Cat Predation on Birds
Cats are natural predators, but no one really likes it when their cat catches birds.
Even well-fed cats will hunt and the housecat has the advantage of having a safe haven indoors much of the time.
About 40% of US households have cats and an estimated 65% of those cats go outdoors.
Some studies suggest 20% of the prey killed by housecats are birds. One study put the number of birds killed per cat as about 16 per year. These numbers really add up.
The estimated number of birds killed by domestic cats in the United States is in the many millions. Does the exact number really matter? It's too large a number, whatever it is.
It’s a serious problem that has the attention of bird conservationists and veterinarians as well as bird-loving cat owners.
You may like Natalie Angier’s Sept. 29 NY Times article: Give the Birds a Break, Lock up You Cat. She outlines the problem of bird-hunting cats very well.
Please try to reduce your cat’s bird-hunting success.