The Case For Indoor Cats

While most of us love our kitties, free-roaming outdoor cats are a major threat to wildlife. These non-native predators kill billions of birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year. Sadly, when wild animals are attacked by cats, their chances of survival are extremely low, due to both the severity of direct injuries and the very aggressive infection that invariably occurs with cat-related injuries, including minor scratches or bites. Even with veterinary treatment, survival rates are very low; without treatment, chances for survival are almost zero!

"While it is convenient to tell ourselves that our cats do no harm when allowed to roam freely outdoors, the facts prove otherwise. Unlike wild predators who hunt specific prey for food, cats hunt—and kill—anything they can, just because they are cats!” notes Wildlife Center President Ed Clark. 

While the hunting behavior of cats is instinctive, cats (just like domestic dogs) are not wild animals nor are they a natural part of the ecosystem. Cats impact more than just the wildlife they catch; the mere presence of cats can cause additional stress on wildlife, particularly during the nesting season, when wild parents have been shown to avoid returning to their nests or dens for extended periods, to avoid leading these predators to helpless young.

Because they don’t always see the dead victims, many cat owners believe that their indoor/outdoor cats are not actually hunters and killers. However, research conducted by the University of Georgia found that a staggering 77 percent of wildlife caught by cats is either eaten or left at the site of capture. The number of animals brought home is only a small portion of the wildlife the cats are actually injuring or killing.

Keeping cats indoors or in a limited-access environment (cattery or catio) not only protects wildlife, it also keeps our cats safer, and is better for human health and the environment.

Courtesy of: The Wildlife Center of Virginia