By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC World Service
Cats are one of the top threats to US wildlife, killing billions of animals each year, a study suggests.
The authors estimate they are responsible for the deaths of between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually.
Writing in Nature Communications, the scientists said stray and feral cats were the worst offenders.
However, they added that pet cats also played a role and that owners should do more to reduce their impact.
The authors concluded that more animals are dying at the claws of cats in the United States than in road accidents, collisions with buildings or poisonings.
The domestic cat's killer instinct has been well documented on many islands around the world.
Felines accompanying their human companions have gone on to decimate local wildlife, and they have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species.
But their impact on mainland areas has been harder to chart.
To find out more, researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service carried out a review of studies that had previously looked at the predatory prowess of cats.
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Our study suggests that they are the top threat to US wildlife”
Dr Pete Marra SCBI
Their analysis revealed that the cat killings were much higher than previous studies had suggested: they found that they had killed more than four times as many birds as has been previously estimated.
Birds native to the US, such as the American Robin, were most at risk, and mice, shrews, voles, squirrels and rabbits were the mammals most likely to be killed.
Dr Pete Marra from the SCBI said: "Our study suggests that they are the top threat to US wildlife."
The team said that "un-owned" cats, which they classified as strays, feral cats and farm cats, were killing about three times as many animals as pet cats, but that their owners could do more to limit the impact.
Dr Marra said: "We hope that the large amount of wildlife mortality indicated by our research convinces some cat owners to keep their cats indoors and that it alerts policymakers, wildlife managers and scientists to the large magnitude of wildlife mortality caused by cat predation."
A spokeswoman for the UK's animal welfare charity the RSPCA said that a properly fitted collar and bell could reduce a cat's success when hunting by at least a third.
I do love our family cat, but she's a born killer. Over the years, despite bells on her collar and what have you, she's brought in birds, mice and we even had one stray who brought a baby rabbit!
She's well fed etc, she just can't resist the hunt. If we saw her trying to kill something we'd normally step in and get her to stop then release the prey if it was fit enough to run or fly (mum nursed some badly beaten birds back to health!) but then again sometimes we were just too late.
Now that she's getting older she doesn't catch many birds and stays in most of the time.
Most of my family cats were killers too. Alas they killed rats in the streets too. They are hunters. The article makes them sound like criminals. Better take their guns away!
If anything its my pet chickens which are the biggest killers in my garden, I've seen them catch and kill mice, frogs, sparrows, and even an injured pigeon. If it moves and they can catch it, they will attempt to eat it. Many people forget chickens are omnivores and will even at times engage in cannibalism if a member of the flock displays illness or lameness.
My cat on the other hand is the laziest creature to grace the earth, the birds all ignore her because they've come to realise she can't be bothered chasing anything. Sometimes the crows will go right up to her and she just walks straight past them without a care in the world.
Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money.
They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
My dog is a born hunter too. She's killed pheasants, rabbits, mice and tried to get a few hedgehogs. Saying that though she isn't allowed out alone so I guess it's not such an issue.
i can understand this and have heard this several times before, there are increasing amounts of people who are having housecats who arent allowed out or some even enclosing their gardens to the point the cats can't get out.
I understand this to a point, it makes sense if you think about it, they kill other stuff, get hit by cars, **** in other ppls gardens
but i just can't bring myself to part with my belief that cats roam about as do as they please
I understand this to a point, it makes sense if you think about it, they kill other stuff, get hit by cars, **** in other ppls gardens
I think a lot of Disney stuff have given people idea animals are all warm and fuzzy and don't have a buisness end. I see people posting "cutsey" pics of polar bears on tumblr and yet I've seem pics of polar bear with cubs totally caked in blood as they were ripping other animals apart!
I'm not saying people don't understand that but what other domestic pet is allowed to **** where ever it likes and the owner isn't held responsible, or allowed to kill wild animals and people who don't like cats understandably aren't keep on poop filled gardens
as i said i'm all for cats but i'm just kinda being devils advocate here
Felines accompanying their human companions have gone on to decimate local wildlife, and they have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species.
Any idea which ones?
Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.
By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
Thankfully our cat hasn't brought anything back. He has a fitted collar with a bell on and spends most of his time asleep in the bathroom anyway (strange cat)
My old cat also had a collar with a bell. The only thing she ever went after were the bees that nested in our neighbours shed. I think, had she not had the bell, she'd have been terrible for bringing things back.
My boy cat went through a stage last year of bringing in every bird he could get his blood thirsty little fangs on. He didnt like killing them, just wanted to show us that he was capable, when he was a little kitten he someone managed to get a wood pigeon and the thing nearly flew off with him.
My girl cat will kill mice,but she does it by accident because shes playing with them and they get exhausted and then die. Theyre both much to spoilt to eat the things they kill. Just for fun!
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
" The South Island Piopio, Chatham Islands Rail,the Auckland Islands Merganser, and the common diving petrelare a few from a long list, with the most extreme case being the flightless Stephens Island Wren, which was driven to extinction only a few years after its discovery"
I think what people often forget is that HUMANS have domesticated animals. Regardless of how cuddly, well trained, well behaved - whatever, that animal is, it is still an animal and it has inbuilt instincts.
For example, some dogs were bred to hunt, some were born to kill, some were born to retrieve and such like and we have, over time, taken them into our homes and they have become 'family pets'. I would never, ever have my hamster out if my dog is in the same area- if my dog were to catch my hamster and harm/kill it, it'd be MY fault, not his. He would be doing what nature has told him to do, he wouldn't be doing it to be naughty or horrible, he would just be following his instincts.
Animals killing other animals isn't nice but they usually only kill if they are then going to eat or if it's to protect themselves. Humans kill so, so many animals each and every single day and sometimes that is 'just for fun' or as a 'sport'.
-“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.” Anais Nin-
Allie, Mutt, Great Grandma, Hope and Humbug. I love you and miss you all. xx
For example, some dogs were bred to hunt, some were born to kill, some were born to retrieve and such like and we have, over time, taken them into our homes and they have become 'family pets'. I would never, ever have my hamster out if my dog is in the same area- if my dog were to catch my hamster and harm/kill it, it'd be MY fault, not his. He would be doing what nature has told him to do, he wouldn't be doing it to be naughty or horrible, he would just be following his instincts.
I totally agree! Our dogs are terriers, bred to kill rats and other rodents. We never have the rats out when they're about and they're not allowed in my room as my hamsters and mice are in there. The cat is banned from the room too.
No matter how domesticated an animal is, you can never take away their wild instincts
