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Would You Believe This Common Household Pet Is the Cold-Blooded Killer of 15% of the Bird Population?

Jan. 30, 2013 8:35am Liz Klimas

Owners of domesticated cats might have received a dead bird offering (or two) at their doorstep as a “gift.” But would you believe the seemingly cuddly felines are actually contributing to the death of billions (yes, billions) of birds and mammals each year.

Turns out pet cats are cold blooded killers. A study published in the journal “Nature Communications” found “free-ranging” domesticated cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 and 20.7 billion small mammals each year.

Free Ranging Cats Kill Up to 3.7 Billion Birds and up to 20.7 Billion Mammals Each Year

(Image: Shutterstock.com)

Live Science reported this to be 15 percent of the total bird population in the United States, according to Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute ecologist and study co-author Pete Marra.

Here’s more from Live Science on the study:

For this broader analysis, the team first looked at all prior studies on bird deaths and estimated that around 84 million owned-cats live in the country, many of which are allowed outdoors.

“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,” Marra said.

Based on an analysis of past studies, the researchers estimated that each of those felines killed between four and 18 birds a year, and between eight and 21 small mammals per year.

Granted, its the ownerless, feral cats that cause the most bloodshed, according to the study.

And if you brought a cat into your home to keep mice at bay, the study also found the felines seem to prefer native species like voles and chipmunks, Live Science reported.

Given the effect of cats on native wildlife, one man in New Zealand has recently been advocating a complete cat ban. Mashable reported last week about businessman and philanthropist Gareth Morgan’s #catstogo campaign on Twitter.

Here’s an infographic from Morgan’s campaign:

The Smithsonian researchers suggest, first and foremost, keeping domesticated cats inside to help curb the killings. But, as Live Science pointed out, the larger issue are roaming kitties with no owner.

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

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Comments (192)

Rog11
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:41am
Cats are nature’s way of making smarter birds.

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- Red Meat
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:57pm
  LOL
  
  They can’t kill off enough of the winged rats that fly around here.
  
  I’m going to pound and picking up another one.
  
  Report this comment
- Cavy from VA
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 3:12pm
  Cats? What exactly do cats do?
  
  Well for one they use products that employ thousands of humans! …
  
  They poop and pee in cat boxes using up clumping kitty litter (one of the GREATEST inventions ever!!!). What would the Kitty Litter folks do?
  They shred your furniture for you. Thus employing thousands of humans to make new furniture, distribute it and sell it! What would the furniture folks do?
  They ruin your carpet by ripping it up at doors and “special” places. Soooo there are thousands of humans employed to make, distribute, install and sell carpets! What would the carpet folks do?
  They sleep in “special” places all over your house leaving **** and maybe a few “critters” that decide to change venues. Thus employing thousands of humans to manufacture, distribute and sell Vacuum Cleaners and the assorted attachments needed to clean up the cat ****! Not to mention all the pesticides to put on the cat to keep the “critters” from ever showing up! What would the Vacuum & Critter Killer folks do?
  They EAT! (and have NO qualms about letting you know what time it is) … thus employing thousands of humans to make, market, distribute and sell cat food. What would the cat food folks do?
  
  No we cannot get rid of cats! Our economy would not be able to survive such a shock!!!
  
  It figures that some “progressive” idiot would care more about the damn birds than the lively hood of what now must amount to millions of folks who depend on cats for a job!!! Sav
  
  Report this comment
- SiggyFreak
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 3:52pm
  Love it!!!!!!!!
  
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- Angel_light
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 4:13pm
  exactly. that’s nature
  
  Report this comment
- dietrdeb
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:53pm
  Seems to me that we need to start re-education camps for the felines.
  
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- Gorp
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 6:07pm
  And what do birds do? They fly around and crap on your vehicle just after you washed it. I love my cats for killing, and bringing home to show me how good they are, those car crapping losers.
  
  Report this comment
- Kalidor835
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 6:51pm
  Heaven forbid that a predator should do what it was placed on this planet to do, prey on and kill other animals. It’s ability to kill small rodents is why they were domesticated in the first place. The sheer stupidity of the animal rights nuts never ceases to amaze me. We have to protect the no where near endangered birds that are being killed by the evil cats but let’s just forget about the cat’s right to do what it was designed for. Sheer and utter idiocy at work.
  
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s0ul0ne
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:31am
Makes sense to me. Cats are animals, animals kill. We domesticated them, and we view them as little angels that **** in boxes, eat our packaged food, and live in carpeted huts. I think often we forget that our pets are still instinctive animals!

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- Stoic one
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:00am
  If only cats killed ants as well. That is the largest animal my dog & 2 cats will allow in the house.
  
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- Vegink
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:35am
  To say we have “domesticated” cats, is an over statement. Cats do not perceive us as “masters” or “leaders” like dogs do. They will either see us as friends, or lesser than them, never above them. Over the years with dogs, we have dogs in the mind set that we are the leader of the “pack”, so they pay attention to eye cues, or hand gestures, cats on the other hand, are very self reliant. We got cats to keep the mice population down. That’s it, our bond with them has not gone farther than that. In some parts of the world we hunt with birds of prey, but we don’t do anything with our cats. Domesticated is a highly over rated word when it comes with cats, they just use us. I have a cat and I love her.
  
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- Dachande
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 6:02pm
  Vegink,
  
  True, cats are very independent. Our relationships are more mutual than symbiotic. Remember, a dog will kill or die to protect you, a cat will shirk and probably eat you in fond memory of how you worked for it.
  
  Report this comment
Seede
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:28am
Moving into a rural community after retirement. We had mice and rats galore. Guys out here were shooting cats by the score. What we did was entice the critters to settle around our place by feeding & watering them. After about six months of having a family of cats we had no more problem with mice and rats. In fact one cat brought me a dead mouse and laid it at my door step.

We always figured that it was better to have some cats than rats. They are very territorial and yes they do also kill birds. Take your pick. Cats or rats. Up to you. There are such things as bird flue and rat fleas that also kill lots of people. Why do you suppose cats were so popular in England? The black plague was controlled by cats. I don’t think it is wise to screw around with the balance of nature. In fact lots of places have problems with pigeons spreading poop and disease.

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- Jezreel
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:33am
  We kept a cat that we were supposingly only supposed to take care of while the owner went on vacation. They never come back to get her. She has turned out to be the best mouser and moler that we have ever had. Our yard would be torn up by moles if we didn’t have her. She lives to hunt. My other cats are liberal progressives that lay around and expect to be fed and pampered. Our hunter kitty, Melah, looks down her nose at the liberal cats and thinks that they are pointless.
  
  Report this comment
- Priscilla King
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:39am
  Dittos Seede. If I didn’t have free-range cats, I wouldn’t have a home by now!
  
  Report this comment
- pagraywolf
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:18pm
  Seede –
  
  ” I don’t think it is wise to screw around with the balance of nature.”
  
  You are uneducated. Domestic cats are an introduced species and have no business being loose in nature!!! Our wildlife did not develop alongside these predators and so have not developed defense mechanisms to save them. That’s why all the extinctions and species being placed on the endangered/threatened species list. Check out wildlife.org. Website for wildlife biologists. They have a well written policy statement about free-roaming cats that has excellent research data included.
  
  Keep your cats indoors at all times and be kind to your cat and to nature.
  
  Report this comment
- pagraywolf
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:20pm
  Got a rat/mouse problem? Use traps and poisons like the rest of us. Very effective. Don’t sacrifice wildlife because you are lazy and don’t care if your cat gets hit on the road, eaten by a coyote, or gets an infection or disease.
  
  Report this comment
- CatB
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:44pm
  @PAGREYWOLF .. really poison? .. do you know that it might not be what you would want to KILL that gets into that POISON? I would rather have a cat any day.
  
  Report this comment
- pagraywolf
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:52pm
  CatB –
  
  Are you incapable of placing poison where nontargets can access it? If you can’t, then maybe you shouldn’t use poison. I would think someone intelligent enough to use a computer would be smart enough to use poison. Guess I was wrong. Incredible…
  
  Report this comment
- brigott
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 6:07pm
  PAGRAYWOLF, what’s that?
  
  “Don’t sacrifice wildlife” by having cats, but use poison instead?
  
  Duh! Poison kills the wildlife as well.
  
  You are showing your liberal lack of thinking skills. Whether cat, trap, or poison, “wildlife” still ends up dead.
  
  And which one – a cat that hates water or the poison left out – would you rather have end up getting into your water supply?
  
  Report this comment
- pagraywolf
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 7:11pm
  Brigott- you wrote…
  
  “Don’t sacrifice wildlife” by having cats, but use poison instead?
  
  Where the he** are you people thinking poison goes to rid your house of rodents?! I have NEVER killed one wild creature with poison or traps meant for rodents. I know how and where to place them so it doesn’t happen!! You don’t put poison out in the yard – put it in your garage, basement, etc. Sheesh. The level of stupidity re. this discussion is incredible.
  
  “Duh! Poison kills the wildlife as well.”
  Only if you are too stupid to understand its proper use.
  
  Only when idiots use it does wildlife end up dead. And by the way, YOUR “lack of thinking skills” is showing. I am a very strong conservative. I am pro hunting, trapping, and fishing. I also am a wildlife professional – college degree and work.
  
  Why would rat/mouse poison get in the water supply?! What the he** do people in your area do?!!!! Again, you use it properly, no creature but the intended target consumes the poison or is caught in the trap.
  
  Report this comment
- truff
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:27pm
  Not to diss cats, but out here in rural farmland, some use guinea pigs on their farms to keep rats at bay (the cats can’t get into the small places that rats can squeeze into- we used to have them make nests in cinder block walls).
  
  Also, starlings and pigeons are huge disease spreader as well as stealing protein from cow’s feed. Birds carry W. Nile as well as when their manure is present, tend to give false positives on dairy farms that test for TB.
  
  Report this comment
- pagraywolf
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:14pm
  Truff –
  
  You are so right about the birds! The money dairy farmers lose to blackbirds is terrible! I knew a farmer who had problems with sores on his herd from birds dropping feces on the cows backs. Cows that are in pain or ill don’t give the same amount of milk. If they need medicated, the farmer may not be able to sell the milk. The amount of feed these birds consume would make your head spin, More money a struggling farmer loses.
  
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The-Monk
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:17am
I met a family that just moved to the US in 1979 from Lebanon and they said all their birds were gone. People were so mad (and armed) that they shot all the birds including the migratory one’s out of anger and hate.

Cats got nothing on Humans…..

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- Fubared
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:59am
  Cats and humans are the few animals that kill just because of the ability to do so.
  
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Thundergod
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:16am
This must be for stupid city people who have never seen nature in action or lived on a farm and kept cats to keep pigeons and other vermin out of the barns.

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- rp454
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:53pm
  You hit it on the head.
  
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- CatB
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:46pm
  Yup .. stupid lives in New Zealand — hummm sounds like NEW York ;-)
  
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LakewoodEd
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:15am
From what I recall, the lack of cats facilitated the spread of Black Death across Europe. Cats were feline non grata at the time and rats were rampant.

How soon we forget. ;-)

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- SREGN
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:00am
  Yeah well the cats aren’t doing such a great job now. Congress and the White House are full of rats.
  
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- Elena2010
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:39pm
  For the wharf rats of DC, you need bigger cats!
  
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Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:13am
Wind Turbines kill more eagles,hawks,owls,Canadian Geese….Those big birds that cats aint gonna mess with. I have never had a shortage of birds here. The Birds must want to buy our truck.They keep leaving deposits on it.

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- Thundergod
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:19am
  LOL thats funny
  
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Thundergod
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:12am
Wow,who would have thought that cats,being natural predators, would actually hunt down and gobble up poor little tweety bird? Was everyone just born yesterday?

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- 3monkeysmomma
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:34am
  Apparently we needed to waste money (probably our tax dollars) on a study to find out what every kid who grew up in a rural neighborhood (or ever watched Sylvester and Tweety) already knew.
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:59am
  My cat never goes outside. So it doesn’t know what birds taste like. It does sit at the window and drool over the sparrows on the porch.
  
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RaydocX
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:09am
What a load of steaming bias…
To suggest house cats successfully predate on healthy birds ignores reality, and their extrapolation to reach a finding is ridiculous.
In fact, given the number of hires we see, we had better turn more cats out on the street or the birds will take over.

Another billion ‘scientific’ lies…

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- redfish52
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:14am
  Cats kill birds…what….really….My mother has two of these killers and that explains why I haven’t seen a bird in her yard in years…
  
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- cemerius
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:17am
  Since they are losing the “climate change” they are now after our cats!!! You will soon have to pay a pet tax and register your animal every year?
  
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- Alliedwithcats
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:06am
  If you read nothing else today, read: RAYDOCX !
  
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- Priscilla King
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:43am
  Dittos. My old wooden house in the country has been mouse-free and rat-free for the last few years, thank God for cats, but it’s still the home of a cardinal family, and we still hear all kinds of passing tweetybirds up in the orchard.
  
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:09am
I have a cat, I keep my cat and when she passes will have a new one. The apartment complex I live in is free of the blasted roof rafts that swarm many others in the neighborhood due to the number of cats we have in the area.

As for the birds the eco-idiots forget two things: flightless birds are easy prey for cats WHO ARE PREDATORS!!!

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lonwarner2
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:05am
I hate cleaning my windshield and side mirrors of the bird crap! Good for the kitties!

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The_Jerk
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:04am
We need cat control legislation. Obama has a new project.

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- SREGN
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:58am
  Here it comes: Liberal Cat Control Legislation. Well, they’ll have to pry my cat from my cold, dead hands.
  
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- Alliedwithcats
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:12am
  I demand immediate legislation to outlaw all assault cats! We must act now before this leads to further global warmin…eh…climate change!
  
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- Kalidor835
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 7:02pm
  Just the other day I saw a cat with a laser sight taped to it’s head, a bayonet strapped to it’s collar, and a 30 round magazine sticking out of it’s ****. Tell me why anyone needs an assault cat like that?
  
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The-Monk
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:02am
Our neighborhood had rats all over the place when I moved in almost 20 years ago.

Got some cats and no more rats… Cats are welcome in The Monks cave. : )

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- Smokey_Bojangles
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:15am
  Mine as well.
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:31am
  Hi MONK, other than the time that I have had to live in Army barracks, we have always had cats and when we could dogs as well. But, the cats have always kept down the level of other home invaders. As now in our rural area they keep the level of field mice, mice, ground squirrels and on occasion regular squirrels in check along with others in check I have not problem with them at all. I certainly appreciate our four pawed friends.
  
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- Dano.50
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:05pm
  Same thing on all the farms and ranches.
  
  Mouse and rat problems were solved by looking for a pregnant cat.
  
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Zipit
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:53am
I’ve almost opened fire several times thinking someone had broken into the house late at night, (sorry Piers”, only to realize that it was just the Siamese opening a can of “wup azz”, on some poor mouse that had found its way in for some dinner and warmth! Good kitty!

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- Fubared
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:26pm
  That is just good training all around-
  
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jens63
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:51am
This is a lot of crap, I have always spayed my cats, but this makes me want to get a breeder to ensure their survival, SMILE….

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- Priscilla King
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:44am
  Megadittos. I’ve become very selective about neutering and spaying…hate to lose any successful vermin killers these days!
  
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LakewoodEd
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:51am
Didn’t know there was a bird shortage . . . .

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DougHuffman
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45am
The same study reported cats kill more than 20 billion obligate host vector reservoirs of Ixodes hard-bodied ticks that are the vectors for a huge number of human diseases. Peromyscus leucopus the white-footed mouse particularly.

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- Zipit
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:57am
  Wha?………t
  
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- Jenny Lind
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:32am
  Well said! LOL I got it, and deer mice, hanta fever and so many others including plague which is making a comeback. That stupid guy better hope nothing shows up in their area with plague once the cats are gone. What a total idiot.
  
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- 3monkeysmomma
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:36am
  This is going to have the same outcome as the ban on alligator hunting did. Wait a couple decades and see the terrible results.
  
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- Priscilla King
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:45am
  Cut the poor dope some slack’cos he’s in New Zealand, the home of many bird species that have NOT coexisted with cats for thousands of years. But in North America any literate person should know his study is 100% irrelevant.
  
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ForMyKidsVA
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45am
While my kitty has killed a couple of birds and, much to my approval, moles, voles and mice, I’m willing to bet that the greenies windmills kill far more endangered and migratory birds and bats every year than cats do.

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- Priscilla King
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:39am
  Dittos!
  
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ilovethiscountry
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45am
Can you immagine how many of these pests there would be if there were no cats? I thank god for my cat and all the others out there.

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midnightsun
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45am
Less birds crapping on my car!

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Welcome Black Carter
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:45am
Cats are an invasive species. I do my part to level the playing field for birds. Every chance I get…

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Minnaloushe
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:44am
“New Zealand would be a lot closer to being predator free” if it would rid itself of progressives like Gareth Morgan.

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blanco5
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:43am
Uh-oh…I see it coming. Ban on cats. I’m a dog person anyway.

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- Fubared
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:00am
  Only assault cats.
  
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midnightsun
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:42am
Less birds to sh*& on my car!

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- searcher619
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:22pm
  Nope. The cats only get the slow ones. Unfortunately there will still be plenty of bird poop to go around…
  
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kaydeebeau
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:41am
Whew – I’m relieved – I thought this was going to be a story about how Americans now had pet wind turbines to kill those feather avians….

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- TedsOfBeverlyHills
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:24am
  Thank you cats! Getting tired of the bird crap on the car, deck, porch, etc.
  
  Cats are clean, bury their poop, and are quiet. Wish more people were like them. Especially dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs.
  
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