Feral cats negatively affect wildlife

Today, birds and other wildlife face more obstacles than ever before. Habitats are destroyed and degraded every day and as a result many species are declining. The presence of an unnatural predator, the feral housecat, is having an impact as well.

“Feral cats are non-domesticated cats living on the streets and in the wild,” said wildlife biologist Justin Monk. “They have never been in captivity and are truly wild animals. Feral cats are seen in and around dumpsters, parking lots of restaurants, and alongside roadways. They negatively affect a number of wildlife species as well as public health because of the diseases they carry and spread. Throughout the United States, the feral and abandoned cat population is estimated at between 60 and 100 million.”

A descendant of the wild cat of Africa and Asia, the “domestic” cat instinctively hunts and captures prey. Wildlife in the Western Hemisphere did not evolve in the presence of such a small, abundant predator and, thus, developed no defenses against it. Cats were introduced into North America only a few hundred years ago.

Though cats instinctively hunt wildlife, they are not adapted to life in the wild as are our native wild felines. Outdoor housecat populations are most commonly found in and around human settlements and most do not survive without the direct or indirect support of humans.

“Feeding stray cats is strongly discouraged,” Monk said. “Because cats congregate when fed, this increases the chance of both fatal and non-fatal diseases being transmitted to humans and other animals. Some believe feeding will keep cats from harming and killing other wildlife species, but this isn’t true. Cats are hunters by nature and will hunt and kill whether they are fed or not. Studies have shown that 62 to 80 percent of feral cats carry the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, which is a condition of special concern to pregnant women. Other diseases spread by stray cats are rabies, ringworm, cat scratch fever, allergies, feline leukemia, feline distemper and secondary bacterial infections.”

Feral cats can have a widespread, devastating, and sustained effect on wildlife populations. Feral cats kill hundreds of millions of native North American birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish each year. In areas where feral cat populations are high, birds are less likely to nest, and ground-foraging birds such as quail and brown thrashers may be entirely absent. Wild animals that aren’t killed by feral cats are sometimes maimed, mauled or dismembered. The carnage inflicted by feral cats exceeds the combination of all other known direct sources of bird and small mammal mortality combined.

Three common myths often temper our attitude toward stray cats and lead us to believe they are not as harmfully destructive as they truly are. (1) Cats wearing bells cannot stalk and kill wildlife. (2) Well-fed cats have no desire to hunt. (3) Most birds and other animals caught by cats escape unharmed.

None of these are true. “Belled” cats soon learn to stalk prey silently and, even if they don’t, wildlife does not necessarily associate a ringing bell with danger. Feeding a cat does not discourage predation. The urges to hunt and eat are controlled by different portions of the cat’s brain. Few birds or other small wildlife species survive a cat attack, even if they escape. Infection from the cat’s teeth or claws or the stress of capture usually results in death.

“Habitat fragmentation makes it extremely easy for feral cats to prey on different animal species,” Monk continued. “Fragmented areas of trees or bushes give preyed-upon animals just enough comfort to get them killed. Hanging a bird feeder may seem to help by providing extra food for wildlife, but it can be a magnet for attracting feral cats and create a death zone for birds as well as small mammals. Although most would think a fully adult rabbit would be safe from the jaws of a feral cat, they are on the menu as well.”

The feral cat issue is extremely controversial. When people see a cat, they automatically think of their childhood pet. In contrast, feral cats are destructive, nuisance animals. Pet owners should responsibly take every possible precaution to prevent their cats from ever venturing outdoors. Contrary to popular belief, cats raised indoors are happy and content with a life of total inside confinement and have no “need” to roam at any stage of their lives.

“To protect native wildlife, feral cat populations should be controlled and/or eliminated,” Monk concluded. “Whether you’re feeding a stray cat, dropping a cat off on the side of the road when you get tired of taking care of it, or failing to have your cats spayed or neutered, you can very quickly become part of the problem. The cats aren’t to blame. It’s up to people to do the responsible thing.”