Cats and Songbirds Can Live in Harmony

by Steve Dale

Recent media and blog reports have pounced on both owned and feral cats, blaming cats for everything bad that's been happening to songbirds, as their population plummets.

I have a song of my own to chirp in reply: "What A Fool Believes."

I'm sick of all the bickering and caterwauling; I believe that cats and songbirds can live in harmony. And I'll tell you how.

Let me begin by saying that I love songbirds. I can't imagine life without their melodic chirping. Then there's a practical matter: Songbirds are important to ecosystems for numerous reasons, particularly their appetite for insects, many of which are detrimental to crops or to us.

I also love cats. Owning a cat is healthful; petting a purring friend is actually good for us. In fact, by pure numbers, cats are man's best friends; there are 90 million pet cats and 70 million dogs in the U.S. (according to the American Veterinary Medical Association).

Those media and blog reports blame the decline of songbird species solely at the paws of cats. A recent Washington Post story indicated that two-thirds of all indoor cats also go outside. That's simply wrong. According to an American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey, only 22 percent of cat owners allow their cats outside.

Still, I agree that the number of cats going outdoors is not insignificant. But let's investigate the predatory effectiveness of these indoor/outdoor cats. Statistically, at least half of all pet cats are overweight, which certainly diminishes their hunting skills. Indoor/outdoor cats are typically well fed and not motivated to catch a thing. I will concede that cats are hard-wired to hunt, and even some well-fed cats attempt to catch prey, even if they don't eat it. Many cats play with their prey; traumatized birds usually succumb to scratch wounds even if cats let them go.

There's a solution to the problem of indoor/outdoor cats threatening songbirds (as well as other wildlife): Keep the cats indoors.

I realize that for cats who've gone outdoors whenever they wanted for their entire lives, transition to life inside can be challenging, even impossible. However, other individuals adapt well to enriched indoor environments. Keeping cats indoors from Day 1 should be the objective. Indoor only cats live longer, healthier lives. It's foolish to believe life isn't worth living if they're not outdoors.

The list of dangers for cats allowed to wander begins with what's likely the No. 1 killer: cars. Other threats include coyotes, birds of prey and stray dogs. Cats get into squabbles with other cats, returning home with abscesses. They can also spread disease to one another.

Unsupervised, you have no idea what's going on with your cat. If the pet develops a medical problem (such as a clot due to heart disease), it probably dies. In cold weather, cats are adept at finding warm places, like slinking under car hoods. When unknowing motorists turn on the ignition, the pets are mangled. They may lap up sweet tasting but deadly anti-freeze or graze on toxic plants.

Also, allowing cats to roam is not fair to neighbors whose gardens become toilets. Some spray homes, prompting the innocent cats inside to spray back.

Don't get me wrong. I want cats to experience the outdoors on walks in strollers made to tote cats; on a leash and harness; in yards where cat fencing keeps them confined and predators out, or on new cat-safe patios called "catios."

Owned cats aren't as great a threat to songbirds as the estimated 50 million to 90 million un-owned cats. Feral cats will take songbirds if there's an opportunity, though they're far more successful at catching prey that can't fly. In any case, reduce feral cat numbers and you help songbirds.

Historically, the traditional way to deal with feral cats has been to catch as many as possible and euthanize them (unsocialized feral cats are challenging to have as pets, and with shelters overflowing with cats, euthanasia has been the only viable option). This trap-and-kill strategy gets expensive, however, and has never worked. If it had, I wouldn't be writing this column!

Here's the irony: We have a solution that works called trap, neuter, return (TNR). Volunteers and enlightened animal control officials and shelter workers humanely trap colony members one by one. The cats are spay/neutered, vaccinated for rabies (important for public health concerns), and in some places also microchipped. They're identified with an ear notch, so volunteer caretakers will recognize any new colony cats who haven't been through the process. Young kittens are adopted through a participating shelter, as are any friendly cats (owned cats who became lost). TNR is clearly a humane solution.

I called TNR an irony because bird lovers can easily help their feathered friends by participating in TNR programs. The answer is right there under their beaks.

Another way cat and bird lovers can work together is to focus on the real fundamental reasons why songbird populations are rapidly declining: pollution (both light and air pollution) and destruction of habitat. Cats have nothing to do with these realities, which are often conveniently overlooked, probably because people feel powerless to do anything about them. I argue that most cat lovers appreciate songbirds and would be happy to help apply political pressure to address these larger issues.

If we work together, cats and songbirds will benefit.

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