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Beloved and Deadly, Cats Are the ‘Lion in the Living Room'
What is it about cats? They purr and cuddle up to us on our laps. But they also hunt birds and small mammals to the brink of extinction — and beyond. Whether house cats are turning entire ecosystems upside down or… Read More »
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Why Cats Belong Indoors: Q+A with Dr. John Read
Across the globe, the introduction of domestic cats (Felis catus) to new environments has invariably resulted in harm to native wildlife. Yet when kept contained – indoors, on a leash, or in a catio – domestic cats can make wonderful… Read More »
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'Cat Wars' Issues a Call to Action for the Birds of North America
Of all the human-caused direct mortality threats to birds, cats take the biggest toll, killing an estimated 2.4 billion birds a year. Dr. Peter P. Marra, a leading ornithologist and conservationist, is director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. He’s also… Read More »
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Cats and COVID-19
Media Contact: Jordan Rutter, Director of Public Relations, 202-888-7472 | jerutter@abcbirds.org | @JERutter Expert Contact: Grant Sizemore, Director of Invasive Species Program, 202-888-7480 | gsizemore@abcbirds.org UPDATE (April 23, 2020): The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced April 22, 2020,… Read More »
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Prince Georges County Council Ignores Slaughter of Wildlife – Chooses Protection of Feral Cats
Ear-tipped Cat (Washington, D.C., November 21, 2012) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation’s leading bird conservation groups, has denounced a Prince George’s County, Maryland “Ear-Tipped Cats” bill that was passed by the county Council yesterday. The bill will… Read More »
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For Rare Hawaiian Birds, Cats Are Unwelcome Neighbors
Last fall, a nest camera operated by the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project recorded a devastating scene. A feral cat extracted an adult shearwater and its chick from their nearly inaccessible mountaintop burrow and killed both birds. (Watch the video… Read More »
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Hawai‘i's Lanai Cat Sanctuary Also Helps to Protect Endangered Birds
The conflict between cats and birds is ancient. But in recent years, as domestic cats have spread to new environments around the world, their ubiquity and predatory behavior has taken an irreparable toll on native species. Cats have contributed to the… Read More »
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Lawsuit Alleges Animal Cruelty by Albuquerque Mayor and City Director of Animal Services
(Washington, D.C., January 28, 2014) The mayor of Albuquerque and the director of the city’s animal welfare department have been named in a lawsuit alleging that the officials have committed animal cruelty by allowing certain illegal and improper animal management… Read More »
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New Report to Pompano Beach Commissioners: City Will "Become Overrun with Cats"
(Washington, D.C., June 28, 2013) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the leading bird conservation organizations in the United States has sent, this week, a new and strongly worded report that warns Pompano Beach City Commissioners that a proposal under… Read More »
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Feral Cat Colonies Present Perfect Storm of Rabies Risk
MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210, Feral cats by Greg Homel (Washington, D.C., September 21, 2011) Feral cat colonies bring together a series of high risk elements that result in a ‘perfect storm’ of rabies exposure, according to… Read More »
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National Bird Group Asks Albuquerque Mayor to Drop "Inhumane" Cat Program
(Washington, DC, September 27, 2013) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the leading U.S. bird conservation groups, has sent a letter to Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry asking that the city follow the advice offered in a recent letter by the state’s game… Read More »
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It's Time to Treat Cats Like Dogs
Cats. It’s the four-letter word of bird conservation. For over a century, ornithologists have been sounding the alarm about cats and their impacts in the environment. Whether owned, stray, or feral, roaming domestic cats have the capacity — indeed the… Read More »
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Journal Article Addresses Feral Cat Colony Programs, Cites Rabies and Disease Risks
Outdoor cat, sxc.hu (Washington, D.C., August 23, 2013) A new journal article questions the public health benefits of programs that trap, neuter, vaccinate, and release feral cats to the areas where they were captured. Feral cats are estimated to number… Read More »
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Nation's Mayors Asked to Stop Spread of Feral Cats
MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210, Cat with dead bird by Marjorie Gibson (Washington, D.C., November 9, 2011) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, has called on the mayors of U.S. cities to stop the… Read More »
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Prince George's Bill Will Increase Wildlife Mortality In County, Says Bird Conservation Group
Domestic cat eating a bird, Creative Commons (Washington, D.C., July 23, 2012) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation’s leading bird conservation groups, will testify that an “Ear-Tipped Cats” bill under consideration in Prince George’s County, Maryland will result… Read More »
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Jones Beach Feral Cats Pose Threat to Endangered Birds and Potential Health Threat to Beachgoers
(Washington, D.C., March 27, 2015) One of the nation’s leading bird conservation organizations, American Bird Conservancy, has learned that New York State Park officials are allowing feral cats to persist at the popular Jones Beach State Park right outside New… Read More »
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New Study: Almost 90 Percent of People Surveyed Want Reduction in Feral Cat Numbers in Hawai'i
(Washington, D.C., January 30, 2014) Eighty-seven percent of respondents to a recent study in Hawai'i want to see a decrease in the number of feral cats in the Hawaiian Islands. The survey, which was completed by more than 1,500 people,… Read More »
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Margaret Atwood's New Graphic Novel Stresses Dangers of Letting Cats Roam Outdoors
Editor's note: We're pleased to share the introduction to Canadian author Margaret Atwood's new graphic novel, Angel Catbird, published this week by Dark Horse Comics (and printed here with permission from the author and publisher). In dreaming up the character of Angel Catbird, Atwood writes, she… Read More »
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Study Finds Free-Roaming Cats Pose Threat from "Serious Public Health Diseases"
Cat with American Coot by Debi Shearwater (Washington, D.C., September 18, 2012) A study published in the peer-reviewed public health journal, Zoonoses and Public Health, has found that free-roaming cats pose a threat from “serious public health diseases” to humans,… Read More »
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Massive Conservation Coalition Calls on Interior Dept. to Stop Wildlife Deaths from Feral Cats
Washington, D.C., March 11, 2014) The largest coalition ever assembled on the issue of wildlife mortality from feral cats—including more than 200 groups—has called on Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell in a letter to take action to reduce mortality… Read More »
