One Health

Hi Cailyn;

 Thank you for your post.  With regards to that 2.4 billion figure for community cats impacts on birds.  I think we need to be careful about making these types of statements without context.  Here is an interesting link to a blog that Peter Wolfe wrote on this topic that might be helpful: Cats Vs. Birds: Researching The Research - Faunalytics

   It is also interesting to note that in the UK(a leader in spay/neuter and tnr for cat programs) has a culture of indoor/outdoor cats and it is at times hard to adopt cats when you want them to be indoor only.

    Switzerland is known for their "cat ladders" on the outside of buildings to enable cats to come and go as they please.  

I think the word invasive species is interesting- I prefer the terms over-populated and under-populated for our species management puzzles that we currently have.

      I heard a presentation about how forests out west are going to cut down and hundreds of thousands of bard owls may be culled to help benefit the spotted owl.  Here is the interesting story. 

     Those of us in the animal welfare space need to think very carefully about our actions impacting wildlife and animal populations and how we can keep a balanced level of them all. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share with the group my thoughts on this very challenging topic because we are always going to have imbalances. 

Hello Stacy, 

Thank you for your response! I appreciate hearing other people's perspective on the topic. 

The blog post you linked is very interesting. Unfortunately, since it was posted in 2014 the subject of research surrounding cats as predators of birds has grown immensely. Many journals have published on the topic that agree birds are being harmed by free range cat communities, though I acknowledge that there is debate surrounding the exact number of birds killed. Here are a few papers for reference:

• Pavisse, Roman, Didier Vangeluwe, and Philippe Clergeau. "Domestic cat predation on garden birds: an analysis from European ringing programmes." Ardea 107.1 (2019): 103-109.
• Chu, Jonathan J., et al. "An updated estimate of the number of birds killed by outdoor cats in Canada." Avian Conservation and Ecology 20.2 (2025).
• Loss, Scott R., et al. "Review and synthesis of the global literature on domestic cat impacts on wildlife." Journal of Animal Ecology 91.7 (2022): 1361-1372.

I also understand that it is unpleasant to add a negative label such as "invasive" to a beloved pet species, but this term is the standard for scientists and habitat managers. Cats do fit all of the requirements to be labeled as such: 1) They aren't native to the area. 2) They repopulate freely in the wild. and 3) They harm native species and ecosystems. 

In the end, I understand that this topic is very sensitive and should be handled carefully. This is exactly why I thought it was a great topic for a forum like this one. I love cats and would never advocate for doing harm, rather I advocate for humane ways of lowering free range cat numbers like TNR and keeping pet cats indoors when possible. 

Hi Cailyn;

 Thank you for your post.  With regards to that 2.4 billion figure for community cats impacts on birds.  I think we need to be careful about making these types of statements without context.  Here is an interesting link to a blog that Peter Wolfe wrote on this topic that might be helpful: Cats Vs. Birds: Researching The Research - Faunalytics

   It is also interesting to note that in the UK(a leader in spay/neuter and tnr for cat programs) has a culture of indoor/outdoor cats and it is at times hard to adopt cats when you want them to be indoor only.

    Switzerland is known for their "cat ladders" on the outside of buildings to enable cats to come and go as they please.  

I think the word invasive species is interesting- I prefer the terms over-populated and under-populated for our species management puzzles that we currently have.

      I heard a presentation about how forests out west are going to cut down and hundreds of thousands of bard owls may be culled to help benefit the spotted owl.  Here is the interesting story. 

     Those of us in the animal welfare space need to think very carefully about our actions impacting wildlife and animal populations and how we can keep a balanced level of them all. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share with the group my thoughts on this very challenging topic because we are always going to have imbalances. 

Hi Cailyn;

 Thanks for your response.  One thing is for sure that I think all parties(bird and cat) agree that reducing cat overpopulation is the best end result.  In Newburyport(the heart of Piping Plover's with an Audobon center and fish and wildlife center), MA we successfully reduced the cat population through the use of TNR and affordable and accessible owned cat s/n so we no longer have cats in vulnerable areas. 

Cat overpopulation's root cause is access to s/n for community cats.(those that are outdoors and unsterilized).  As our sterilization rates have decreased since 2019(Shelter Animals Counts), I am not surprised that the population statistics have shifted.    

You might find this video of interest as this is the organization that really helped me understand the challenges that cat owners face. I have been involved with them since 1994(board president for 16 years). So many of our MRFRS volunteers are also "Plover Wardens" at Plum Island- I think we have found a nice balance in the community.  

Also the work of Bob Sallinger at the Portland Audubon and the Cats Safe at Home is another successful resource understanding that there is a way for co-existance.  

The more information and perspective we can have the better.

I think we are all in agreement that there are more cats outside than there need to be, the question is how do we unify to create a plan to reduce the number of cats?

Stacy

Hello Stacy, 

Thank you for your response! I appreciate hearing other people's perspective on the topic. 

The blog post you linked is very interesting. Unfortunately, since it was posted in 2014 the subject of research surrounding cats as predators of birds has grown immensely. Many journals have published on the topic that agree birds are being harmed by free range cat communities, though I acknowledge that there is debate surrounding the exact number of birds killed. Here are a few papers for reference:

• Pavisse, Roman, Didier Vangeluwe, and Philippe Clergeau. "Domestic cat predation on garden birds: an analysis from European ringing programmes." Ardea 107.1 (2019): 103-109.
• Chu, Jonathan J., et al. "An updated estimate of the number of birds killed by outdoor cats in Canada." Avian Conservation and Ecology 20.2 (2025).
• Loss, Scott R., et al. "Review and synthesis of the global literature on domestic cat impacts on wildlife." Journal of Animal Ecology 91.7 (2022): 1361-1372.

I also understand that it is unpleasant to add a negative label such as "invasive" to a beloved pet species, but this term is the standard for scientists and habitat managers. Cats do fit all of the requirements to be labeled as such: 1) They aren't native to the area. 2) They repopulate freely in the wild. and 3) They harm native species and ecosystems. 

In the end, I understand that this topic is very sensitive and should be handled carefully. This is exactly why I thought it was a great topic for a forum like this one. I love cats and would never advocate for doing harm, rather I advocate for humane ways of lowering free range cat numbers like TNR and keeping pet cats indoors when possible. 

Hi Cailyn;

 Thank you for your post.  With regards to that 2.4 billion figure for community cats impacts on birds.  I think we need to be careful about making these types of statements without context.  Here is an interesting link to a blog that Peter Wolfe wrote on this topic that might be helpful: Cats Vs. Birds: Researching The Research - Faunalytics

   It is also interesting to note that in the UK(a leader in spay/neuter and tnr for cat programs) has a culture of indoor/outdoor cats and it is at times hard to adopt cats when you want them to be indoor only.

    Switzerland is known for their "cat ladders" on the outside of buildings to enable cats to come and go as they please.  

I think the word invasive species is interesting- I prefer the terms over-populated and under-populated for our species management puzzles that we currently have.

      I heard a presentation about how forests out west are going to cut down and hundreds of thousands of bard owls may be culled to help benefit the spotted owl.  Here is the interesting story. 

     Those of us in the animal welfare space need to think very carefully about our actions impacting wildlife and animal populations and how we can keep a balanced level of them all. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share with the group my thoughts on this very challenging topic because we are always going to have imbalances. 

Hello everyone! My name is Cailyn Haubein and I am a graduate student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at UTK. I'm posting today for Invasive Species Awareness Week. Below, I've compiled some info about invasive species and how they relate to pets. I'm happy to chat with anyone or answer any questions.

What is an invasive species?

An invasive species is any organism (plant, animal, bacteria, or fungus) living outside its native range and causing harm to other species or the environment. Human travel and trade have increased the spread of these organisms, both accidentally (e.g., insects transported with food and wood) and intentionally (e.g., plants and animals introduced for gardens or the pet trade).

How pets become invasive:

Many pets escape captivity and establish invasive populations. Examples include goldfish, Burmese pythons, and European starlings. One of the most impactful examples is cats; feral and free-roaming pet cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds annually in the U.S. and significantly contribute to bird decline.

How you can make a difference (pets):

Keep cats indoors and support Trap-Neuter-Return programs to help stabilize feral cat populations. Never release pets into the wild-surrender unwanted animals to shelters to prevent ecological harm.

How invasives impact pet health:

Invasive plants can reshape ecosystems by forming dense growth that supports pests such as ticks. In Tennessee, species like Bush Honeysuckle, Oriental Bittersweet, and Japanese Barberry create ideal tick habitat, increasing risks of diseases such as Lyme disease for both pets and humans.

How you can make a difference (plants):

Stay aware of invasive plants on your property using state conservation resources. Here is a link for Tennessee: Link. When planting, choose locally sourced native species that support healthy ecosystems and natural pest predators. Native plant guides can help you identify suitable options for your area. Here is a link for the US: Link

References:

American Bird Conservancy

National Invasive Species Information Center

Invasive Plants Harbor Vectors