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This month, a reader makes a case for keeping your cats inside, arguing it's not just for the birds -- it's better for other animals and people too.
Feathered Friends and Felines Part 2
Having read H. Watt's letter and your reply in the Nature Nation eNewsletter, I thought it would be helpful to add some perspective to the birds-versus-cats condundrum, though far more than just birds are affected. In doing a brief report for the local City Council, "Free-ranging house cats and the effects on wildlife," I'd gathered some amazing statistics, including how people can calculate the estimated mortality for their own community.
You mentioned "the spread of disease." What most cat owners don't realize is that humans - especially children - are heavily afflicted. In the U.S, over 20,000 people annually are hospitalized with "cat-scratch fever". Outdoor cats transmit parasites like tapeworms, fleas and, most seriously, toxoplasmosis (pregnant women should never touch cats that have been outdoors).Young children can contract encephalitis. Plus, rabies is more prevalent in cats than any other domestic animal.
Scientific studies indicate that Canada's 5 to 6 million house cats kill 170 million - 300 million animals annually (*) - and that doesn't include feral cats. How can you figure out what's happening in your town or city? The national average for number of house cats is 8 to 10 for every 50 people. The average cat kills 34 to 50 animals per year, broken down as:
65-70% small mammals (mice, voles, bats, rabbits, etc)
25% birds (mostly songbirds, including a tremendous number of fledglings and the feeding parents)
5-10% other (snakes, frogs, butterflies, other large insects, etc)
To put to rest two other common myths (you already mentioned the ineffectiveness of declawing and bells (cats can quickly learn to stalk without ringing the bell!):
1. there is no significant difference in kills by well-fed, as opposed to hungry, cats. One reason cats are so devastating to wildlife is that they do not hunt to satisfy hunger; thus, since they live in an particular area, they patrol and hunt without let up, unlike natural predators.
2. Birds that escape cats generally do not survive; birds are very vulnerable to punctures and infections.
Finally, you mentioned: "If you must allow your cat to roam free . . .." Knowing the harmful effects on children's health, adults' health, wildlife and the cat itself, there is no such thing as "must".
(*): a) Studies are averages based on total number of cats (indoor and outdoor) and are minimums based mostly on known kills (eg feces, stomach contents, animals brought home; note: cats bring home only a fraction of animals actually killed). b) The lowest possible figure shown in a study was 3 birds per cat per year. c) Figures do not include nestlings that perish because of loss of a parent or parents.
Dennis Baresco
Medicine Hat AB
Questions? Comments? Send your letters to Nature Canada at info@naturecanada.ca.
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