Posted on 05/27/2017 6:26:38 AM PDT by marktwain
(Washington, D.C., January 29, 2013) A new peer-reviewed study published today and authored by scientists from two of the world's leading science and wildlife organizations the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has found that bird and mammal mortality caused by outdoor cats is much higher than has been widely reported, with annual bird mortality now estimated to be 1.3 to 4.0 billion and mammal mortality likely 6.3 to 22.3 billion individuals.USATODAY source
An estimated 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the United States. This occurs when animals scavenge on carcasses shot and contaminated with lead bullet fragments, or pick up and eat spent lead-shot pellets or lost fishing weights, mistaking them for food or grit. Some animals die a painful death from lead poisoning while others suffer for years from its debilitating effects.This article claims that 1 million animals are killed every day in vehicle/animal highway collisions in the United States.
“Some feline experts now estimate 70 million feral cats live in the United States, the consequence of little effort to control the population and of the cat’s ability to reproduce quickly.”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0907_040907_feralcats.html
The cats need to check their cat privilege.
They be racist against mice, birds, rats, baby possum, and Iguana.
Always knew cats were vary efficient predators!
Squirrels, rabbits and some birds can be pretty destructive too. They can always find ways to get into your house. The rabbits eat the blooms off of my crocus’s and tulips every spring since my old barn cat died. There’s a lot more squirrels than stray cats around here. I appreciate that cats help keep their numbers down or at least keep them away.
Cats are considered the most dangerous invasive species next to humans by the Earth First types. It isn’t helped by cat owners who post on social media about how “cute” it is when their pet brings home a bird, snake or other natural predator. Cat owners also think it’s perfectly okay to let their pets wander wherever they feel like, perhaps into somebody else’s yard that has a bird feeder, and kill whatever they can. Could you imagine the uproar if people let their dogs out at night to hunt cats?
Being a "country cat" can be a short gig. Around here, there are any number of critters who will take them out: dogs (both feral and moonlighting "pets"), raccoons, eagles, etc. Kittens also run the unpleasant chance of having a tomcat kill them. Between the animal dangers and the general hazards on any farm (squished by tire, poisoned by chemicals, dismemberment via serpentine belt, fan blade or auger), they don't usually die of old age.
Mr. niteowl77
Yeah, I can. But cats can usually get away from dogs. They are faster and they can climb.
Iguana?
Really?
Seen recently: “All of Nature is a restaurant”.
That said, where are all the songbirds?
(Said by a shooter who has assiduously protected his hearing).
“However, just in case, I keep my pussy indoors.”
You better! Or Trump might grab it!
LEAD bullets/shot are most often found in necropsies of the highly-endangered (and the otherwise long-lived) California Condor.
FERAL cats account for most other bird kills.
It was also a FERAL cat that attacked my supervisor's wife, after she left food for a FERAL cat family.
Part of the circle of life, the more needed in the burbs, where even the cutest little rodents multiply quicker than the diminished stock of natural predators can’t keep up. Birds are a different situation primarily because of a loss of habitat and the use of pesticides and herbicides. For that more proactive policies are in order.
Birds aren’t easy for cats to kill. I’ve seen more birds attacking cats than the other way round.
Small rabbits and rodents are another matter. Fun and fairly easy for the cat.
Of course, around here, the bobcats go after the larger prey like large rabbits, adult squirrels, and yippy dogs. Do we include those animals in the outdoor total?
10-20 million birds are not killed by lead poisoning each year.
annual bird mortality now estimated to be 1.3 to 4.0 billion is a cannard and stupid hypothesis.
There are some 50 million feral kitty katz. Most live near three things: food, water and shelter.
They live near walmarts and fast food places, near grocery stores, apartments and placez with open garbages.
They are also being fed by well meaning people.
All of this removes pressure on the ecology and the need fkr kitties to kill for food.
I notice and prolly missed it but, the article doesn’t mention how many ground animals are killed each year by these professional assassins.
Same thing in the Plano-Richardson corridor. As the Asian restaurants have expanded, Bobs have moved into the area are are beginning to self-domesticate.
Thank those cats who keep the vermin down or you’d have mice dining on your kitchen table and leaving poo in the baby’s crib. Squirrels are nothing but mice with bushy tails that get into your attic and chew up your electrical wires and A/C.
Can’t believe those here who are so sad about the cute little birds getting eaten but no one is sad about the cows and pigs that go into store bought cat food or those steak and hot dogs their owners will be feasting on this weekend.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don’t know how she swallowed a cow;
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly
They’ve over simplified their guessing game.
50 million katz x 360 days of one kill each = 18,000,000,000.
That’s 18 billion kills.
That isn’t happening. A kat in the wild isn’t going to get a kill everyday and there is way to much free stuff laging around and being handed to them for that number to be even close
I did that in our neighborhood- caught the tom, had him fixed, and keep his shots up. His hunting seems to have kept most of the bobcats out of our immediate area.
That seems just...
A cat can hunt for sport but, needs to get a license and tags for their kills.
They should also stick the season limits...
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