Hey. So… i live rural and my cats are pets but also are working cats to keep the rodents out of my house.
Just saw some saltiness going on in the comments and wanted to address it.
Didn’t make this post with the intention of making anyone upset and I apologize to those I did.
Does the bird decimation happens in the wilderness too? When birds have trees enough to hide? The cats we’ve had very rarely brought birds home. I think our livingroom windows have taken out more birds than our cats ever did. They brought back mouse often instead.
So my guess is that it is also the lack of cat-safe hiding spots that get small birds killed in cities. Not all birds are able to stay on roofs when its a bit of wind. And cats can easier sneak up buildings than out on a thin tree branch.
Cats are an invasive species in much of the world. They’ve driven species of birds, mamals, and reptiles to extinction, and many more to the brink.
If someone let’s their cats run loose outside, they are an irresponsible pet owner. Not to mention the risk of the cat(s) being hit by a car or mauled by a dog or something. Bonus irresponsibility if one let’s non-spayed/neutered cats roam free and lead to more invasive strays.
Cats are very effective and sadistic predators who kill for fun. Keep them contained and instead of contributing to a the decimation of birds and small wildlife in your area. (Meaning the universal you btw, not directing this at you personally!)
Cats kill many billions of birds annually just for fun whether there are trees or not.