Cats are, according to cat-killing birds statistics, one of the main factors of extinction and reduction of species all across the world.
Cats are born hunters and they’re one of the most ecological dangers according to Internation Union for Conservation of Nature. Do you know how many birds were killed by cats every year?
The United States is a country with a high percentage of households that have cats, and most of them are indoor pets that are not allowed to be outside. Still, millions of feral and unowned cats are present threat nad each cat kill al least 2 animals every week.
In our article, we prepared the list of the most shocking cat-killing bird statistics and facts that everyone needs to know. If you’re interested in this topic keep on reading.
Top 6 Killing Birds Facts
(Editor’s pick)
- There are 86 million households with cats in the United States
- Approximately 3.7 billion birds was killed by cats every year
- Birds account for around 25% of stray and feral cats’ prey
- Feral and unowned cats are responsible for 69% of all cat-killed birds.
- Third of 800 bird species are in a decline in the United States
- The average pet cat kills two animals every week.
List of 14 Killing Birds Statistics
1. There are 86 million households with cats in the United States
All over the world, there are millions of animals and one of the species with the highest number is definitely cats. Statistics show there are around 400 million cats and only in the United States, about 86 a million cats find their forever home. Some of the households own more than one cat, and statistics indicate that cats are now more popular than dogs.
Cat owners either buy or adopt cat different breeds, colors, and ages. Some cats are staying indoors most of their time but there are many owners that left their cats in a backyard which potentially presents a threat to wildlife animals, especially birds.
Source: petkeen.com
2. Approximately 3.7 billion birds were killed by cats every year
Cats are the number one bird predators, especially those who’re easy to catch, like small and newborn ones. If cats notice a next on the tree or somewhere else in the backyard, they will constantly keep an eye on eating, and waiting for the easiest attack.
According to statistics cats kill around 3.7 billion birds in just one year, which represents one of the biggest numbers of killed animals in a short time.
Only outdoor cats kill around 2.4 billion birds in one year, which include a combination of owned and unowned cats, but mostly stray animals. Even if this number seems unbelievable, this is the result of millions of outdoor cats, and according to statistics, in the United States, there are approximately 74 million feral and stray cats.
Source: petpedia.co
3. Birds account for around 25% of stray and feral cats’ prey
Cats are great hunters and love to be active, especially if they’re outdoor in the backyard. They’re mostly hunting for mice and other small mammals, but one of the favorite animals they love to hunt is birds. According to cat statistics, birds account for about 25% of cats’ prey.
Cats love to climb onto trees where they usually find newborn birds. Small and injured birds are most in danger when the cat is nearby.
Source: petpedia.co
4. Outdoor cats contribute to 33 extinctions around the world
Feral cats are not only one of the biggest human outdoor threats but also one of the biggest animal threats, especially for birds like songbirds and penguins. All outdoor cats predate birds and different animals of similar sizes, which contributed to 33 extinctions around the world.
According to cat statistics, outdoor cats, which include feral cats are responsible for the decline of 27 mammal species, which include 25 reptile species. Different data also show that feral cats affected the reduction and even extinction of 123 bird species on some islands all over the world.
Feral cats are one of the biggest threats to endemic species and according to all research they’re responsible for at least 14% of global extinctions to this day.
Source: petpedia.co
5. Feral and unowned cats are responsible for 69% of all cat-killed birds
There are thousands of feral and unowned cats in the United States, and feral cat colonies present a major problem for birds. According to statistics, feral and homeless cats are responsible for around 69% of all cat-killed birds in the country To decrease this percentage, spaying, and neutering is one of the first solutions.
According to TNR, between 71% to 94% of all cats need to be neutered and spayed to ensure that the percentage of killed bird species will decrease every year.
Source: allaboutbirds.org
6. Cats kill between 100 and 350 million birds in Canada every year
Canada as one of the biggest countries in the world has millions of cats and one of the biggest ecological problems presents the number of killed bird species.
Indoor and outdoor cats kill between 100 and 350 million species of birds in Canada. According to statistics, this number shows that about 2-7% of all birds in southern Canada will be killed by cats every year.
Source: ace-eco.org
7. Around 61 million birds are killed by pet cats in Australia
Just like the United States, other biggest countries in the world revealed shocking statistics about the number of killed birds by cats in one year. According to data from 2019. around 61 million birds was be killed by pet cats.
Comparing it to a number that includes feral cats, statistics show that approximately 44 million birds are killed every year by type breed of cats. Because Australia has a lower cat population, the number of killed birds is less than in the United States.
Source: nespthreatenedspecies.edu
8. One of the word’s word non-native species are domestic cats
Data show that domestic cats are on the top of the 100 worst-non native invasive animals in the world, which is the result of billion of bird mortality because of cats.
Cats are estimated to kill up to 4 billion bits and 22.3 mammals every year in the United States, and these shocking statistics represent the feat of reduction and extinction of many other species.
Source: petkeen.com
9. Third of 800 bird species are in a decline in the United States
Even if the cats are one of the causes of the declining number of species in the United States, there are other factors that cause the decline of a third of 800 bird species in the United States. It includes disease, habitat destruction as well as pollution.
As the number of bird species decreases, cats still play the role of the biggest threat, especially for the species with the lowest number of birds.
Source: petkeen.com
10. Around 65-75% of family cats are only indoor
Statistics show that Americans have around 86 million cats, and they are, next to the dogs, favorite pets to choose for families. Many of the owners don’t let cats outside, mostly because they fear they will go missing or some other animal will attack the cat.
According to a different survey, about 65-75% of pet cats are stray inside the house. Keeping cats indoors will lower the number of killed animals, especially birds which are mostly in danger.
Source: petkeen.com
11. Around 50 million owned cats are allowed to be outside
Even if the percentage of indoor cats is much higher than those who’re living outside or are allowed to be outside every day, this is still around 50 million owned cats that present a threat to all bird species.
Combining the number of 100 million unowned cats in the country, the number of cats on the street is more than 150 million.
Source: petkeen.com
12. The average pet cat kills two animals every week
If the cat has outdoor access every day, there is a bigger possibility she will kill some of the animals in the backyard, mostly small animals like birds.
According to statistics, the average cat kills two animals every week, which include wildlife animals, and in most cases those are birds. Other statistics show that indoor cats can save up to 54 million birds every year in the United States.
Source: petkeen.com
13. Cats have threatened endangered bird species in Hawaii
Back in 1700, after cats came to Hawaiian Island, they have threatened endangered bird species like the Hawaiian goose and Hawaiian petrel. To this day cats already contributed to the extinction of many bird species, which is one of the biggest problems of Islands.
Source: petkeen.com
14. Cats easily spread diseases by killing birds
Not that it is the only problem with the huge number of killed wildlife animals, including birds every year, cats easily spread disease which can cause a lot of damage to other species.
Outdoor cats easily transmit rabies, leukemia ad other fatal diseases. One of the diseases has contributed to the extinction of a crow in Hawaii back in 2002, and easily can be transmitted to mammals and even people.
Source: petkeen.com
To Sum Up
According to cat-killing birds statistics and facts in the last few years, we can conclude there are billions of killed bird species because of feral, owned, and unowned cats. Cats are natural hunters and the responsibility is on the humans to keep their cats inside the house, which can annually save millions of birds. Because of cat overpopulation, one of the main solutions is spaying and neutering.
