Dear Editor(s)- My Response to the Cats Killing Birds Study
Dear USA Today, Huffington Post, The New York Times, NPR, the Nightly News with Brian Williams and anyone else who has endlessly been reporting on a study released in the journal, Nature Communications, that free roaming and feral cats are responsible for killing up to 3.7 billion birds annually in the continental United States, I want to state, that yes, cats do kill birds. Humans also kill birds. And I’m not speaking just in terms of the effects of mankind – pollution, construction, pest control, toxins, and the “sport” of hunting. I am talking about our everyday life.
Yes, we humans are responsible for an astounding number of deaths that not only includes birds, i.e., chickens and turkeys, but other warm and cold blooded creatures. It is estimated that over 10 billion cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, and other animals are raised and then slaughtered for our consumption. 17 billion fish face the same death for our eating consumption and 45 million turkeys are slaughtered so that we can serve them on our tables for Thanksgiving. Are we to conclude that just because these creatures are not considered wildlife that their lives are any less valuable?
The study also concludes that cats kill over 12 billion small mammals per year — mostly mice, moles, squirrels and shrews. Again, who are we to play God, but hasn’t man been trying to eradicate the rodent population since the beginning of time? We have pest control companies, mice and rat traps, and other means to exterminate these creatures. Gloss over it any way you want, but killing is killing. And ironically, the very reason that we have such staggering numbers of feral cats living on the streets, is because of man. Domestic cats were initially brought to our country by traders, explorers and colonists during the 1600’s to kill rodent populations. Back then, we did not know of the benefits of spay/neuter, so as a consequence, we now find ourselves as a nation with over 70 million cats living on the streets and in shelters.
I’m not here to judge as I know we’ve evolved as a nation that no longer hunts for survival and it is far-fetched to think, much as I wish it could happen, that we become a full society of vegetarians. I also realize that rodents can be a menace and carry diseases, but let’s just put this article into perspective and use it for positive measures rather than overblown and manipulated statistics to be used as an excuse to trap and euthanize cats.
Cats may be killers, but they are also loving, intelligent, warm, compassionate, and fascinating creatures that have been revered since the beginning of time. Studies prove that they can lower stress levels in humans and are devoted companions. According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are approximately 86.4 million owned cats in the United States and thirty-three percent of U.S. households own at least one cat. Clearly we are a nation of cat loving people, people that I am sure don’t want to see birds killed. But can’t we find a way for the bird and cat people compromise? We are a civilized society, so surely there has to be a better way of saving birds than by trapping cats and bringing them to shelters where they will likely be euthanized as the solution to reducing free roaming and feral cat populations.
You can see from the tip on the left side of this cat’s ear, that it has been part of a successful TNR program. A clipped ear is a universal symbol that the cat has been trapped, spayed or neutered, then released back to its outdoor home.
February is National Spay/Neuter Month and here in lies the solution. There is a better way that is safe, humane, and effective. Educate communities on the benefits of a program called TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) to reduce and manage outdoor cat populations. Less cats outside, less birds killed. Simple math. Simple logic. For pet owners that have cats, keeping them indoors would be the best solution – not only is it safer for the cat, but it is the responsible thing to do. Unfortunately, not everyone will do that, but the more people we educate with the consequences of letting our cats outdoors, the more who will be inclined to try to keep them inside. Lets use the study to encourage nationwide responsibility so that people understand that there are consequences for every cat that roams the street, whether it be a pet, stray, or feral.
It’s time to stop using life as a disposable commodity in our society. Cats will kill birds, it is in their nature. But that does not mean we can’t manage that fact in a humane way to reduce the numbers. In the meantime, maybe we could take more responsibility for the equal fact that humans are also responsible for the death of birds and stop all of this over-sensationalized mudslinging with headlines that perpetuate misleading and misguided information. People kill people too… it unfortunately seems to be in our nature as well. Maybe that is the real headline to concentrate on.
VERY powerful and eloquent post Deb. I hope you are sending this to all of the news sources you mentioned in the first paragraph. The media tends to latch onto stories or snippets of stores that sensationalize and therefore mislead. Thank you for shining a light on a common sense and compassionate solution.
xo, GG
Thank you Glogirly. I have sent my response to the sources I mentioned as well as a few more… As you can well imagine, my phone has yet to ring.
So well stated! The alerts I received daily have become nothing but stories on the horrors of cats killing birds with mention of feline extermination. ABSURD & UNFAIR! Thank you for sharing the right way to handle the situation. Hugs & belly rubs!
Thank you Suzanne – the alerts really just pushed me over the edge and today I had enough and decided I needed to vent my feelings by writing…
Well stated and so true.
I also have to wonder–if we eradicated all cats from urban areas–what would happen to the vermin population? They do serve a purpose. Studies show that birds are a small fraction of the animals cats consume. Back in my naive days when I allowed my cats outside, I never saw them with a dead bird. Rodents, yes, birds, no.
At the stables that I keep my horses, the neutered/spayed barn cats have a job, too. I see them with mice, but never the barn swallows–though they do try. It gets me so nervous when the cats are dancing about in the rafters of the arena–hunting swallows.
If we can’t find them homes, TNR is the best solution to controlling the problem.
Judi, as stated, we all know that cats kill. It’s just to what extent and what can we do to manage it. I have never had a cat in my life kill a bird. A couple lizards, but even those, we try our best to save. Granted, my cats are only allowed outdoors for a limited time and are supervised, but our yard is filled with birds because I happen to feed them…
I so agree with everything you said!! It’s so ridiculous for anyone who eats birds or hunts them for “sport” (which I find so unbelievably inhumane and sad) to cry foul when cats kill birds. Do I like when I see my cat do it? Of course not. I love birds. But to oversensationalize it and call for the eradication of cats because they kill birds is really wrong.
Julia – ugg… don’t even get me started on the word “sport” – an oxymoron if I have ever heard one and it has been a sore subject with me since I was a little girl. I find the concept completely barbaric and abhorrent.
Excellent post! I so agree with everything you wrote. I’ll just add that, while my neighbors allow their pet cats to roam freely, they tend to hang out in my yard near my bird feeders. I’ve never seen them hunt, much less kill, a bird. In fact, when I do spot a predator in my yard, it’s usually a hawk – and they’ve been occasionally successful. So, when are they reporting about bird-on-bird violence? 😉
Renee – yes, it is true, birds do kill birds as well as other wildlife. We have a waterfall in our backyard and one year we were so excited to see that a family of little baby turtles had been born. They were gone the next day… hawks…
great post today Deb and writing as myself for a change…
every year.. we continue to hear the “horror stories” of the mass amounts of bird moralities being caused by ferals….yet we never hear how many birds are ALSO KILLED by, not only the things you mentioned, but by cars, habitat loss, electrocution, high rise buildings, windows, their own disease, communication towers, high tension wires, wind turbines, airplanes and their own species; the predators the hawk and the owl.
we also never hear about the amounts of birds that the ferals kill simply because the birds are lame, wounded, sick or any combination of the three, and the bird is killed because the bird remains GROUNDED and can’t fly to escape.
the USDA admitted to killing 100’s of birds in SD back in 2011 and the National Audubon Society admits half the deaths of the entire bird population of the US is from….. natural causes…..
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hope every one has a great week end….send some heat our way !!
laura
Laura – nice to hear from you today! Your points about the weak, injured, and sick birds are very valid and I appreciate you sharing them. Survival of the fittest – it has always been that way in nature. It is the human intervention that really is hard to comprehend – all this media reporting, but primarily glossing over the human element.
WOW…terrific letter..and right to the point…thank you!
Thank you so much Donna!
Well said my friend and shared.
Layla – I really appreciate the share – such an important topic…
If cats are neutered and fed regularly, they don’t seem to kill much of anything. My feral cats will sit and watch birds bathe in their water bowl and squirrels frolic on the lawn in front of them. For the cats who must hunt for food, as long as cats can’t fly, rodents and lizards are the prey of choice. It is very hard for a cat to catch a healthy bird.
The study itself relies on 75 year old data and is not good science. I get so tired of media passing along as fact things that are not. I also get very tired of anti-cat propaganda!!!!
I agree with you Rosemary… the whole thing just gets me so frustrated. I am amazed sometimes at what makes headlines each day and what doesn’t.
You are right on girl with your post. In addition to the feral cats that run loose, I would like to see house pets kept indoors unless the humans have some sort of outdoor setting where they aren’t able to catch birds. It’s much safer for them to be in the house.’s were allowed to roam free can get into trouble in so many ways – wild animals after them, killing of birds, being hit by a car, not to mention getting into poisonous materials. Why would you want to let your adorable house pet run free. Thank you so much deb for posting this.
Mariodacat – I know that some pet owners have cats that are adamant they be let outdoors, but I’m with you. Someone accidentally let one of my cats outside years ago and it was hit by a car. I was devastated and will never forget that. I insist that my cats are indoor cats for their safety and my peace of mind.
Paws up! I hate how sensationalized these figures become in the media. Sadly, humans are so polarized it makes it even harder for compromise to happen…
Thanks Sparkle – I always appreciate the support from a cat so wise and beautiful as you are.
That was great, but remember, ya can’t fix stoopid!
MOL Brian… right to the point!
Great post!
The boys have free run of our large garden but not the freedom to roam. They love nothing better than to catch the odd mouse that is silly enough to venture in under the fence. I admit that they have caught birds but it is a very rare occurrence, no more than 2 or maybe 3 a year that I know of, and believe me, I know when they have caught one by the amount of feathers in the grass.
A far more lethal killer is the Sparrow Hawk. I have bird feeders in the tree outside the window and the sparrow hawk will fly in most days. I have seen him take at least a dozen little birds, probably double that, and when you think of how many he has taken when I haven’t been watching from the window…….
I hate the way journalists latch onto a subject and sensationalise it without finding out the facts for themselves. Ferals have a hard enough time as it is.
Eric and Flynn – thank you for sharing your personal story. We can’t say that birds are not killed by cats, sometimes it does happen, but you are right about the hawks too.
Very nice. We liked this response and the one Best Friend’s gave as well- Cat people need to fight back!
Thank you Chey. I really liked the Best Friend’s post as well.
Bravo Deb!!
Well said my dear friend…well said!!
Very well said, Deb!! I could not have said it so well xx
CATachresis, I am certain you could have said it just as well – you have an incredible way with words, but thank you for the compliment!
This was my response to the media:
I’m beginning to wonder if the media is trying to get an open season on cat hunting! Where are the studies citing all these negative story lines about house cats? Not only housecats but ferals are now included as well! Why don’t they study humans; the very reason for feral cats!! Publish that study, maybe that would shed some light on people to look at their own bad behavior. When people become empathetic instead of apathetic, when they learn that we are all responsible for animal control maybe there will be a chance for the birds and cats! TNR will fix more than the cat!! I am a bird lover as well as all other animals, the ferals I feed want food, not birds. If you are a true cat owner or feeder, you know that most all cats will prefer the food; and just like people get full and lazy, so do they! The ones out catching birds and mice are hungry! What are they supposed to eat, whose feeding them?? These articles are dangerous to cats, and aren’t there enough cat haters already? If their dog were lost out in this cruel world and suffered the fate of the feral cat, there would be a rush on Congress! Animal Control picks up dogs to be adopted, and cats to be destroyed! This study is unnecessay, things are already in favor of the birds.
Toni – I am so glad you responded to the media. I have done my best to do the same. So far, no one has bothered to find my opinion of any importance whatsoever! One publication did respond, but told me that since I had named several publications, that it was not exclusive. I wrote back to say I could re-write the response for them, but they declined my offer… Go figure, what a surprise…
Oh, Debbie. You hit it on the head again! Who is it that is truly responsible for this birdicide? Once again man rears his ugly head. I feel absolutely horrible that so many birds, especially song birds, are being killed by feral cats, or even cats that owners allow to roam free unleashed. They make squirrel-proof bird feeders. I would imagine they would also work on preventing cats from reaching the food. However, education is the key. We all must educate those who own cats, and those who don’t, of what they can do to help.
Keep up the GREAT JOB!
Thank you for stopping by George, it always means the world to me when I can write something that will be compelling enough to grab your attention for such a nice comment as that. Education is the key and that is why I posted this message today on my personal facebook page. Normally I just do all my cat posting on my “Deb Barnes” page that is reserved for cat stuff, but this was too important not to share.
Purrfect.
Thank you so much for so eloquently putting into words exactly what we’re thinking, Deb. Sharing this on Facebook now.
I appreciate the share and thank you so much, meowmeowmans!