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Malibu surfside news | May 24, 2018 | 17
On Common Ground
Cats, birds — and how to protect them both
Denys Hemen
Hospital Manager
California Wildlife Center
Of all the types of
animals we take
in at California
Wildlife Center, those most
in peril are songbirds.
There has been a steep
population decline in
almost every native species
of songbird across
the United States in recent
years. Many factors such
as habitat destruction, window
strikes, pollution, and
climate change are causing
this decline, but at the top
of the list are free roaming
cats.
It is estimated that there
are over 100 million free
roaming domestic cats in
the United States. These
outdoor predators kill
a shocking amount of
birds. Approximately 2.4
billion birds are killed by
cats each year. This is an
unsustainable loss to many
species. Cats have led to
the extinction of 33 species
of songbirds in recent
history.
Last year, CWC received
81 birds that were
wounded by cat attacks.
While only four of these
came from the Malibu and
surrounding areas, this
number does not reflect
the amount of birds that
perished without ever
being seen. Even if an
attacked bird is able to
escape, the bite itself can
kill the bird later. Cat
bites are so deadly because
of the bacteria that
lives in the cat’s mouth.
Their sharp teeth are like
mini-hypodermic needles
that penetrate the flesh,
causing the bacteria to be
deposited very deep in the
tissue. Any bird patient at
CWC that is suspected of
being caught by a cat immediately
gets antibiotics.
Bells and colorful collars
are sometimes touted
as way to protect birds
from outside cats. These
simply are not an option.
A bird needs to survive
an attack to know that
the sound of a bell means
danger. Bells have never
been proven to eliminate
the killing of birds, and
young birds on the ground
that are not yet able to
fly are also not able to
escape. Many songbirds
learn how to fly from the
ground up. They start off
as tiny hatchlings and
nestlings in the nest. As
they grow bigger and their
feathers begin to come
in, they leave the nest,
where they are sitting
targets. Songbirds then go
to the ground and become
fledglings. This stage
can last for a week or so.
These birds cannot fly
quite yet. They hop along
on the ground and find
hiding places like shrubs
and bushes. The mother
knows the general area the
fledglings are in, and she
continues to deliver food
to them. During this stage,
songbirds are extremely
vulnerable to unnatural
predators such as cats.
Bells and brightly colored
collars are not effective if
the bird cannot fly away.
Entire generations of birds
can be wiped out by the
same cat.
The No. 1 way to curb
our native bird species’
population decline is to
keep cats inside. For those
who have the available
space in their home, a
“catio” — a screened-in
outside area where a cat
can safely play outdoors
— is a great option. There
are many designs that
can be found online, and
they are relatively easy to
build. Keeping cats inside
also keeps the pet safe.
Cars, coyotes and owls are
just a few of the dangers
with which outside cats
must contend. Diseases,
mange, worms, fleas and
ticks are big problems for
outside cats, too.
Feeding feral colonies
causes cats to congregate
and share food and
water with each other and
with wildlife, which can
elevate disease transmission.
In 2015, three times
more cats than dogs tested
positive for rabies in the
U.S. For the sake of wildlife
and for the health of
pet cats, please keep them
indoors and encourage
others to do the same.
On Common Ground is a
monthly column written by
various California Wildlife
Center employees. CWC, a
nonprofit located in Calabasas,
cares for injured wildlife
in Malibu and beyond.
RIGHT: Ground-dwelling
mourning doves are
especially vulnerable to
being attacked by cats.
Dozens of songbirds such as this fledgling northern mockingbird come to California
Wildlife Center after their mothers are killed by cats.
Photos by Kim Barker/22nd Century Media