Feral cats cause unseen issues

If I were to ask you to name some invasive species that pose a significant risk in the United States, what would your answer be? It may be the Asian carp, house mice, or even zebra mussels. Feral cats may not even be an afterthought for many people in this discussion.

Common definition of an invasive species is a plant, fungus, or animal that is not native to a specific location, which can cause damage to the environment, economy, or health. All of following pertain to problems associated with feral cats. Studies from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reveal that anywhere from 1.4 billion to as many as 3.7 billion birds are killed annually by feral cats. That same study concluded that feral cats account for at least 6.9 billion deaths of small mammals. In addition, The United State Herpetoculture Alliance estimated that feral cats have caused the extinction of 33 species of birds in the United State. The U.S. Herpetoculture Alliance estimates that by 2020, feral cats will have caused 70 species of birds in the United State to become extinct. Feral cats can be a benefit to the environment by killing the abundance of prey species, but the benefits have arguably become too much of a good thing.

Economically, feral cats account for billions of dollars lost. The small amount of control efforts conducted is significantly costly. The additional money used to shelter, feed, and care for cats at animal shelters only helps a small percentage of the species. Furthermore, the cost to euthanize so many animals is steep.

Many organizations support the idea that feral cats can spread diseases to humans. However, the idea that they pose a significant risk to human health is much debated.

A group of three CSC students conducted a population estimate on feral cats in March 2015 for 10 days. One student, Thomas Linegar, passed the findings of the study along to me. The group placed three trail cameras at separate locations on the south side of campus. The three locations were baited with plastic bottles that contained fish oil spray and catnip. An estimated 13 feral cats visited those three locations during the study. This alone could account for 1,092 birds killed in a year. The group concluded that from those 13 cats, the population growth could reach nearly 85 kittens the next year. Based on that estimate the local bird population will greatly suffer.

The unfortunate part of the problem is there are few solutions. It would cost billions of dollars to eradicate the feral cat population. Even worse, if we eradicate the population they would eventually repopulate. If we simply capture to spay or neuter feral cats they will continue to cause problems to the environment and economy. Regardless, the need to work for a solution has to be a priority for this country.