By Susan Hagood
The recent proposal by a Wisconsin firefighter to add cats to the list of species that can be killed by the state's hunters generated national headlines and widespread outrage. Apparently frustrated with the neighborhood cats who gathered beneath his bird feeders to await a possible catch, the resident proposed that Wisconsin's Conservation Congress, an advisory body to the state's wildlife agency, officially categorize free-roaming domestic cats as "unprotected," so that hunters holding a small-game license could shoot and kill any cat not wearing a collar or under the immediate supervision of a human.
Fortunately, calmer heads look to prevail. Governor Jim Doyle has indicated he does not support the measure, ensuring that it will, in all likelihood, proceed no farther up the legislative ladder. The HSUS will be certain to alert our Wisconsin members should further action be needed on their part.
The Problems with a Free-Roaming Pet
As outrageous as the Wisconsin proposal is, it may have one positive outcome: It has people talking about free-roaming cats. The conflict between cat owners who allow their pets to roam alone and people who prefer that cats stay in their own homes and yards takes place in neighborhoods daily. Whether the neighborhood discord centers on cats killing small mammals and song birds, digging in neighbors' gardens, or engaging in noisy late-night fights, free-roaming cats and people can have conflicts that initially appear insurmountable.
Generally, it is the potential danger to wild species that fuels most of the antagonism that some feel towards cats.
Studies have shown that most of the animals killed by cats are small mammals—meadow voles, white-footed mice, chipmunks, and ground squirrels—and about 25% are birds such as robins, cardinals, and sparrows. Reptiles and amphibians are also occasionally killed. Wild animals are almost certainly killed by cats in direct proportion to their abundance, and thus cat predation may not, in most cases have a long-term negative effect on the population of most wild species* However, it certainly has a negative effect on the individual wild animals, and their lives are deserving of equal consideration in this debate.
The House Cat: A Very Brief History
Cats have been domesticated for many thousands of years. The domestic cat of today has long since lost the ability to survive on his own in the wild, but not his instinct to hunt.
Those who proclaim that cats are predators and their destruction of wildlife a part of nature ignore the fact that domestic cats—unlike bobcats, mountain lions, and other wild felids—cannot routinely establish long-term, self-sustaining populations independent of human activities and support.
If cats could make it in the wild, we'd see them, or evidence of them, deep in the San Juan or Great Smokey Mountains instead of just lurking around the campground and visitor center dumpsters. That we do not is testament to the fact that we've succeeded in domesticating these animals. For this reason, feral cat management programs rely on veterinary intervention and daily feeding and watering by dedicated volunteers.
Spring: Time to Keep Cats and Wildlife Safe
With the arrival of warmer weather, house cats used to going outside may be begging at the door more often. But now is a particularly dangerous time for small wild animals, as newly weaned youngsters strike out on their own for the first time. Keeping your cat indoors, while always important, is particularly vital now as young wild creatures grow into adults more knowledgeable about all the dangers of their world. Add to that the safety of your cat, which comes from keeping her indoors or closely supervised if outside, and the decision is simple: A safe cat is a happy cat, and a safe cat is one kept indoors or occasionally allowed outdoors under the close supervision of a human.
The HSUS's Safe Cats Campaign provides a wealth of information on the importance of keeping cats safe and, at the same time, protecting wild animals from unnecessary and avoidable harm. Cat owners can find tips on making their outdoor cat a happy indoor one, as well as other cat-related advice, at www.SafeCats.org.
As countless young birds and other animals are born this spring, a lot of suffering can be avoided—as well as controversies like the one that played out in Wisconsin—simply by practicing responsible cat ownership.
* Domestic cats can effect wildlife confined to small areas by habitat fragmentation or wildlife on islands. For example, cats are considered primarily responsible for the extinction of several islands nesters, including Stephen's Island wrens, South Island thrushes, Chatham Island rails, Steward Island snipes, and Auckland Island mergansers.
Susan Hagood is a Wildlife Issues specialist for The HSUS.
