Outdoor cats and their impact on the environment

[wildcat180]

Cats are domesticated animals and as such are not part of the natural food chain in our local environments. They should not be allowed to roam free outdoors, they do extreme damage to local wildlife populations.

Their "need" for the outdoors could be compromised by confining them to a leash or tie out, or a screened porch where they can bask in the sun, chase things the wind blows around, watch the birds, but not be able to kill them.

When I lived in Jersey, there was a big ordeal being made about cats and the local piping plover population. Because of that, and this subject, I went out and did some research just now. I found some great information on the Fish and Game's website that I think is an excellent source for proof of damage our domesticated pets do. http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/

Barn cats are one thing. While I personally don't have any, I know they serve a good purpose of keeping the mouse population low. But even they have an impact on the local food chain. Snakes, hawks, and owls also eat mice. So our domesticated cats add competition to the food chain. The worst part about it is a lot cats don't even eat their kill. I know if mine get a mouse (in the house), they don't eat it.

As I said before, it's not really a good idea to turn a cat outside because of what problems it's having indoors. Most of the time the problems can be remedied with a little hard work and some adjustments made around the home. I would say only a small percentage of cats that get turned outside because of behavioural issues couldn't be helped. But not all people want to take the time to deal with it.

<I split this from the original topic of "Help Me Quick!" as it doesn't relate to the initial post of that thread. I thought this could prove to be an educational topic, if you want to discuss it. Please remember to keep it friendly, and as always, remember the golden rule! - Promise Ranch>

[JoAnn1978]

Actually, Wildcat 180- she did state that the cat was neutered in a previous post.

My cat marked for a few weeks when I moved into my parents house, and he also marked for a few weeks each time I brought a new cat into the household (we now have 3!). I gave him time, allowed him to hide as much as he wanted- and now he's perfectly fine.

I very staunchly agree with wildcat on the outdoor cat issue. I do not have an issue with barn cats. They typically stay within their immediate area, and do serve a purpose as mousers. Although, as wildcat said- they do become competitive with other natural predators of those animals cats will hunt and kill.

It's also very upsetting to me to drive down a major road and see a new body of a freshly run over "house cat" each week, most with collars still on! Because I've read about the risks, health wise and behaviour wise- I have chosen to keep all three of my cats indoors. They never leave the house. They are DOMESTICATED animals.

My personal opinion is that even though I see them staring out the window often- not one of them would rather give up the comforts of our furniture and a reliable tasty food source twice a day- for a romp in the mulch chasing after a mole! Especially my big fat Buster!

Here is a very interesting article on the risks of allowing your cat to live outdoors:

http://maxshouse.com/outdoor_risks.html

[Orchid]

I have two outdoor cats - both of them started as indoor cats. *dodges rocks*

One of my cats (Sneaky) was born on my husband's brother's farm, and given to my mother-in-law as a kitten. He was a mean, mean indoor cat. The kind of cat who would do a vicious run-by biting or clawing, or both, leaving blood and destruction in his wake. This cat had all the love, toys, food and playing a cat could ever hope for; nothing helped. When my MIL finally couldn't take it anymore, my husband's brother took him. He lasted three days inside at their house before they threw him outside.

Then, according to them, he became "dangerous" because he would try to trip them as they walked and a "nuisance" because he was always jumping into their vehicles as they opened the doors. Bear in mind that they pay no attention to their cats and don't feed them - they are expected to fend for themselves. When they got to the point of threatening to shoot him, I took him.

He is just a doll as an outdoor cat; his personality did a 180 from when he was an indoor cat. He's a "porch kitty" at my house, with his choice of a wooden insulated cat house or a hay bale house under the porch.

My other outdoor cat, Radar O'Reilly, also started life at a farm. I got him from the pet store when he was about 12 weeks old. My major mistake was letting him be an indoor/outdoor cat - I should never have let him discover the joys of the great outdoors.

He is a great mouser, which also means that he, of course, has worms. Over the years we battled with worms and giardia with him, and did our best to keep him as an indoor-only cat after we discovered how hard it was to keep him parasite free as an indoor/outdoor cat. Alas, Radar is much faster than his bulk would lead one to believe, and when guests came over he was constantly shooting out the door to go and prowl for mice.

The day came when my husband found a tapeworm segment on his person, left there by none other than Mr. O'Reilly himself.

That was the day that he became a strictly outdoor cat.

He and Sneaky get along well, though they don't share their kitty houses - they do switch off for variety, though.

I feel bad about the impact they have on the wildlife population, and keep food out for them at all times. My bird feeders are out in the open so the birds can see them coming, which seems to help.

I know the life span of outdoor cats is considerably shorter than that of indoor cats, and in an ideal world, all cats would be indoor cats. I wish mine could have been. If I ever do get another indoor cat, I will never make the mistake of letting it get that taste of outdoor freedom.

[bettymo]

cats aren't the only non-indigenous species to be introduced to north america's "natural food chain" the great thing is...food chains change and adjust. whether you want them to or not. rats, cats, dogs, starlings, house finches, and even horses...and many others, are not native to our continent. but they still live wild here.

anyway, i don't see anything wrong with letting your cat outside. what i do have a problem with is people that don't spay and nueter their animals...and it's the stray un-fixed cats that are hard on bird populations, not people's pets. it's the strays that are good at hunting. have you ever watched a housecat try and catch a bird? it's a joke...

[Touche]

In a perfect world, my cats would be inside only, but alas I am not perfect.

I do agree about the impact cats have on wildlife and such, all of mine started as barn cats (the only way honey would let me have any) but they do come in and out of the house. All are vaccinated and altered, only two are hunters. Too bad they don't get the groundhogs.

When these are gone, my next cat will be strictly indoors.
I hate to have to worry about them because they are part of the food chain. Hawks and Owls love cats.

[Faceman]

Wildcat, you and I agree on just about everything, but not on this one. I would accept your premise if we had a natural "food chain" with a proper size predator level at the top.

We don't.

Virtually all of our environment is ecologically unsound due to the lack of predators - thanks to man. Before we exterminated them or chased them into what few remaining unpopulated areas there are, we had a wide variety of predators.

The lack of natural predators has resulted in widespread overpopulation of rodents, squirrels, and other small game, to say nothing of larger game like deer. This causes cyclical "killoffs" by disease, starvation and stunted growth due to overpopulation, and excessive roadkill.

While the introduction of a few cats into the environment may impact the individual animals or birds that are killed, I don't accept that they are in sufficient numbers to have a meaningfull ecological impact. Could they? Sure, if there were enough of them, but there would have to be an awful lot.

Hawks, owls, snakes, and coyotes all patrol my pasture daily - it's still absolutely full of mice...

There have been many instances where non indigenous species have been introduced purposely or accidently by man that indeed have caused ecological problems. Rabbits in Australia, nutria here in our country, Japaneese Beetles, as well as plants like hydrilla (which nutria were imported to control), and kudzu - the list is indeed long.

However, notice that the list does not include predators. We suffer from a general shortage of predators - not an abundance. When I was a kid, we still had timber wolves in Kansas, red wolves in Missouri, and bobcats were everywhere. The wolves are gone, and you rarely see bobcats much anymore. Coyotes have flourished of course, but they are nowhere near abundant enough to control rodents and small game.

What do these cats kill? Well, mice, rats, voles, shrews, birds, insects, lizards, rabbits when they can catch them, chipmunks - that's most of what I can think of. I have 5 barn cats that kill all these things at any opportunity they have, yet I still have overpopulations of all of them (except chipmunks, which we don't have at all in our immediate region).

I do try to be open minded though, so am willing to hear evidence to the contrary if it demonstrates enough ecological harm to be of consequence or concern...

[divinemisselle]

*stands proudly as owner of (now, with Sebastian) 14 cats. I am the Cat Lady...

10 of which live strictly in the house, 3 strictly outside, and one in-out cat.

All of my cats were in some way, shape or form a rescue or dump off. I have spent countless dollars spaying and neutering all of my cats. They are all vaccinated and wormed regularly. And when ill, I have been known to exhaust all savings in an effort to keep them comfortable until humanely euthanizing...

But I digress...

Specifically speaking, I have 4 cats outside. They are resident porch cats, and only occasionally venture into the barn. (*see related rat thread...he's still there) I have my bird feeders in the yard, out in the open. It is a rare occasion that my cats actually get a bird! They are far too lazy, way too slow, and too well fed! Sure, they bring home the occasional mouse, but could not possibly dent the food chain. My snakes are still around, which tells me that there is enough vermin for them to consume. I am able to enjoy hummingbirds on my front porch, the cats don't pay them any mind. Songbirds abound here. They know they are safe from my "predators". My cats don't wander the neighborhood, they don't terrorize the environment.

I think the issue here leans more toward feral cats, not outdoor companion animals. And that brinds us back to the related post about spaying and neutering. If more people were responsible in that respect, there wouldn't be a feline population affecting the environment.

There are so many spay and neuter programs available, it only takes a phone call. And any vet worth a grain of salt will tell you that he/she will spay or neuter an animal for free if necessary. It is a mindless, ridiculously low cost surgery, but so incredibly important.

[pasomystic]

Well, Faceman, you and I don't agree on everything--but we certainly do on this topic. This area is over-run with all manner of rodent life, and birds so thick [thanks to high insect population] you can catch them yourself, lol. Lots of hawks and owls, but no shortage of mice, voles, moles, rabbits, rats, shrews. Loads of weasels, which occasionally my older cat kills as being a tad too offensive.
I can certainly understand keeping cats indoors in towns and cities--far too many dangers to both them and the local birdlife there--but I never live in towns and cities. I do entirely agree that spaying and neutering should be mandatory!!! Therefor, two black kittens have an appt. a week from now for said surgery.

[Nashoba]

If I lived in town, I would not let my cat run outside; but I live in the country. I have 6 cats. They were all dumped on my door step, all would have been feral if I didn't take them in. They have been altered, shots, ect. Regardless, how many mice can a cat catch in one day? 5 of my cats do not mice, they are too fat and lazy, 1 will catch 1 mouse everyday. This 1 cat will also kill snakes. This is the first year that I have seen a copperhead in my 10 years living here. As far as the owl and hawks, they have the rabbit population to eat, along with the umpteen baby mice to replace the one that my cat catches. My cats also eat grasshoppers but the birds have not suffered yet.

[BarrelGirl]

We have cats at my mom's house in town that are indoor/outdoor cats. They don't go outside to kill, they go outside to sit in the lawn and play pounce on some flying bugs. Nothing major...

I can think of 5 houses in my mom's neighborhood that have indoor/outdoor cats. All are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed. And, they all go inside at night so they don't cause any trouble with the other neighbors.

Talk about controversial... Wisconsin had introduced a bill to make a legal feral cat hunting season!!! It was a while ago, and if I remember right, there were many followers of the bill but it ended up getting shot down.

Imagine a law like that!

[starry lane]

The biggest problem is irresponsible people who think it is okay to dump the cat they no longer want, because they are sure someone will adopt it, or worse yet, it can live free and wild. They won't take the responsibilty to have the cat humanely destroyed, just like they probably never took the responsibility to have it altered in the first place. Feral Cats can have an impact on the enviroment whether you want to believe it or not. Why do you think Hawaii is so strict on their cat regulations. Many native birds and small animals there are quickly disappearing. Most people only see small feral colonies, what you don't realize is for every feral you see, there are at least 10 hidden from view. One of the most amazing sights I saw was a large feral colony living near a local wildlife park. I lost count somewhere past 54 cats! I have nothing against outdoor cats, I have several barn cats myself. However, they are all altered and UTD on all their vaccinations. It isn't our outdoor "barn" cats that are the problem.

Linda

[crittermom]

We bought the house and acreage where we now live because it was a great place for my cats to live outside without any traffic. My cats aren't outside due to behavioral issues----they all have shots and are spayed / neutered. I understand your opinion, but I respectfully disagree.

[Range]

I have attempted to take two outdoor cats and make them indoor cats. They were both adopted from the shelter. One damaged the house by pushing out the screens to escape. One shot out the door and wouldn't come back in. Unfortunately, they were never able to impact the environment since the coyotes around here kill my chickens, guineas, and cats...NOT the mice or rats.

I have the occassional feral cat and bobcat venture through my place and I let them be. I think my chickens have killed more small birds than the actual predators in the area!

But, agreeing with several others, it's not really an environmental impact to me. It's about responsibility for the animals that occupy your space.

[Faceman]

Feral Cats can have an impact on the enviroment whether you want to believe it or not. Why do you think Hawaii is so strict on their cat regulations. Many native birds and small animals there are quickly disappearing. Most people only see small feral colonies, what you don't realize is for every feral you see, there are at least 10 hidden from view. One of the most amazing sights I saw was a large feral colony living near a local wildlife park. I lost count somewhere past 54 cats!

As I mentioned earlier, they can be a problem if there are enough of them. This may be one of those cases.

But contrary to popular belief, it's not an easy life for feral cats in most parts of the continent. People think you can just let a cat loose in the woods and it will survive just fine - not true. Their life expectancy is very short. Many die of starvation and sickness, or fall prey to coyotes or farmer Joe and his 12 gauge.

Another instance I have seen where they were a problem was in a fishing village in Spain called Sitges, just south of Barcelona. The town is (or at least was when I was there in 1963) famous for its cat population - they are everywhere, just thousands of them. But with the notoriety came a lot of problems.

So yes, they can be a problem in certain instances, but realistically these are pretty isolated.

[wildcat180]

I agree with most of what you said Face, I really do.

The problem as I see it is mainly feral cats, BUT those feral cats came from domesticated cats. They reproduce very quickly and overrun their food source when they're concentrated in small areas.

While I have a habit of generalizing comments, there's so many shades of gray when it comes to cats outdoors. People who take the time to vaccinate and alter their cats before allowing them to go out, as well as providing a food source, aren't the people causing problems with the outdoor cat population.

Those owners who use indoor problems and turn the cat out, with no regard to whether or not it's altered or it has something to eat, are the ones that cause the problem. This type of owner, I fear, outnumber the responsible owners. This type of owner is what I was referring to.

In South Jersey, the people living in West Cape May are all up in arms over the fact that there's coyotes. We're not talking about a city here, we're talking about a rural area. They want the coyotes killed. They also want raccoons and skunks killed. Humans....sometimes I can't stand them.

Our food chain has been messed up over the years and through the endangerment or extinction, there's proof right there that we have to be careful and at least try to hold the delicate balance. We're supposed to be more wise to our environment than the people of a few hundred years ago. In an ideal world, we would be able to, as a whole population, live with other predators that can help keep the natural balance. Where even feral cats would be someone's dinner.

In cities and "close contact" neighborhoods, outdoor cats, even pet ones that are altered and kept in at night, can be a problem. I had a friend who had to have his cat put to sleep because one of his neighbors didn't agree that he should let his cat out and shot him with a BB gun and somehow managed to paralyse the cat from midway down his back and down. Other people have had problems with neighbors poisoning their cats. It's in these types of areas, also, that the wildlife populations aren't what they should be and therefore suffer greatly when cats are allowed out. (The ones that do kill.)

I also agree that most of us here aren't in those types of areas and are generally overrun with vermin. Those few cats won't do too much damage to the overall population. Like you guys said, you have outdoor cats and still have mice, rats, and all those other pesky critters.

Please forgive me, though. While I live in Kentucky on 35 acres, I'm still trying to adjust from my life in Jersey where I had neighbors less then 100 feet away and lived on a small peninsula that didn't have the square mileage my town here has. I'm still adjusting to the spacious areas where you may have only a few families living in a 5 mile radius. All of my experience with outdoor cats is from a small town background. Here, we have more of a problem with loose dogs....

I still think, however, that turning cats out, altered or not, to avoid taking care of behavioral problems is a bad thing to do. It's different when you get an animal that comes with issues, and sometimes there are cats you just can't help. There are exceptions to everything though.

[Faceman]

We're mostly on common ground here. I think all of us agree that irresponsible pet owners are the real problem.

Personally I am thoroughly disgusted at cat owners - and there are a lot of them - that won't spend $50 or $100 or whatever it costs to spay their female cats and then dump - or drown - litter after litter of perfectly defenseless and innocent kittens.

I can't even count the kittens that have been dumped at my place. The part that really hacks me off is we just pack them up and go to Walmart, and have no trouble giving them away in the parking lot. If nothing else, the owners could have invested a couple of hours and done the same. You can't really screen the new owners that way, but at least they have a chance...

[NChase]

I agree that owners need to take the responsibility to alter, vaccinate, and feed their cats.

But (assuming you live in an area that's safe enough---not in a highly populated area, for instance) I do think that cats are healthier psychologically if they are allowed outside when they want to be, the same way that horses who are allowed out in the pasture are healthier psychologically than those who are kept in stalls 24 hours a day. it's simply a more natural environment.

As for the impact on the environment, sorry to be a bit cynical but here's my thought: Compare the amount of damage a few cats can do to the environment next to what a family of humans will do. If humans weren't cutting down, polluting, and paving over the entire natural environment, none of the native bird and wildlife species would be endangered in the first place.

If we really want to protect the environment, let's stop blaming the cats and start spaying and neutering all the humans!

And for the record---yes, I AM happily child-free, as are my 9 indoor-outdoor cats (6 of which were rescues).


--Nancy

[wildcat180]

Originally Posted by NChase

If we really want to protect the environment, let's stop blaming the cats and start spaying and neutering all the humans!

I'll CERTAINLY second that motion!

It's not REALLY the cats that are the problem. Ultimately, humans are. Not spaying and neutering, letting them loose when they don't feel like dealing with them, and a whole long list of things I could on for hours about.

My cats are all indoors. I'm too much of a control freak like that, I guess. I want to be sure my cats are safe. My cats used to go on my screen porch, until the night a raccoon ripped through the screen to get one of my geese, that was in a metal dog crate. (He ripped the top off the crate, got a goose, and we caught him in time to see him pulling my goose through the screen. In all the commotion, he dropped the goose and I was able to grab him and get him in the house.) Now the screen is only temporarily fixed and we're trying to figure out the best way to redo it. Until then, the cats stay inside completely.

I also don't like the idea of my cats possibly taking food from some other animal. I haven't noticed an over population of any rodents and I enjoy hearing the owls at night. So, there's no good reason for me to let my cats out and plenty to keep them in.

[Shepdog]

I understand that deciding whether a cat lives indoors or outdoors is an individual choice. I've accepted that there are very different views on the subject, and I know it's a touchy one.

Personally, though; I am for indoor cats only, or indoor cats with safe leash time and appropriate outdoor enclosures. But then again, I'm the same way with my dogs. Leashes and fences make good neighbors, I suppose.

Do I understand why people allow their cats out? Sure. Am I going to stand here and tell everyone around me that they're terrible people for letting their cats out? Heck no. Mellowdane's cats go outside, and do fine in the area she's at... ... and she understands that I don't, and respects my decision as well. To the point where she completely understood when I turned into a frantic, yelping mess when the dogs managed to flip the latch on the screen door and Dusty got out, and was hunting up and down my neighborhood for an hour in the dark.

To be fair, I did make her a sandwich after the cat was safe and sound. If she'd been smart, she would have held him for ransom when she found him and asked for a raise.

I fence my dogs to keep them safe, out of trouble, and not hurting wildlife or people. I fence my horse and my cats for those same reasons.

As for the impact on the environment... I agree that domestic pets do an awful lot of damage to wildlife. All domestic animals, really. From cats to cattle, dogs to donkeys. Management is the key issue, on all counts, and it's tough.

[joustinggirl]

I have been avoiding this topic. I agree totally with Shepdog. But, there have been studies that show the number of songbirds that are killed by cats every year. Its a crazy high number. I'm not talking about rabbits or rodents. Just songbirds. I work with a wildlife rehaber and she keeps us up on all that. I personlly don't care for most cats. I would never own one. But, I believe that if you can't keep your cat confined to your property you are a nuisance to your neighbors that your cats goes and visits. They walk on my car, crap in my garden, get in our trash and spray urine on the side of my house. We have very little to no problem with loose dogs in our area, but the cats are driving me nuts. They are not feral cats, they are owned house cats. One may be a barn cat. Many people assume that if they live in the country that it entitles their animals to run loose.