One of the worst destructive invasive species? It sleeps on your couch.
1 Biodiversity Action in 1 Minute
Yep our baby is still not here. Still not on parental leave. So I am writing you again.
Now this version is going to ruffle some feathers. But hey it's important to have hard conversations.
I love animals.
Always have.
I live with a dog. I talk to birds. I feed beetles with my local flowers.
But last week I stumbled on a fact that shook me:
Cats kill 2.4 billion birds in the U.S. alone.
Let that sink in: billions.
They also caused the extinction of 63 species.
They're not evil. They're not doing it on purpose.
They're hunters. Pure instinct, no negotiation.
But here's the catch: they're also not native to most ecosystems.
And we've unleashed hundreds of millions of them outdoors in gardens, parks, nature reserves where birds, lizards & co. haven't evolved defenses.
So what can we do?
2 Options:
1) Keep your cat indoors.
I know it's controversial. I know it feels unfair.
But it's safer for them and for nature.
You can enrich their lives inside: cat towers, window perches, and leashed walks.
2) Colorful collars.
Apparently, this collar can reduce the damage on birds by 87%. I didn't test it, but it might be worth a shot to reduce the harm to the birds in front of your window.
One small change. One big ripple.
Your garden birds will thank you.
Yes, I know this one might trigger people. That's okay. We need more honest conversations if we're serious about biodiversity.
Hit reply if you've got thoughts. I'm here for them.
Stay wild,
Oli
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Wow. I had no idea. We don't have a pet (yet) but our kids do nag us from time to time. I'll have to research the options before we launch ourselves into pet ownership!
I guess you're looking at an August baby! (although it could still be July - my middle child was born on 31st July and she was meant to be a mid-August baby!)
Such an important topic - a real elephant in the room that many people just don’t want to discuss. Keeping cats in at night can be a starting point as that is when they do the most damage. Having cats spayed or neutered also avoids unwanted kittens!
The LPO in France oublish a leaflet as does the RSPB in the U.K. about all the things cat owners can do to reduce the damage - birds, lizards, amphibians and micro-mammals all suffer terribly from cats… But tick and flea treatment for dogs also pollutes streams and rivers.