{"id":20417,"date":"2023-10-19T09:53:59","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T14:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vetmed.tamu.edu\/news\/?p=20417"},"modified":"2023-10-19T09:53:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T14:53:59","slug":"cats-and-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vetmed.tamu.edu\/news\/pet-talk\/cats-and-wildlife\/","title":{"rendered":"How Free-Roaming Cats Impact Wildlife, Disease Transmission"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cats are hunters by nature, which is why it\u2019s not uncommon for an outdoor cat to bring home a \u201cgift,\u201d left on their owner\u2019s doorstep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet Molly Guyette, a third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and veterinary public health & epidemiology master\u2019s student at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), says cats put both themselves and local wildlife at risk of injury or illness when they hunt other animals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Wildlife From Cats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOutdoor cats may only bring home a mouse or bird once every few months, but this is likely a very small reflection of what they are actually up to,\u201d explained Guyette, who studies cats and zoonotic diseases, with links to wildlife health, for her master\u2019s research under the mentorship of VMBS professor Dr. Sarah Hamer<\/a>. \u201cAs natural predators, cats have natural instincts passed down through generations that allow them not only to hunt for food to kill and eat but also to kill prey, even if they\u2019re not looking for a meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cats that are free to roam outdoors, including domestic house cats, can invade and harm native ecosystems, as they generally hunt any small animal, including rabbits, birds, and lizards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cResearch has estimated that as many as 4 billion birds, 22.3 billion mammals, and 1.1 billion amphibians and reptiles are killed by free-roaming cats per year in the United States,\u201d Guyette said. \u201cDomestic cats have also been implicated in the extinction of at least 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct contact is not the only way that cats can negatively affect wildlife, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSimply the presence of a cat within an ecosystem can cause disturbances in a bird\u2019s ability to forage, feed their young, and defend themselves from other predators,\u201d Guyette said. \u201cThe No. 1 method of preventing this wildlife predation by cats is to keep cats indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be difficult, however, for owners to keep their furry friends indoors and away from local wildlife since cats have a natural inclination to the outdoors. In this case, Guyette recommends owners take measures to protect nearby animals by outfitting cats with an \u201calarm system\u201d such as a collar with a bell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile warning devices won\u2019t prevent the predation of nestlings (baby birds) or eggs, and not all wild animals are deterred by them, the use of bells, colorful bibs, or sonic devices on cats can help some wild animals hear or see when a cat is close so that they can flee,\u201d Guyette said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owners also should consider why their cat is outdoors, as this impacts what additional measures should be taken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf your cat loves the outdoors, lying in the sun, or playing in the grass, you should let them do so either in an enclosure or leashed and under direct supervision,\u201d Guyette continued. \u201cIf cats are kept outdoors due to unwanted behaviors, such as scratching, not urinating and defecating in appropriate areas, or acting aggressively, owners should discuss options with a veterinarian for managing such behaviors and helping their cats feel more comfortable inside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Cats From Outdoor Dangers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Encouraging cats to stay indoors is also to their own benefit, as cats put themselves in danger when exploring the great outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCats that freely roam live a significantly shorter lifespan compared to cats that live inside \u2013 only 2-5 years compared to the lifespan of an indoor cat of 10-20 years,\u201d Guyette said. \u201cThis is due to a number of factors, whether it is contracting illnesses from other animals; picking up worms, fleas, or ticks; or being injured or killed by cars or wildlife, including coyotes and dogs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of a cat\u2019s typical living arrangement, owners should have a veterinarian vaccinate them against disease-causing organisms that can be transmitted between cats, wildlife, and, in many cases, humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such disease is rabies, for which cats are required by state laws to be vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPreventing the spread of rabies is of utmost importance because the rabies virus can easily spread through bites or scratches from infected animals, leading to neurological signs (like seizures or paralysis) and death,\u201d Guyette said. \u201cTypical suspects that are at a higher risk for transmitting rabies to cats include bats, skunks, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another disease that can spread between cats, wildlife, and humans is toxoplasmosis, caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii<\/em>, the symptoms of which include <\/em>fever, fatigue, and, if left untreated, may lead to eye damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCats are critical in the transmission of toxoplasmosis because the disease requires a cat as part of its life cycle,\u201d Guyette explained. \u201cCats become infected when they consume an infected host, such as a rodent or infected raw meat. Infected cats shed the parasite for less than two weeks, but if the parasite matures for more than 24 hours in cat feces, it can become infectious to others, particularly pregnant or immunocompromised people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, external (fleas and ticks) and internal (roundworms and heartworms) parasites can transmit disease between cats and wildlife. In fact, outdoor cats are more prone to spread parasites and other illnesses, according to Guyette. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOutdoor cats come into contact with more parasites in the environment and can contribute more to the spread of internal parasites as compared to indoor-only cats,\u201d she explained. \u201cOutdoor cats can also spread to other cats a disease called feline leukemia, a highly contagious virus that can lead to a lifelong suppressed immune system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free-roaming cats can incite danger for both wildlife and themselves; to protect them, reduce the spread of contagious illnesses, and give them the chance at a longer, healthier life, owners should consider methods for keeping their lovable felines at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at\u00a0<\/em>vetmed.tamu.edu\/news\/pet-talk<\/em><\/a>. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to\u00a0<\/em>vmbs-editor@tamu.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cats are hunters by nature, which is why it\u2019s not uncommon for an outdoor cat to bring home a \u201cgift,\u201d left on their owner\u2019s doorstep.  Yet Molly Guyette, a third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and veterinary public health & epidemiology master\u2019s student at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), says […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":269,"featured_media":20418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"2069,2070,2071,2073,2074,2075","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[188,42],"tags":[199,232,13794],"class_list":["post-20417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage","category-pet-talk","tag-cats","tag-pet-safety","tag-pet-talk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Free-Roaming Cats Impact 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