One way of living a more green sustainable lifestyle that is often over looked, is that of responsible pet ownership. This short blog will focus on highlighting the impacts of cats on our native wildlife, and ways you can reduce this through responsible cat ownership.
In recent years the public have been bombarded with news articles which have estimated that cats are killing millions of native animals each year, and many people would read these articles and immediately assume it is purely the feral cats in the arid interior contributing to this and not the domestic cats who sit in your lounge by day but begin roaming the streets at night time. A recently published study however, has shone the spotlight on just how wrong this assumption is. Woinarski and co-authors recently published the paper "How many birds are killed by cats in Australia?". Previous research on the impact of cats has usually focused on feral cats predating on native mammals, with birds being somewhat of an after thought. This study however has estimated that between 161 million birds and 757 million birds are killed each year by cats (dependent on cat densities, rainfall conditions etc.). What is more alarming is that they have also estimated an additional 61 million birds are killed each year by pet cats. Now while the study did support previous research, in that feral cats are a larger problem in the arid interior than in urban areas, it has highlighted the devastating impact our pets are still having on wildlife. In my local area (living right next to a regional park) domestic cats have been a massive problem, and we witness them on a daily basis entering the bushland, attacking frogs, birds & have even witnessed them chasing goannas. In Western Australia unfortunately cat laws do very little to protect our native wildlife (other than requiring cats be sterilised, microchipped and registered), and my queries to local councils and MP's about my concerns fall on deaf ears. Thankfully as a pet owner you don't have to close your eyes to the problem (like our friend in the image below). You can take several easy steps (listed below) to help reduce your cats impact on the environment (particularly if you live near a bush reserve) while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your pet.
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AuthorMy name is Garry and I am extremely passionate about the environment. I have completed my BSc. Conservation and Wildlife Biology with First Class Honours and have worked in the Environment sector since 2009. Archives
October 2019
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Local Food Initiative, mitchell haindfield, everyoneisgone, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Takashi(aes256), ilyayakubovich.com