Just how bad is kitty for the birds?
Q: I read somewhere that cats are the number one threat to birds in the U.S. and Canada. Is my outdoor cat a threat to birds around my cottage?—HAZEL VALENTINE, VIA EMAIL
A: Yes, your cat is a threat. Is it the number one threat? Truth: habitat destruction and climate change probably play a larger role, at least in terms of indirect threats, says Aly Hyder Ali with Nature Canada, a national nature conservation charity. “But cats are the largest direct threat, and they do have a huge impact.” One North American study estimated that cats cause up to 350 million bird deaths per year. “And that’s probably conservative,” says Hyder Ali. Cats themselves aren’t the problem. “It’s the improper management of cats by humans,” he says.
It’s a misconception that indoor cats are unhappy cats, or that outdoor cats can’t get used to having to stay indoors all the time. (If people can
