Outdoor Cats Threaten Birds

Domestic cats, while cherished companions, are also one of the leading causes of bird mortality in Canada. According to Blancher (2013), cats kill between 100 and 350 million birds each year—more than any other human-related cause, including window collisions and oil spills. In British Columbia, which hosts more bird species than any other province, this issue is especially urgent. Both owned and unowned free-roaming cats prey on birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, contributing significantly to declines in local wildlife populations (Calvert et al., 2013).

Cats allowed to roam outdoors also face increased risks themselves. These include traffic accidents, disease, and interaction with wildlife. According to the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia (2017), many pet owners are unaware of these dangers or the ecological impact of their cats. Additionally, unowned and feral cats put pressure on local animal welfare resources and are often the subject of public complaints. Solutions must involve both changes in pet ownership practices and supportive municipal policies.


Protect Birds

Pet owners can take meaningful actions to reduce harm to birds and improve the health and safety of their cats. Keeping cats indoors or allowing outdoor time only under supervision such as with a leash or in an enclosed patio can prevent predation and protect cats from injury or disease. Spaying and neutering pets helps prevent overpopulation and reduce the number of unowned cats. Tools like Birdsbesafe collars can reduce a cat’s ability to hunt birds. Homeowners can also help by placing bird feeders out of reach of cats and away from dense vegetation where cats might hide.

Municipal policies are essential in creating a coordinated approach to reduce bird mortality caused by cats. The Stewardship Centre for BC (2019) outlines several policy options for local governments. These include implementing no-roam bylaws, such as Creston’s Bylaw 1704, which requires cats to be leashed or kept on private property. Municipalities are also encouraged to support low-cost spay and neuter programs, introduce licensing and permanent identification for cats, and partner with animal welfare organizations to manage unowned cat populations using humane trap-neuter-return or trap-neuter-adopt programs.

To assist municipalities, the Stewardship Centre has prepared several tools and resources. A public letter template is available to help residents ask their local governments to introduce roaming restrictions for cats – link here. They also offer a comprehensive introduction to the roaming cat issue for local governments (link here) and a detailed set of recommended policies and bylaw examples (link here).

Resources

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