Cats: The Killing Machines

How can you possibly not enjoy cats? Domesticated cats have been by our sides for 10,000 years, and for good reason! These cuddly creatures warm our hearts with their affectionate and silly behavior. Just look at the cat pictured below. Adorable, right? (Though a little annoying when you're trying to do homework!)

Photo taken by me of my cat being a cute distraction. 

If you love cats as much as I do, then you'd probably be shocked to learn about how terrible they are for the environment! Obviously I knew that cats were killers. I think every cat owner has had to deal with their cats trying to bring in a dead animal, or worse, successfully bringing in a live one (damn you Rupert!). But I had no idea cats were actually an invasive species and are really bad for the ecosystem. No wonder all cartoon villains are pictured stroking a cat! Although, looking at this picture of my cat Hugo, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. 

Photo taken by me of my cat looking menacing whilst behind a chess board. 

Outdoor cats pose a threat to many small animals, killing a whopping 1.4 billion to 3.7 billion birds each year. That's not even the worst of it though. Cats kill about 6.9 billion to 20.7 billion mammals each year! Now you might be thinking, "what's the big deal? I could use a little less bird chirping at 5:00 AM or less mice trying to make a home in my house." Well, the problem is that the large removal of these animals results in decreased biodiversity, which could have major effects on our lives. Biodiversity is a necessary part of our ecosystem, and something we heavily rely on. You might not have stopped to think about it, but everything we need, from clean water and food to even the air we breathe, comes from an ecosystem that relies on biodiversity. Having a variety of species in an ecosystem allows for functions such as clean air, pest control, and more to occur naturally, and generally results in more productivity; it creates self reliance within the ecosystem. This is why removing even one species from an ecosystem can have a negative impact. Take woodpeckers, for example, which are keystone species, meaning that the ecosystem is greatly reliant on the species. If you remove woodpeckers from their habitat, there will be less woodpecker nest-holes. The amount of owls and other birds who use these abandoned holes would also decrease as they would have no shelter. In response to the decreased bird population, the species that get eaten by the birds would then increase. See how removing one group has such a big impact on the ecosystem around it? That's because of the reliance all organisms have on each other. Look at the table below for example!

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons that depicts the trophic levels organized in a pyramid. 

In this pyramid, the levels below are necessary for the levels above to survive. This is because through predation and consumption, energy is transferred through the bottom levels to the top levels. So besides species providing homes and living conditions for other species, such as the case with the woodpeckers, decreasing an animal population also decreases the amount of food and energy in an ecosystem. The issue  with cats is that they're not just decreasing the amount of species in the environment, they're wiping them out completely. Cats have aided in the extinction of sixty-three species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, and have hunted other species to near extinction. This issue is so severe that domestic cats were put on the list of the world's worst invasive non-native species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This is a genuine issue and not something to be overlooked or pushed aside. So now you might be saying, "wow jeez Kat you're right! This is a serious issue! Is there anything I can do to help with this issue?" Well, I'm glad you asked! There's actually a simple solution to this issue if you're a cat owner. Don't let your cats outside unless on a leash or in an enclosure. Most of my cats don't really like going outside, aside from that orange and white cat in the first photo (his name is Lil Dude if you were curious. I know, adorable). Since Lil Dude is an escape artist and the living definition of the phrase, "when there's a will, there's a way," my family has an electric collar for him. LISTEN I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING. That sounds unethical. But after doing our own research, we found that this is what works best for our yard and our cat, and it's a static shock equivalent to what you'd get on a metal playground, so it's not too intense. The intensity of the shock is also dependent on the size of the animal, so he's not experiencing something disproportionately painful. This was the best solution we could find to limit my cat's interaction with the outside world without cutting it off completely, so both the birds and the cats can be happy. It's also important to support your local animal shelters. These shelters are usually responsible for catching and housing feral cats as well as other animals that pose a threat to other species, so helping them also helps the ecosystem. Supporting and pushing for legislation that protects animals and wildlife can also help facilitate biodiversity and undo some of the effects of cats. To learn more about possible solutions, you can go here! 

P.S. For the record I am still on team cats in the ongoing cats v. dogs argument. Yes, cats kill a lot of animals and that is bad, but I once saw my dog gleefully running around with a deer leg in her mouth so I mean that's basically the same thing. Team cats all the way!!