The impact of cats on the bird population is staggering. Cats kill almost six times as many birds as window collisions and are second only to habitat loss as the prime culprit in the decline of bird populations.
Cats kill an estimated 1.3–4 billion birds each year in the U.S. alone, with 69% of these kills attributable to feral or unowned cats. (LINK)
But it’s not just birds—insects, especially pollinators, reptiles, rodents, and plants are adversely affected by cats as well.
The impact of wildlife? That’s just the beginning. Beyond conservation issues, there are issues of public health inequity, plastic waste, strip mining, water quality, income inequality, corporate profiteering, market manipulation, legal and policy chaos, science denialism, unethical business strategies, rampant political division, public bullying, human psychology, cultural traditions, and ethical lapses and cowardice on all sides.
This isn’t a problem anyone can solve by spaying a few cats.
We’re going to take a crack at unraveling this incredibly complicated issue and see if we can find some common ground and possible ways forward. Don’t come if you’re interested in blame. Blame is not a way forward.
What can can promise is that this conversation will help you see cats and cat owners a little differently. And you’ll also know what you can do, as a cat lover or not, to make a difference. Not just for birds, but for a healthy planet.
DATE: TBD
TIME: TBD
WHERE: Online, Zoom link sent in advance
COST: Free, spaces limited
FAQ: Outdoor Cats And Their Effects On Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Free Ranging and Feral Cats, US Department of Agriculture
How the “No Kill” movement betrays its name, The New Yorker, Jan 1. 2024
Alley Cat Allies Exposes Misrepresentation of TNR in The New Yorker, Alley Cat Allies