There's peer-reviewed science and there's research based on models with very questionable estimates and methods.
"A study published in April estimated that UK cats kill 160 to 270 million animals annually, a quarter of them birds."
"On average, a British pet cat brings home around five items of prey a year. Researchers estimate this is about 23% of their actual kills, which makes it about 22 kills a year." Obviously a guessing game.
With science done this way, you could adjust the entry guesses estimates and the definition of "items of prey" (what a lovely phrase) and get whatever result you want - cats being extremely dangerous or completely harmless.
I guess I am going to worry about my cat, not other cats or pro-cats or anti-cats organizations. She hasn't killed a single bird yet, so far it's been just a lot of insects, an occasional caterpillar, and a couple of voles. I liked the tips at the end of the article.
Scince is the process of finding out. Cats and dogs have been so taboo in the UK that there has been not enough research in the UK as to the exact kill stats.
"A 2013 study
estimated free-ranging domestic cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion
birds – on top of between 6.2 and 22.3 billion mammals – every year in
the United States alone, the majority by feral or unowned cats. Figures
released by the Mammal Society show the UK's estimates for domestic cat
kills to be more sober, but still shocking: around 100 million prey items between Spring and Summer, of which 27 million were birds – and not counting the creatures the cats didn't bring home."
How do you know your cat has never killed a bird, @edhelka?
I work from home, she can't go out on her own, I have to let her in and out. She's rarely out for longer than hour and I interact with her a lot, most of the time I know where she is and what she's doing. Not 100% of the time of course. But she's out mostly during the day, 95% of the time in our garden, she's white (easily visible) and not really a good hunter. I can't be 100% sure but the chance that she killed a bird and I didn't notice is very small. It will probably happen in the future eventually though.
BTW it reminds me that the free roaming vs killing birds debates are actually separate. Imagine free roaming ban coming tomorrow and me cat-proofing the garden. She could still hunt there. Actually, if she ever gets a bird, it will be almost certainly in our garden because it is the most bird-friendly garden around here and the only garden with larger shrubs and trees.
The truth is that NOBODY knows how many creatures are killed by cats. The estimates are just guesses, and often deliberately sensational and designed to whip up sentiment.
It's also the case that no-one points to the BENEFITS of hunting cats. My home would be overrun with rats if my cats didn't keep an eye on nests. Most livestock keepers are heartily glad of their cats, not to mention those supplying feedstuffs.
The truth is that NOBODY knows how many creatures are killed by cats.
The estimates are just guesses, and often deliberately sensational and
designed to whip up sentiment.
The above stats from the National Geograpic are prey items that the cats brought back and presented, so - that would be the baseline to start from.
The US has lost a third of its birds in the last 50 years. That is not a cause for sentiment.
And how accurate are these figures? Those birds don't look British to me. In the US all sorts of elements make up the picture of wildlife loss, there's more to it than cats.
If an argument of any value at all is to be made there needs to be accurate, verifiable evidence relating to specific areas and giving due weight to other variables.
No-one likes to see dead birds and it is important to protect our wildlife but sentiment and wild guesses are not the way. Nature is cruel, as I was reminded earlier this year when I spotted a rook plucking baby Robins out of a nest and feeding them to its newly fledged youngster.
pets are nothing to do with "nature" In Nature animals have to find their own shelter, food, mates etc. ( and they don't get treated by vets ) domestic pets don't do any of these things
Posts
"A study published in April estimated that UK cats kill 160 to 270 million animals annually, a quarter of them birds."
"On average, a British pet cat brings home around five items of prey a year. Researchers estimate this is about 23% of their actual kills, which makes it about 22 kills a year."
Obviously a guessing game.
With science done this way, you could adjust the entry guesses estimates and the definition of "items of prey" (what a lovely phrase) and get whatever result you want - cats being extremely dangerous or completely harmless.
I guess I am going to worry about my cat, not other cats or pro-cats or anti-cats organizations. She hasn't killed a single bird yet, so far it's been just a lot of insects, an occasional caterpillar, and a couple of voles. I liked the tips at the end of the article.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Cats have contributed to the extinction of 63 species of vertebrates.
BTW it reminds me that the free roaming vs killing birds debates are actually separate. Imagine free roaming ban coming tomorrow and me cat-proofing the garden. She could still hunt there. Actually, if she ever gets a bird, it will be almost certainly in our garden because it is the most bird-friendly garden around here and the only garden with larger shrubs and trees.
It's also the case that no-one points to the BENEFITS of hunting cats. My home would be overrun with rats if my cats didn't keep an eye on nests. Most livestock keepers are heartily glad of their cats, not to mention those supplying feedstuffs.
If an argument of any value at all is to be made there needs to be accurate, verifiable evidence relating to specific areas and giving due weight to other variables.
No-one likes to see dead birds and it is important to protect our wildlife but sentiment and wild guesses are not the way. Nature is cruel, as I was reminded earlier this year when I spotted a rook plucking baby Robins out of a nest and feeding them to its newly fledged youngster.
In Nature animals have to find their own shelter, food, mates etc. ( and they don't get treated by vets ) domestic pets don't do any of these things