Post by Stef on Jan 26, 2012 11:49:17 GMT -6
Domestic Cats and Wildlife
Felis catus
a small, invasive predator
Effect of feral and free-roaming domestic cats on wildlife
Management techniques
Stewardship ideas and issues
Native predators – The Niche
Canada Lynx
Bobcat
Others
Coyote
Red Fox
Fisher,
Marten
Weasels,
skunks
Raptors
Felis catus: Introduced predator
Domesticated in Egypt about 2000 BC
Derived from European and African Wild Cat Felis silvestris Greeks and Romans spread cats as empires grew
Now around the world
Franken-cat? A human creation…
Introduced predator adapted to human homes, settlements Protection from:
Disease
Predation
Competition
Healthy and strong (with energy to burn)
Predator Densities
Native predators
Densities cycle with food availability
Bobcat ~ < 1 per 20 km2
Fisher ~ 4 per 20 km2
Red Fox ~ 20 per 20 km2
Feral & free-ranging cats
High densities - populations not limited by food supply
Urban-suburban “domestic” cats ~ 500-1,000 per 20 km2 Rural “domestic” cats ~ 400 per 20 km2
Franken-cat? A human creation…
Extended lifespan
Range expansion continues
24-hour predation
Dependable supply of food does not suppress cat’s instinct to hunt and kill
Cat brains: More than a test pattern…
Studies of housecats suggest that hunger and hunting controlled by different parts of a cat’s brain
Hunting is a “form of amusement”
Think dogs and sticks
Virginia study
Monitored 5 cats over 11 months
Killed minimum of 187 animals
Each free-ranging cat kills: ~ 26 birds in urban areas
~ 83 birds in rural areas
Estimated kill ~ 26 million birds state-wide
Wisconsin study
1.4 to 2 million free-ranging rural cats
30 cats radio-collared over a 4 year period
One cat killed 1,690 animals in 18 months
Birds ~ 23 % of diet (20-30%)
Estimated mortality ~ 19 million songbirds and 140,000 game birds per year
Cute carnage
Small mammals – 70% of kills
Mice, voles, chipmunks etc.
Birds – 20% of kills
Young in spring and summer
Grassland birds
Ground-nesting forest birds
Other animals – 10% of kills
Rabbits, hares
Tree squirrels, flying squirrels
Researchers extrapolate…
Estimated birds mortality in U.S. from cats
Low value: 1.4 million cats X 28 kills/yr X 20% = 7.8 million birds killed by rural cats
High value: 2 million cats X 91 kills/yr X 30% = 219 million birds killed by rural cats
Injuries to wild animals
Cat-injured animals a huge case load for rehabilitation centres Few birds survive capture – even if they manage to escape Typically less than 10-20% survive wounds or infection
Reduced prey abundance
Field study in Maryland
Cooper’s Hawks shifted predation to songbirds when chipmunks were eradicated
Songbird decline
Reduced nestling survival rate (chipmunks were preferred food)
Field study in Illinois
Cats estimated to take ~ 5.5 million rodents and other vertebrates over 26,000 sq. miles
Depleted prey base needed to sustain wintering raptors
Feral cats a global problem
Island fauna can be devastated
Flightless birds, endemic species in predator-free environments New Zealand, Australia, South Africa
B.C. – seabird colonies
Disease transmission
Problems in small fragmented habitats in rural and urbanizing landscapes
Free-ranging cats are a wildlife conservation and animal welfare issue!
Cats may be most prevalent predator of birds and small mammals in some areas
Feral cats live short, brutal lives
Domestic cats live longer if they are kept indoors
Domestic cat management
Neutering
Slows population growth; roaming reduced
Don’t release cats in rural areas
Don’t count on a bell
Declawing might help
“Cat-proof” feeders
Keep cats indoors
Prevents predation
Begin with kittens
Reduce unwanted reproduction
Reduced injury, disease, accidents
Reduces costs all around
Prevents predation
Begin with kittens
Reduce unwanted reproduction
Reduced injury, disease, accidents
Reduces costs all around
Cats still get their jollies
"Supervised” outdoor activity
Use leashes in backyards
Build safe outdoor enclosures
Cats Indoors Program
Cats in Kennels Program
Farm cat management
Keep farm cats at low, manageable levels
Neutered females roam less
Consider using alternative, environmentally safe rodent control methods
“Managed cat colonies”
Feeding feral cats
Trap-neuter-release programs
Volunteer vaccination
Not condoned by wildlife agencies
Wildlife carnage continues
Can’t get all cats
Become “dumping ground” for more cats
Stewardship – Some ideas
Education: Free-roaming cats are a wildlife conservation issue! Support the humane removal of stray and feral cats from wildlife habitat
Support stray cat “sanctuaries” as alternatives
Support local domestic cat by-laws
Migratory Birds Convention Act
Prohibits “…the killing, capturing, injuring, taking or disturbing of migratory birds or the damaging, destroying, removing or disturbing of nests.”
Do you know where your cat is…?
Prohibits “…the killing, capturing, injuring, taking or disturbing of migratory birds or the damaging, destroying, removing or disturbing of nests.”
Don’t let your cat become a criminal!
Thank you.
Mark Stabb Ecologist@Large Program Manager, Ontario Wetland Habitat Fund
Felis catus
a small, invasive predator
Effect of feral and free-roaming domestic cats on wildlife
Management techniques
Stewardship ideas and issues
Native predators – The Niche
Canada Lynx
Bobcat
Others
Coyote
Red Fox
Fisher,
Marten
Weasels,
skunks
Raptors
Felis catus: Introduced predator
Domesticated in Egypt about 2000 BC
Derived from European and African Wild Cat Felis silvestris Greeks and Romans spread cats as empires grew
Now around the world
Franken-cat? A human creation…
Introduced predator adapted to human homes, settlements Protection from:
Disease
Predation
Competition
Healthy and strong (with energy to burn)
Predator Densities
Native predators
Densities cycle with food availability
Bobcat ~ < 1 per 20 km2
Fisher ~ 4 per 20 km2
Red Fox ~ 20 per 20 km2
Feral & free-ranging cats
High densities - populations not limited by food supply
Urban-suburban “domestic” cats ~ 500-1,000 per 20 km2 Rural “domestic” cats ~ 400 per 20 km2
Franken-cat? A human creation…
Extended lifespan
Range expansion continues
24-hour predation
Dependable supply of food does not suppress cat’s instinct to hunt and kill
Cat brains: More than a test pattern…
Studies of housecats suggest that hunger and hunting controlled by different parts of a cat’s brain
Hunting is a “form of amusement”
Think dogs and sticks
Virginia study
Monitored 5 cats over 11 months
Killed minimum of 187 animals
Each free-ranging cat kills: ~ 26 birds in urban areas
~ 83 birds in rural areas
Estimated kill ~ 26 million birds state-wide
Wisconsin study
1.4 to 2 million free-ranging rural cats
30 cats radio-collared over a 4 year period
One cat killed 1,690 animals in 18 months
Birds ~ 23 % of diet (20-30%)
Estimated mortality ~ 19 million songbirds and 140,000 game birds per year
Cute carnage
Small mammals – 70% of kills
Mice, voles, chipmunks etc.
Birds – 20% of kills
Young in spring and summer
Grassland birds
Ground-nesting forest birds
Other animals – 10% of kills
Rabbits, hares
Tree squirrels, flying squirrels
Researchers extrapolate…
Estimated birds mortality in U.S. from cats
Low value: 1.4 million cats X 28 kills/yr X 20% = 7.8 million birds killed by rural cats
High value: 2 million cats X 91 kills/yr X 30% = 219 million birds killed by rural cats
Injuries to wild animals
Cat-injured animals a huge case load for rehabilitation centres Few birds survive capture – even if they manage to escape Typically less than 10-20% survive wounds or infection
Reduced prey abundance
Field study in Maryland
Cooper’s Hawks shifted predation to songbirds when chipmunks were eradicated
Songbird decline
Reduced nestling survival rate (chipmunks were preferred food)
Field study in Illinois
Cats estimated to take ~ 5.5 million rodents and other vertebrates over 26,000 sq. miles
Depleted prey base needed to sustain wintering raptors
Feral cats a global problem
Island fauna can be devastated
Flightless birds, endemic species in predator-free environments New Zealand, Australia, South Africa
B.C. – seabird colonies
Disease transmission
Problems in small fragmented habitats in rural and urbanizing landscapes
Free-ranging cats are a wildlife conservation and animal welfare issue!
Cats may be most prevalent predator of birds and small mammals in some areas
Feral cats live short, brutal lives
Domestic cats live longer if they are kept indoors
Domestic cat management
Neutering
Slows population growth; roaming reduced
Don’t release cats in rural areas
Don’t count on a bell
Declawing might help
“Cat-proof” feeders
Keep cats indoors
Prevents predation
Begin with kittens
Reduce unwanted reproduction
Reduced injury, disease, accidents
Reduces costs all around
Prevents predation
Begin with kittens
Reduce unwanted reproduction
Reduced injury, disease, accidents
Reduces costs all around
Cats still get their jollies
"Supervised” outdoor activity
Use leashes in backyards
Build safe outdoor enclosures
Cats Indoors Program
Cats in Kennels Program
Farm cat management
Keep farm cats at low, manageable levels
Neutered females roam less
Consider using alternative, environmentally safe rodent control methods
“Managed cat colonies”
Feeding feral cats
Trap-neuter-release programs
Volunteer vaccination
Not condoned by wildlife agencies
Wildlife carnage continues
Can’t get all cats
Become “dumping ground” for more cats
Stewardship – Some ideas
Education: Free-roaming cats are a wildlife conservation issue! Support the humane removal of stray and feral cats from wildlife habitat
Support stray cat “sanctuaries” as alternatives
Support local domestic cat by-laws
Migratory Birds Convention Act
Prohibits “…the killing, capturing, injuring, taking or disturbing of migratory birds or the damaging, destroying, removing or disturbing of nests.”
Do you know where your cat is…?
Prohibits “…the killing, capturing, injuring, taking or disturbing of migratory birds or the damaging, destroying, removing or disturbing of nests.”
Don’t let your cat become a criminal!
Thank you.
Mark Stabb Ecologist@Large Program Manager, Ontario Wetland Habitat Fund
