Make sure you spay or neuter your cat to help
keep the cat population in check.
- Help
stray cats. In addition to house pets, there are millions
of stray cats in the United States, all a potential threat
to native wildlife. You can take in some of these cats
or call a local animal shelter.
- Keep
birdfeeders out of reach. Make sure the birdfeeder in
your yard is not cat accessible. Keep it high and away
from windows and vegetation.
- Join
the Indoor Cat Campaign. Encourage others to keep their
cats indoors. Check out the American Bird Conservancy
"Cats Indoors" at www.ABCbirds.org/
catindoo.htm
Other
Useful Web Sites:
American Bird Conservancy
http://www.abcbirds.org
National
'Keep Your Cat Indoors' Day
May 13, 2000
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