Feral Cats Negatively Affect Wildlife

MONTGOMERY-Feral cats are non-domesticated cats living on the streets and in the wild. They have never been in captivity and are truly wild animals. Feral cats are seen in and around dumpsters, parking lots of restaurants and alongside roadways. These cats negatively affect a number of wildlife species as well as public health because of the diseases they carry and spread. Throughout the United States, the feral and abandoned cat population is estimated at between 60 and 100 million.

Feeding stray cats is strongly discouraged. Because cats congregate when fed, this increases the chance of diseases, both fatal and non-fatal, being transmitted to humans and other animals. Some believe that feeding will keep the cats from harming and killing other wildlife species, but this is not true. Cats are hunters by nature and will hunt and kill whether they are fed or not. Studies have shown that 62 to 80 percent of feral cats carry the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, which is a condition of special concern to pregnant women. Other diseases spread by stray cats are rabies, ringworm, cat scratch fever, allergies, feline leukemia, feline distemper and secondary bacterial infections.

Feral cats can have a widespread, devastating and sustained effect on wildlife populations. Feral cats kill hundreds of millions of native North American birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish each year. In areas where feral cat populations are high, birds are less likely to nest, and ground-foraging birds such as quail and thrasher may be entirely absent. Wild animals that aren’t killed by feral cats are sometimes maimed, mauled or dismembered. The carnage inflicted by feral cats exceeds the combination of all other known direct sources of bird and small mammal mortality combined.

Habitat fragmentation makes it extremely easy for feral cats to prey on different animal species. Fragmented areas of trees or bushes give preyed upon animals just enough comfort to get them killed. Hanging a bird feeder may seem to help by providing extra food for wildlife, but it can be a magnet for attracting feral cats and create a death zone for birds as well as small mammals. Although most would think that a fully adult rabbit would be safe from the jaws of a feral cat, they are on the menu as well.

The feral cat issue is extremely controversial. When people see a cat, they automatically think of their childhood pet. On the contrary, feral cats are nuisance animals. To benefit native wildlife, feral cat populations should be controlled and/or eliminated. Whether you’re feeding a stray cat, dropping a cat off on the side of the road when you get tired of taking care of it, or failing to have your cats spayed or neutered, you can very quickly become part of the problem. Do the responsible thing.

For more information, contact Justin Monk, Wildlife Biologist, 30571 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort, AL 36527. You may call the District V Wildlife Section Office at 251-626-5474.

MEDIA RELEASE/Justin Monk, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries