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Cats and birds
By Jim Bywaters
Rappahannock New* Writer
As Christmas approaches, undoubtedly there are those of us thinking a cute little kitten would be a perfect surprise for a friend or family member. You should first be made aware of a few facts before making the final decision to buy or adopt that kitten.
If you are already a cat owner, hopefully the following information will be beneficial to you as well.
A good cat owner is a responsible cat owner and should take the necessary steps to care for and control their pet, as any pet owner should. In most cases pet owners consider their pet as part of the family and are dedicated to the care that the pet requires.
Cats, however, present many problems other pets do not and many well-intentioned cat owners are not aware of those problems.
Domestic cats are not a natural part of our ecosystem and do compete with natural predators. Cats were introduced to North America by the Europeans and brought in large numbers in the nineteenth century in an attempt to control the rodent population. As the cats accomplished that task, the following is now occurring.
Cats are estimated to kill hundreds of millions of birds nationwide each year! More than 40 million domestically owned cats are allowed to roam free outside and kill birds and other wildlife. In addition an estimated 60 to 100 million homeless cats roam our cities, suburbs, farmlands and natural areas.
Many assume that a cat can provide a benefit by killing certain animals such as field mice, but these native small mammals are important to maintaining a biological diverse ecosystem. For example, mice are an important food source for birds such as Great Homed Owls, Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels.
Owned cats have a large advantage over native predators because they are afforded protection from disease and predation. Native predators such as owls, bobcats and foxes face competition and many times starvation, these are factors that control our native predators.
Cats are also prolific breeders and female cats can have up to three litters with four to six kittens per year.
The hunting instinct of cats is independent of the urge to eat. A cat presented with a live mouse, while eating its favorite food, will stop eating, kill the mouse and then resume eating its food. Well-feid cats are no less prone to ! hunting than cats that depend on hunting for food.
In fact, many fat cats are avid hunters who can afford to patiently hunt more difficult prey, like birds. Some experts have estimated that over 4 million songbirds are " killed each day by domestic cats in the United States. This high death toll may be contributing to declines in
92.2%