A new study claims cats kill billions of other animals, according to a Jan. 29 Yahoo News report. Most cat owners know that their pet can be a cold blooded killer when it comes to animals like mice, birds, and moles.
Of course, it is shocking to hear that cats kill billions of mammals in the U.S. In fact, cats kill 1.4 billion to 3.7 billion birds and 6.9 billion to 20.7 billion other small mammals. Can you believe that cats kill as many as 15 percent of the bird population in the U.S.? The numbers are astonishing.
Study co-author Pete Marra said,
"A lot of these cats may go outside and go to 10 different houses, but they go back to their house and cuddle up on Mr. Smith's lap at night."
This certainly describes many cats. Each cat that goes outside kills between four and 18 birds annually, and then they also kill eight to 21 other mammals each year. How many things does your cat kill? Does your pet ever leave you "presents?"
Of course, it is the stray cats who cause the most wildlife damage. In the U.S., there are between 30 million and 80 million stray cats, and they each kill between 23 and 46 birds and 129 and 338 small mammals every year.
Comments