Birds vs. cats?

Question

So I started to get really offended by the bird lovers who assume their songbirds are being killed by cats.

After some minor research, I found that a decline in bird populaion is caused by humans. In the form of pesiticides, loss of habitat, and pollution.

So why do you bird lovers assume its the wild,stray, or outdoor cats?

I realize not all of you do, but those that do, answers please!

Answer 1

You are correct about one thing.  Humans are the cause of all of the real problems.  

1. Loss of habitat

2. Death caused by impact, including window strikes, vehicles, aircraft, power lines, radio towers and wind turbines.

3. Pollution, pesticides and other poisons in the environment.

4. The introduction of feral organisms, including cats.

5.  Poaching and other direct human interference, ie; nest tampering/destruction.

Most will agree that loss of habitat, impacts, pollution, poisoning, and poaching are major contributing factors.  At the same time, many pet owners, including you,  fail to realize that cats are one of those problems.  Humans have brought cats into an environment where they do not belong, and hold no niche.  They are considered to be a feral organism, destructive to native ecologies.

Every year in the US, domestic and feral cats attack and kill hundreds of millions of songbirds, and other native wild animals.  It's a huge problem, and it's growing exponentially as the human population increases.

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/ht...

http://www.hsus3.org/wildlife/urban_wild...

Ihttp://johnsoncountyhumane.org/wildlife....

http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.ph...

http://www.fao.org/avianflu/en/wildlife/...

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/news/infl...

http://www.hsus.org/hsi/disaster_service...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...

http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/poli...

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wild...

http://www.shop-nc.com/birding/catsandbi...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A634655

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fwt/back_issu...

http://wildlife.wisc.edu/extension/catfl...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story...

http://www.catgoods.com/

If you search Answers, you will see that cats do lots of damage, and you will also see that many cat owners think that this behavior is natural, normal, and unavoidable.  Even worse, many believe it's a good thing.

Over the past year, I have answered hundreds (of the thousands) of questions from Yahoo! members asking for advise relating to wild birds and domestic cats.

These questions only represent a fraction of the times that this question is asked, and Yahoo! members only represent a tiny fraction of the population.  

Here are a few that I pulled from a search with over 5,000 results on "cats and birds":

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Answer 2

Cats are really birds eating animals. They even want younger birds that could not fight back to attack them.

Answer 3

You are fooling yourself if you believe it is hard for cats to catch birds.  There has been extensive scietific study on this topic and cats do kill LOTS (4.4 million a year in the US alone) of birds.  Yes, habitat destruction, pesicide use, fragmentation, and non-native plants all contribute as well to declining and endangered bird species..but cats ALSO contribute as well.  Read more here:

http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/poli...

http://www.wildlifecareofventura.org/Ani...

http://www.issg.org/database/species/imp...

Also, for your information many people that love birds also love cats..as I do..so don't generalize.  Cats are also no longer wild animals..they are domesticated and no longer have a niche in the ecosystem so should not be let outdoors to have a negative affect on the environment.  I think decades of research by scientists proves more than you minor research.

Answer 4

You have a point.  I don't blame cats for the song bird population decline...I never really thought about it to tell you truth.  And to support your argument, my Aunt has a farm with many outdoor cats...they bring in mice, chipmunks, occasionally snakes or baby squirrels.  Birds are pretty rare.  Not to say they wouldn't rise to the occasion should they find one injured, but they mostly bring in animals that can be found on the ground and need to use the ground for their escape.  

My city is also building 2 new sub-divisions...I'm sure the development of them is much more harmful to the birds (not to mention rabbits, snakes, raccoons, skunks, fox AND feral cats) than cats alone.  

I think cats should be indoor, not because of what they might harm...but because of what might harm them.  A loved pet can be mistaken for a feral cat and poisoned by an irate neighbor, attacked by other animals, hit by cars, caught by the pound, etc...  A few years ago during winter by husband started our car and there was a cat sleeping under the hood.  It belonged to a neighbor a few doors down, poor thing took off  but left a large chunk of skin behind.  Sadly, she didn't make it.  

I just don't understand why people allow their pets to roam free when so many people have proven that cats CAN live a happy and fulfilled life indoors.