It is not okay for cats to kill all the neighborhood birds. [View all]

[XemaSab]

I’m living next to a killer named Frankie. He’s black-and-white and sweet as cats go; he’s also a menace that nobody talks much about, though feral and free-roaming housecats like Frankie have become a tragic problem all over the world.

Every year in America, cats, many of them well-fed pets, kill about 12.3 billion mammals and 2.4 billion birds. When you open the door, your friendly furry feline transforms into a miniature terrorist. It’s as if outdoor domestic cats are an invasive species, predators that are pampered and subsidized by doting owners.

Feral cats are an even bigger problem. In the United States, there are some 60 million unwanted cats. No wonder: With a survival rate of 2.8 kittens per litter with continued breeding, two cats can become 3,822 cats in just four years.

Frankie belongs to my neighbors. We live in a small southern Idaho community, surrounded by sagebrush foothills and lots of wildlife. A marsh hosts red-winged blackbirds and assorted ducks. Deer wander past my window daily, as well as the occasional red fox, and quail and pheasant calls fill the air. Red-tailed, Swainson’s, sharp-shinned, and Cooper’s hawks all share the sky with a golden eagle, though not at the same time. The Cooper’s is a particular fixture; I occasionally see him dining on a finch but don’t begrudge him his meal. After all, he’s a native.

That’s where Frankie comes in. His owner opens the door for this well-fed, neutered cat and the carnage begins. First, he digs up my flowerbed to relieve himself, then he hunts.

https://www.hcn.org/wotr/frankie-and-the-cat-problem