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The Case of “Cats vs. Birds”
An excerpt from Alley Cat Allies
Many studies have shown that cats do not have a detrimental impact on wildlife
on continents. However, many people still feel that cats are to blame for the
depletion of songbirds and other animals. Two studies most often quoted to
support placing blame on feral cats are the Stanley Temple study and the
Churcher/Lawton study. Some individuals and groups use these studies in
misguided efforts to discredit the work to humanely control feral cats. However,
over sixty studies on feral cats have been written from different continents
throughout the world—all showing 3 very important points:
1. Cats are opportunistic feeders, eating what is most easily available. Feral
cats are scavengers, and many rely on garbage and handouts from people;
2. Cats are rodent specialists. Birds make up a small percentage of their diet
when they rely solely on hunting for food
3. And, cats may prey on a population without destroying it. If this were not so,
we would no longer have any mice around.
Even though some cats can become efficient hunters and do kill birds, many
international biologists agree that only on small islands do cats pose a severe
threat to the wildlife populations. They agree with biologist C.J. Mead that “any
bird populations on the continents that could not withstand these levels of
predation from cats and other predators would have disappeared long ago.”
The following is an excerpt from a speech by biologist Dr. Robert Berg.
“Habitat destruction: As man’s development of the planet continues, available
habitat for animals and plants is being carved up into smaller pieces. The
fragmentation of ecosystems separates populations genetically from each other,
and if a particular habitat is not large enough, remnant populations contained
within them are doomed due to genetic inbreeding. If there are not enough
large areas, chance occurrences such as an extremely harsh winter, floods,
localized disease, etc., can drive remaining populations to the brink of extinction.
While many concentrate their efforts on blaming cats, the real culprit, mankind,
goes free; continuing the destruction of habitat, hunting, killing, and using
pesticides that endanger entire populations of wildlife, including millions of birds.
An excerpt from Alley Cat Allies
Many studies have shown that cats do not have a detrimental impact on wildlife
on continents. However, many people still feel that cats are to blame for the
depletion of songbirds and other animals. Two studies most often quoted to
support placing blame on feral cats are the Stanley Temple study and the
Churcher/Lawton study. Some individuals and groups use these studies in
misguided efforts to discredit the work to humanely control feral cats. However,
over sixty studies on feral cats have been written from different continents
throughout the world—all showing 3 very important points:
1. Cats are opportunistic feeders, eating what is most easily available. Feral
cats are scavengers, and many rely on garbage and handouts from people;
2. Cats are rodent specialists. Birds make up a small percentage of their diet
when they rely solely on hunting for food
3. And, cats may prey on a population without destroying it. If this were not so,
we would no longer have any mice around.
Even though some cats can become efficient hunters and do kill birds, many
international biologists agree that only on small islands do cats pose a severe
threat to the wildlife populations. They agree with biologist C.J. Mead that “any
bird populations on the continents that could not withstand these levels of
predation from cats and other predators would have disappeared long ago.”
The following is an excerpt from a speech by biologist Dr. Robert Berg.
“Habitat destruction: As man’s development of the planet continues, available
habitat for animals and plants is being carved up into smaller pieces. The
fragmentation of ecosystems separates populations genetically from each other,
and if a particular habitat is not large enough, remnant populations contained
within them are doomed due to genetic inbreeding. If there are not enough
large areas, chance occurrences such as an extremely harsh winter, floods,
localized disease, etc., can drive remaining populations to the brink of extinction.
While many concentrate their efforts on blaming cats, the real culprit, mankind,
goes free; continuing the destruction of habitat, hunting, killing, and using
pesticides that endanger entire populations of wildlife, including millions of birds.
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