According to a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, cats that freely roam outside pose a grave danger to biodiversity. As a lover of felines, generally, and of two cats particularly, I find this study cause for pause.
The paper reports that free-ranging cats eat birds, reptiles and mammals – while not saying no to insects or amphibians as an occasional amuse-bouche. And that they are causing havoc in the bird world’s biodiversity.
The defense I mount focuses on the fact that with their natural advantage of flight, birds that can’t outduel earthbound cats probably aren’t long for this world anyway. And I’d give even odds on a no-holds-barred match-up of cats vs either mammals or reptiles.
The study’s big concern is that cats will hunt a particular prey even when a species becomes scarce. As if they should know the difference in the population statistics.
I’ll take the alert protection of my two (inside only) kitty cats who trap and destroy palmetto bugs and geckos that find their way into my house. Sometimes you need a predator on your side with the evolutionary eye of the tiger.
___based in part on “An Anti-Cat Study Gives Me Cause for Paws” by Mike Kerrigan WSJ