Feds say household cats are an ‘ecological peril’
Canadians keep 8.5 million cats nationwide, which Environment and Climate Change Canada considers to be an “ecological peril” for migratory birds.
Environment and Climate Change Canada considers household cats an “ecological peril,” according to a new report. Department officials had visceral anxiety over pet cats hunting birds outside their residence
“How can we reduce bird deaths due to cats?” reads the report Green Cities: Benefits For All. It called domesticated felines “predators on the prowl.”
The report claimed tens of thousands of household cats roam Canadian cities, as migratory birds spend months in "high quality urban greenspaces" regrowing flight feathers.
“Most cats avoid parks and stay close to buildings,” wrote researchers. “This puts birds that visit backyard feeders at greater risk of predation,” they said.
The report proposed no remedy, as pets are regulated by municipal bylaws. Federal research promised to “explore how neighbourhoods can protect and restore nature in cities,” but did not divulge any details.
Canadians keep 8.5 million cats nationwide, according to the Canadian Animal Health Institute. A 2023 federal study found a majority (53%) of households with pets owned a cat.
Alex Dhaliwal
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Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
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COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2024-10-28 17:47:39 -0400I know what comes next. The government will outlaw house cats in the belief that they’re saving wildlife. Dogs might be banned too because millions of humans don’t have enough food. Unless we vote out these bums and Pierre Poilievre defeats all the environmentalists, we’ll be micromanaged to death.
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David Van De Cappelle commented 2024-10-28 16:33:44 -0400The Place we lived in before we Bought this house, a Lady that lived in the house next to one we were renting, before we moved in, this lady had moved out and left the door open for her 6 cats and left them there. We moved in later and at one point We were feeding 18 cats in back yard. You can go to Viddli.com and search for Palladini, there you can watch videos i took while feeding these cats