Are cats mass murderers?

by Amy Judd | February 17, 2009 at 01:21 pm

2353 views | 30 Recommendations | 23 comments

Millions of cats roam around outside their home for at least part of the day, and scientists are now looking at what some of them might get up to during the day. Scientists in the UK are claiming that cats kill about five other small animals every year, and they could be killing some really endangered species.

Some experts believe Britain's nine million cats could be killing nearly 150 million birds, mice, rabbits and other creatures every year.

A total of 241 cats from nine different urban areas around Reading are part of the project

And for some small creatures such as the house sparrow - whose numbers are already in decline - cat predation could be a serious threat.

So now scientists are looking at 241 cats to investigate what they get up to when they are not at home.

Cats don't always bring all their prey home, so this tagging is a way to see what they do when they are out on the prowl.
If it is found to be more than about five, scientists estimate that the total kill rate could be about 145 million animals in the UK.

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Jordan Yerman

at 13:56 on February 17th, 2009

Technically, serial killers.

(Though if they kill to eat, I don't think the same moral guidelines apply, as the option to hit the local supermarket isn't there)

Yuliya Talmazan

at 14:29 on February 17th, 2009

It is an instinct that cats developed over millions of years, and there is not really anything we can do about their evolutionary instincts.

Vinny

at 15:05 on February 17th, 2009

My cat Sid brings rabbits home and eats them in the bath!

Kenneth D Hall

at 15:33 on February 17th, 2009

My cat hunts down other cats in the neighbourhood, and has claimed it all to himself, more mice and voles for him.

Fripouille

at 15:40 on February 17th, 2009

I'm not buying this.

Cats kill naturally. Period. It's what they do to eat, and it's what they do when they hang out in the wild too, as in they don't necessarily eat all they kill, they play with it too. That's cats. Don't like it? Change planets.

The sparrow argument is fallacious. If there is one species that has been artificially inflated in numbers, it's sparrows. They wouldn't be so numerous if it were not for human activity.

Cats kill animals, duh!

What next? Do we educate them to be vegetarians!!?? Or stuff them with tinned food? Or put them in jail when they murder a mouse?

Politically correct is getting out of control here. I told you first, lol!

Vinny, bon appetit to your cat!

Hope he catches one of those "scientists" one day.

jonathanb1989

at 16:44 on February 17th, 2009

my cat is lovely, wen he was younger he caught mainly shrews but never harmed them, they all died of shock, hes never caught or killed a bird. i wouldnt count cats as mass murders, its there natural hunting insincts, look at their family of big cats, its just who they are. some cats are better than others but my cat hasnt killed a bird in 9yrs.

jonathanb1989 has contributed a photo to this story.

Fripouille

at 16:48 on February 17th, 2009

Jonathan, I'm sure your cat is very lovely, but it seems to me that what he needs is to be starved for a week and put out every night.

He may not have killed a bird yet, but it's never too late to catch up for lost time! :)

СRYSTАL (not verified)

at 17:15 on February 17th, 2009

I think that it's normal if cats kills some small creatures because it's naturally.

If they won't kill them who will save you of millions of mice and birds and rabbits who have an infection in their blood and skin? It is absolutely normal, because cats can catch only less strong creature, so the most strong are alive. Cats regulate the population of small creatures.

Vinny

at 18:43 on February 17th, 2009

I tried to add a video of my cats but can't find it with the Youtube search!

Fripouille

at 05:06 on February 18th, 2009

Vinny, kool killer kats!

I would put them into an arena, like in Roman times, and throw in those "experts/scientists" who did the "research".

I wouldn't give 'em a cat in hell's chance........!!

kenteven

at 23:28 on February 17th, 2009

kenteven has contributed a photo to this story.

scoTTlarock666

at 05:21 on February 18th, 2009

scoTTlarock666 has contributed a photo to this story.

Maria do Rosário Marques (not verified)

at 05:59 on February 18th, 2009

My cat Gaudí, the one on the photo drinking tap water never killed a thing.

He is afraid of flies.

Barbara McPherson

at 10:38 on February 22nd, 2009

Gaudi is beautiful!

Maria do Rosário Marques (not verified)

at 03:05 on February 27th, 2009

Thank you.

Maria Marques

Barry ORegan

at 06:39 on February 18th, 2009

Yeah, well in the dark ages, Black Cats were seen as Black Magic and the Devil resulting in mass killing of Puddin Snacks, Of courser the Braindead people started dropping like flies when the Black Plague almost wiped out all of Europe. Then the Braindead had a clue, Kitties eat Rats!

If not not for the Kitties, most of us would not be reading this column.

Fripouille

at 06:56 on February 18th, 2009

Too right BA!

My last cat, called Spike, could zip up a tree faster than you could say 'zip up a tree', and he would prowl around the garden and the barn after dark, lookin after those pesky mice and rats. On good nights he would get so many that he'd put those he didn't (I presume) eat on the doorstep as trophies to show me when I got up in the morning. He disappeared one day. Farmer? Dog? Who knows....

I don't have a cat now because I live in an apartment...sniff.

Uwe Paschen

at 06:41 on February 18th, 2009

Cats, Human, Lions Dogs, Wolfs... are all mass murderers and all the Birds and Sheep and rabbits... know that all to well, why they are afraid of us. The hunter needs to hunt even if not hungry the instinct is to strong.

Barry ORegan

at 06:43 on February 18th, 2009

My Puddin, when she wakes me up, races out the door to have a Poo! Then scampers back into the house and races around the house as if International Communists are trying to Kill her, she sounds like a friggin horse. My theory is the reason she runs wild and crazy at Batman speed is to escape the delicate Aromas eminating from her arse after have a steaming wet dump!

Too much information?

ariff firdaus

at 08:36 on February 18th, 2009

a crazy but relaxed looking cat. Finding a prey

ariff firdaus has contributed a photo to this story.

Barbara McPherson

at 10:36 on February 22nd, 2009

I had an indoor cat for 16 years. She never learned how to hunt. Now I have an adopted outdoor cat. I prefer to see him kill mice and rats rather than having to poison them. He's not so good at snagging birds.

Some feral cats have had a huge impact on wildlife, especially where there is a population of flightless birds.

pawsonalexperience

at 17:20 on March 1st, 2009

I believe that millions of cats are roaming around homes but are actually homeless. And they need to eat! Besides, it's natural for cats to hunt.
People who have cats should do their best to keep them indoors and have them neutered and maybe just keep them well fed. I have many cats and a few of them were "murderers" before I took them off the streets. Now they are content just being inside, getting fat and lazy.
I'd hate to hear what the scientists recommend if their findings are correct. It seems to me they want to start eliminating cats.

pawsonalexperience has contributed a photo to this story.