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Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer
Why our cats are a danger to species diversity and human health
In 1894, a lighthouse keeper named David Lyall arrived on Stephens Island off New Zealand with a cat named Tibbles. In just over a year, the Stephens Island Wren, a rare bird endemic to the island, was rendered extinct. Mounting scientific evidence confirms what many conservationists have suspected for some time―that in the United States alone, free-ranging cats are killing birds and other animals by the billions. Equally alarming are the little-known but potentially devastating public health consequences of rabies and parasitic Toxoplasma passing from cats to humans at rising rates. Cat Wars tells the story of the threats free-ranging cats pose to biodiversity and public health throughout the world, and sheds new light on the controversies surrounding the management of the explosion of these cat populations.
This compelling book traces the historical and cultural ties between humans and cats from early domestication to the current boom in pet ownership, along the way accessibly explaining the science of extinction, population modeling, and feline diseases. It charts the developments that have led to our present impasse―from Stan Temple's breakthrough studies on cat predation in Wisconsin to cat-eradication programs underway in Australia today. It describes how a small but vocal minority of cat advocates has campaigned successfully for no action in much the same way that special interest groups have stymied attempts to curtail smoking and climate change.
Cat Wars paints a revealing picture of a complex global problem―and proposes solutions that foresee a time when wildlife and humans are no longer vulnerable to the impacts of free-ranging cats.
In 1894, a lighthouse keeper named David Lyall arrived on Stephens Island off New Zealand with a cat named Tibbles. In just over a year, the Stephens Island Wren, a rare bird endemic to the island, was rendered extinct. Mounting scientific evidence confirms what many conservationists have suspected for some time―that in the United States alone, free-ranging cats are killing birds and other animals by the billions. Equally alarming are the little-known but potentially devastating public health consequences of rabies and parasitic Toxoplasma passing from cats to humans at rising rates. Cat Wars tells the story of the threats free-ranging cats pose to biodiversity and public health throughout the world, and sheds new light on the controversies surrounding the management of the explosion of these cat populations.
This compelling book traces the historical and cultural ties between humans and cats from early domestication to the current boom in pet ownership, along the way accessibly explaining the science of extinction, population modeling, and feline diseases. It charts the developments that have led to our present impasse―from Stan Temple's breakthrough studies on cat predation in Wisconsin to cat-eradication programs underway in Australia today. It describes how a small but vocal minority of cat advocates has campaigned successfully for no action in much the same way that special interest groups have stymied attempts to curtail smoking and climate change.
Cat Wars paints a revealing picture of a complex global problem―and proposes solutions that foresee a time when wildlife and humans are no longer vulnerable to the impacts of free-ranging cats.
216 pages, Hardcover
Published September 20, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 2, 2016
This book not only humanly makes no sense, it makes no sense from a scientist point of view. There is so much wrong with it that I don't know where to start. If I could give it a zero star I would.
September 20, 2016
I'm not a cat person; I'm not a dog person either; I'm not really a pet person at all. I prefer my animals wild and free, or cooked and on a plate. And so I enter this subject, the impacts of domesticated and feral cats on wildlife, with a slight preference for hearing that cats are a problem and that careless cat-owners are to blame, rather than hoping to read that cats have had no impacts on the natural world.
This book will be slightly uncomfortable reading for many cat-lovers - and so I recommend it very strongly to them, and pretty strongly to everyone else as it is a fascinating story and one that is well written to boot.
The book opens with the story of the extinction of the Stephens Island Wren (not a wren really, but, yes, it lived on Stephens Island, off New Zealand). The last of very few species of flightless passerines to have survived on Earth until a cat arrived on the island, it seems a pregnant cat, and then very soon there were lots of cats and no Stephens Island Wrens.
There are lots of such stories of avian extinctions and taken together they weigh heavily in the litany of evidence against introducing predators into places where they have never previously occurred. Rats and cats have caused lots of problems - of course, it was we who took them to these places and we who released them (no rat or cat has ever sought out predator-free islands and sought deliberately to eat its way through a flightless endemic mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian).
But how about continental systems where there are plenty of predators already, or maybe there used to be before we bumped them off, how do cats perform in those circumstances?
We all have anecdotes on this subject, don't we? Both my next door neighbours changed last year (was it something I said or didn't say?). This led to a very noticeable change in cat visits to my garden. On one side I now have an active dog and two active children yapping away in the garden which must make it a less attractive route for passing cats, and on the other side the former cats' home is now a cat-free and child-rich zone. I see far fewer cats in my garden and my strong impression is that I now see more birds, and the nesting Blackbirds of this year were a first. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
But we can do much better than anecdotes, and this book gathers together a large number of studies, many from North America and rather few from Europe or the UK. This is something of a relief actually, I find it easier to read about the science of feral and domestic cats in Wisconsin in a moderately dispassionate way than I do to read about the issues here at home. Clearly, although we all know that cats kill a lots of small vertebrates, and eat some of them, an awful lot of small vertebrates die every year anyway; if they didn't then we would soon be knee-deep in frogs, lizards, voles and Great Tits and the world would be a very different place. So the search for the impact of cat predation on wildlife has to tackle the issue of whether the deaths at the paws of cats are 'additive' or 'compensatory' in the inadequate jargon of science ('compensatory' is a particularly inadequate phrase but it's the one used the most). It's not enough to say 'cats kill lots of animals, therefore they must cause declines in animal populations' because that doesn't show that the mortality is extra mortality, nor does it, of itself, show that it is enough mortality to cause a population decline.
So ideally, we need lots of data and some clever modelling to assess the likelihood of measured losses of animals to cats being sufficient explanations for changes in animal abundance or more ideally we need experiments where we manipulate predation pressure by cats and see what happens. Introducing cats onto Stephens Island was like a badly designed and badly monitored experiment - but very convincing nonetheless. We know that the Stephens Island Wren was vulnerable to predation by being flightless, small and unevolved to cope with this new pressure; we know that the cats killed and ate the Wrens, and we know that, having survived there for thousands of years, the Stephens Island Wren disappeared from Stephens Island in a very few years after Tibbles the cat arrived. It's not an experiment but it is convincing. Ideally we would have lots of islands where we introduced cats in different years and saw what happened but that would be rather unethical and practically difficult anyway since there is only one Stephens Island.
My observations in my back garden would be useful if they were more structured (like if I had some numbers to back up my impressions of cat abundance and bird abundance) and if they were replicated over many gardens, over longer time periods, and ideally (again) if cat numbers were experimentally increased after a period to see whether the impacts were reversed.
This book takes you through these areas and you are likely to come out the other side believing that cats can, and do, make a difference to the abundance of other species (their prey species) in a variety of places and situations; sometimes a big difference and sometimes a smaller difference, but often a difference. But if you are very keen on Tibbles then you may find room for quibbles.
We are then taken on a journey through potential routes to solve the problem of roaming cats and these range through keeping them indoors more, through fitting them with bells and bleepers to TNR (trap-neuter-release of feral cats) and on to killing the cuddly critters. All of these approaches are evaluated.
The book ends with a series of passages that could be summarised with the question 'Why bother?', which is always asked about restoration of a more natural and usually richer ecology. The authors answer it well. In fact, the authors do everything well in this book. It is a contentious subject which is dealt with very sensibly, and it involves some quite challenging science which is explained well. And it is a good read and not the least bit dry (nor sensational). We move from place to place and we are introduced to a variety of scientists and players in the story.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and rather more than I thought I might.
This review first appeared on my blog http://markavery.info/2016/09/18/sund...
This book will be slightly uncomfortable reading for many cat-lovers - and so I recommend it very strongly to them, and pretty strongly to everyone else as it is a fascinating story and one that is well written to boot.
The book opens with the story of the extinction of the Stephens Island Wren (not a wren really, but, yes, it lived on Stephens Island, off New Zealand). The last of very few species of flightless passerines to have survived on Earth until a cat arrived on the island, it seems a pregnant cat, and then very soon there were lots of cats and no Stephens Island Wrens.
There are lots of such stories of avian extinctions and taken together they weigh heavily in the litany of evidence against introducing predators into places where they have never previously occurred. Rats and cats have caused lots of problems - of course, it was we who took them to these places and we who released them (no rat or cat has ever sought out predator-free islands and sought deliberately to eat its way through a flightless endemic mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian).
But how about continental systems where there are plenty of predators already, or maybe there used to be before we bumped them off, how do cats perform in those circumstances?
We all have anecdotes on this subject, don't we? Both my next door neighbours changed last year (was it something I said or didn't say?). This led to a very noticeable change in cat visits to my garden. On one side I now have an active dog and two active children yapping away in the garden which must make it a less attractive route for passing cats, and on the other side the former cats' home is now a cat-free and child-rich zone. I see far fewer cats in my garden and my strong impression is that I now see more birds, and the nesting Blackbirds of this year were a first. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
But we can do much better than anecdotes, and this book gathers together a large number of studies, many from North America and rather few from Europe or the UK. This is something of a relief actually, I find it easier to read about the science of feral and domestic cats in Wisconsin in a moderately dispassionate way than I do to read about the issues here at home. Clearly, although we all know that cats kill a lots of small vertebrates, and eat some of them, an awful lot of small vertebrates die every year anyway; if they didn't then we would soon be knee-deep in frogs, lizards, voles and Great Tits and the world would be a very different place. So the search for the impact of cat predation on wildlife has to tackle the issue of whether the deaths at the paws of cats are 'additive' or 'compensatory' in the inadequate jargon of science ('compensatory' is a particularly inadequate phrase but it's the one used the most). It's not enough to say 'cats kill lots of animals, therefore they must cause declines in animal populations' because that doesn't show that the mortality is extra mortality, nor does it, of itself, show that it is enough mortality to cause a population decline.
So ideally, we need lots of data and some clever modelling to assess the likelihood of measured losses of animals to cats being sufficient explanations for changes in animal abundance or more ideally we need experiments where we manipulate predation pressure by cats and see what happens. Introducing cats onto Stephens Island was like a badly designed and badly monitored experiment - but very convincing nonetheless. We know that the Stephens Island Wren was vulnerable to predation by being flightless, small and unevolved to cope with this new pressure; we know that the cats killed and ate the Wrens, and we know that, having survived there for thousands of years, the Stephens Island Wren disappeared from Stephens Island in a very few years after Tibbles the cat arrived. It's not an experiment but it is convincing. Ideally we would have lots of islands where we introduced cats in different years and saw what happened but that would be rather unethical and practically difficult anyway since there is only one Stephens Island.
My observations in my back garden would be useful if they were more structured (like if I had some numbers to back up my impressions of cat abundance and bird abundance) and if they were replicated over many gardens, over longer time periods, and ideally (again) if cat numbers were experimentally increased after a period to see whether the impacts were reversed.
This book takes you through these areas and you are likely to come out the other side believing that cats can, and do, make a difference to the abundance of other species (their prey species) in a variety of places and situations; sometimes a big difference and sometimes a smaller difference, but often a difference. But if you are very keen on Tibbles then you may find room for quibbles.
We are then taken on a journey through potential routes to solve the problem of roaming cats and these range through keeping them indoors more, through fitting them with bells and bleepers to TNR (trap-neuter-release of feral cats) and on to killing the cuddly critters. All of these approaches are evaluated.
The book ends with a series of passages that could be summarised with the question 'Why bother?', which is always asked about restoration of a more natural and usually richer ecology. The authors answer it well. In fact, the authors do everything well in this book. It is a contentious subject which is dealt with very sensibly, and it involves some quite challenging science which is explained well. And it is a good read and not the least bit dry (nor sensational). We move from place to place and we are introduced to a variety of scientists and players in the story.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and rather more than I thought I might.
This review first appeared on my blog http://markavery.info/2016/09/18/sund...
December 29, 2019
This book came to my attention and I read it to give it a fair shake and discuss it intelligently rather than simply opining. The real issue here is human behavior, not blaming every evil in the world on an animal. Yes, feral cat colonies are problematic; yes, non-native species negatively impact native fauna. That said, this book opens in a very intentional inflammatory manner and yet the phrases in the first chapter are "most probably", "likely", and "scientists don't really know". The authors then continue to use faulty "predictive modeling" and flawed science to cast cats as villains in everything from over-hunting to causing schizophrenia. The first half of the book is either anecdotal and irrelevant or over-reaching, without direction, and crosses into the absurd. The second half then settles into rather boring science writing and reiteration of the first half. The authors have thrown in every cause they care about and every place they've ever visited. This is a poorly written and poorly constructed attempt. Feral cat colonies may be a problem that we should discuss thoughtfully, carefully and cooperatively. Unfortunately, these authors do more harm than good.
September 14, 2016
This belongs in the trash. Fake "science."
April 25, 2017
A scientific look into the problems associated with feral and outdoor cats, including biodiversity loss, extinction, spread of disease, zoonosis, and other such issues. This highly controversial topic has caused many to review the book unfavorably due to emotion, instead of reason or quality of writing.
It's a well written book with many scientific sources cited and an important issue that affects us all.
Update: If you are a crazy cat lady who takes umbrage with my review, I don't care. If you would like to discuss the merits of my review or the book itself, I'm open to civil argument. Any nonsense will be deleted forthwith. After receiving messages from a crazy person using a pseudonymn that has been stalking my online accounts, I have zero tolerance for bullshit.
Since this has happened, I've taken the time to also post my review on Amazon. If you think you can change my mind through anonymous harassment keep this in mind: I'm probably as good as anyone at finding out the identity of trolls.
It's a well written book with many scientific sources cited and an important issue that affects us all.
Update: If you are a crazy cat lady who takes umbrage with my review, I don't care. If you would like to discuss the merits of my review or the book itself, I'm open to civil argument. Any nonsense will be deleted forthwith. After receiving messages from a crazy person using a pseudonymn that has been stalking my online accounts, I have zero tolerance for bullshit.
Since this has happened, I've taken the time to also post my review on Amazon. If you think you can change my mind through anonymous harassment keep this in mind: I'm probably as good as anyone at finding out the identity of trolls.
October 24, 2016
I'm a cat lover. And a responsible citizen so I read this to understand the situation. Cats are one of the worst invasive species, but not nearly as bad as humans. Well written, informative, I now understand the problem better. We need to educate the public about how to be responsible cat owners. TNT trap neuter return is not enough. We need to be more compassionate towards the problem and seek solutions. Glad I read the book.
April 18, 2019
This was quite the book to read following The Lion in the Living Room.
The Lion in the Living Room did a wonderful job of highlighting the strangeness of cat ownership. Here is an asocial animal that not only decided to live with us, but that we also embrace with open arms. Here is a disease carrier that we willingly ignore the warning signs of, an environmental disaster that we defend and in many ways encourage. Here is the cat.
The Lion in the Living Room presented compelling arguments for the environmental problem that feral cats create, and this book follows that up very well with new studies. While dry in parts, this book is extremely thorough in the evidence it presents. So thorough that it can brook no real argument as to the fact that cats do significant damage to the environment when allowed outside. Like the previous book, this book does not argue against cat ownership, only against irresponsible cat ownership and the existence and defense of outdoor and/or feral cats.
The solutions to this problem are, unfortunately, not the sort that one might want to hear. The arguments against TNR are unshakable, and its inefficacy only gets proven time and time again. There is no real argument to be made for the continued support of feral colonies, and plenty to be made against them. Ultimately, difficult decisions will need to be made. Decisions that will be popular with virtually no one.
This isn't even getting into the problem of disease - toxoplasmosis and its effect upon bird and marine populations, and rabies.
I encourage everyone to read this book, and to promote responsible cat ownership. We've made the transition to responsible dog ownership - there should be little problem in promoting it for cats as well.
The Lion in the Living Room did a wonderful job of highlighting the strangeness of cat ownership. Here is an asocial animal that not only decided to live with us, but that we also embrace with open arms. Here is a disease carrier that we willingly ignore the warning signs of, an environmental disaster that we defend and in many ways encourage. Here is the cat.
The Lion in the Living Room presented compelling arguments for the environmental problem that feral cats create, and this book follows that up very well with new studies. While dry in parts, this book is extremely thorough in the evidence it presents. So thorough that it can brook no real argument as to the fact that cats do significant damage to the environment when allowed outside. Like the previous book, this book does not argue against cat ownership, only against irresponsible cat ownership and the existence and defense of outdoor and/or feral cats.
The solutions to this problem are, unfortunately, not the sort that one might want to hear. The arguments against TNR are unshakable, and its inefficacy only gets proven time and time again. There is no real argument to be made for the continued support of feral colonies, and plenty to be made against them. Ultimately, difficult decisions will need to be made. Decisions that will be popular with virtually no one.
This isn't even getting into the problem of disease - toxoplasmosis and its effect upon bird and marine populations, and rabies.
I encourage everyone to read this book, and to promote responsible cat ownership. We've made the transition to responsible dog ownership - there should be little problem in promoting it for cats as well.
March 10, 2018
Lurid language (a chapter title is The Zombie Maker:Cats As Agents Of Disease) and unproven attempts to link schizophrenia to cats are just a couple reasons this dreadful book is ridiculous. Deserves zero stars.
This book is the perfect example of junk science.
Actual scientists know that correlation is not causation (talking about the schizophrenia thing here). Mr Marra particularly should be ashamed of himself as he purports to be a scientist.
The authors value birds over cats so they think all unowned and loose cats should be killed. They suggest poisoning and shooting. Nothing can go wrong with this great idea, right? No unintended victims, no explosion in rat populations everywhere?
Humans with their windows and habitat destruction are much more efficient bird killers.
This book should be titled I Hate Cats:Let's Kill 'Em All
This book is the perfect example of junk science.
Actual scientists know that correlation is not causation (talking about the schizophrenia thing here). Mr Marra particularly should be ashamed of himself as he purports to be a scientist.
The authors value birds over cats so they think all unowned and loose cats should be killed. They suggest poisoning and shooting. Nothing can go wrong with this great idea, right? No unintended victims, no explosion in rat populations everywhere?
Humans with their windows and habitat destruction are much more efficient bird killers.
This book should be titled I Hate Cats:Let's Kill 'Em All
November 20, 2016
Before I review this book, I want to share that I love cats. I have 3 cats, none of whom are allowed outside. I was already aware of the problems of outdoor cats, both those suffered by the cat, those suffered by wildlife, and some of those suffered by humans.
Marra and Santella, in a very neatly and orderly fashion, took the issue of outdoor domestic cats and covered all the research, history, and future of our environment, the cat, and wildlife in a readable and interesting order. They begin with the history (labeled "obituary") of one island dwelling, flightless bird - the Stephens Island Wren. Because of the people on Stephens Island, there is fairly well documented evidence of the demise of this bird. And, there is only one killer to blame. The domestic cat.
Now, as we all know, cats are naturally born hunters. We see this in our indoor cats, as well as in the cats that are outdoors. Cats are doing what they have been programmed to do. If you own a cat that is allowed outside, unless your eye is on that cat the entire time it is outside, it hunts - and it is a successful hunter. If your cat never brings its kills to your door, that does not mean it has not killed.
Marra and Santella present all of the information that is available. They cover the earliest known studies on cats hunting and the success of the species. They cover all the studies recently completed. The problems behind these studies, the statistics, and the interpretations are all there for us to see. In addition, they explain "The Science of Decline," sharing how the statistics demonstrate the result.
Also covered is disease. Outdoor cats are very susceptible to disease, and they are also vectors of the disease - spreading the danger to the people who own or care for them. Rabies, the plague, Toxoplasmosis and its devastating results to humans are discussed. Also covered are the diseases that the outdoor cat suffers, and other dangers faced in the wild.
The book spends several chapters on the solution to the problem. It is not easy and it is not pretty. Presented are the issues and non-success of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return.) Since this is the most common way of attacking the issue of outdoor cats, much study has gone into this. The percentage of neutered cats in TNR needs to be over 90 % in order to even begin to put a dent into a population. As far as the vaccinations given to the TNR cats, they require regular boosters in order to work. This rarely happens.
Finally, the future is discussed. What it would mean for us, the cats, and the wildlife. The arguments against any attempt at change are covered, and real situations and discussions given.
I do believe we all need to read this book - the advocates for outdoor cats, those who keep their cats indoors, and those without cats. It is well-written and carefully presented. There is only one solution. Keep your cats indoors.
Marra and Santella, in a very neatly and orderly fashion, took the issue of outdoor domestic cats and covered all the research, history, and future of our environment, the cat, and wildlife in a readable and interesting order. They begin with the history (labeled "obituary") of one island dwelling, flightless bird - the Stephens Island Wren. Because of the people on Stephens Island, there is fairly well documented evidence of the demise of this bird. And, there is only one killer to blame. The domestic cat.
Now, as we all know, cats are naturally born hunters. We see this in our indoor cats, as well as in the cats that are outdoors. Cats are doing what they have been programmed to do. If you own a cat that is allowed outside, unless your eye is on that cat the entire time it is outside, it hunts - and it is a successful hunter. If your cat never brings its kills to your door, that does not mean it has not killed.
Marra and Santella present all of the information that is available. They cover the earliest known studies on cats hunting and the success of the species. They cover all the studies recently completed. The problems behind these studies, the statistics, and the interpretations are all there for us to see. In addition, they explain "The Science of Decline," sharing how the statistics demonstrate the result.
Also covered is disease. Outdoor cats are very susceptible to disease, and they are also vectors of the disease - spreading the danger to the people who own or care for them. Rabies, the plague, Toxoplasmosis and its devastating results to humans are discussed. Also covered are the diseases that the outdoor cat suffers, and other dangers faced in the wild.
The book spends several chapters on the solution to the problem. It is not easy and it is not pretty. Presented are the issues and non-success of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return.) Since this is the most common way of attacking the issue of outdoor cats, much study has gone into this. The percentage of neutered cats in TNR needs to be over 90 % in order to even begin to put a dent into a population. As far as the vaccinations given to the TNR cats, they require regular boosters in order to work. This rarely happens.
Finally, the future is discussed. What it would mean for us, the cats, and the wildlife. The arguments against any attempt at change are covered, and real situations and discussions given.
I do believe we all need to read this book - the advocates for outdoor cats, those who keep their cats indoors, and those without cats. It is well-written and carefully presented. There is only one solution. Keep your cats indoors.
February 14, 2017
A well-researched (and cited) and well-written overview of the impacts that outdoor cats have - on the environment, on public health, and even on the cats themselves. You will never look at a cat outdoors the same way again.
May 11, 2018
This was a pretty eye opening book for me, especially so since I read it in the weeks that followed the passing of our two cats who we had for 14+ years each, and who each were outdoor cats, or as variously described in this book as 'community cats' or 'free-ranging cats'. Distinct from a feral cat, which is one that survives in the wild and no longer has any human contact, a free-ranging cat is one that benefits from human assistance, a bowl of food on the porch, able to come inside in bad weather, but who has the freedom to roam outside. And I never thought much about it.
And that put me right in the middle of the many others who were "blissfully unaware of the issue of free-ranging cats." What issue? The issue that these cats, predatory by nature, kill other wildlife. Frequently people see this as a positive, especially for controlling mice, rats, or other small rodents considered to be pests. Yea for killer cats! But, they also kill birds, for food, and for fun, and often to extinction.
There are an estimated 150 million feral and free-ranging cats roaming the country. And they kill billions of birds each year. Billions.
So what to do? Ah, this is where the 'war' part of the book title comes into play. Because while everyone agrees that there are too many cats roaming freely and that they do harm to other species (and carry diseases, live perilous lives, among other issues), the war is between those who believe that TNR (trap, neuter, release) is the humane approach to managing overpopulation of feral cats, and those (this book's author included), who believe that widespread use of euthanasia is the only truly humane and effective means to solve this problem.
So now I understand an issue of which I was previously blissfully unaware. And now I no longer have my free-ranging cats. I expect one day I'll have a cat again. And I'll keep it inside, to the benefit of all.
And that put me right in the middle of the many others who were "blissfully unaware of the issue of free-ranging cats." What issue? The issue that these cats, predatory by nature, kill other wildlife. Frequently people see this as a positive, especially for controlling mice, rats, or other small rodents considered to be pests. Yea for killer cats! But, they also kill birds, for food, and for fun, and often to extinction.
There are an estimated 150 million feral and free-ranging cats roaming the country. And they kill billions of birds each year. Billions.
So what to do? Ah, this is where the 'war' part of the book title comes into play. Because while everyone agrees that there are too many cats roaming freely and that they do harm to other species (and carry diseases, live perilous lives, among other issues), the war is between those who believe that TNR (trap, neuter, release) is the humane approach to managing overpopulation of feral cats, and those (this book's author included), who believe that widespread use of euthanasia is the only truly humane and effective means to solve this problem.
So now I understand an issue of which I was previously blissfully unaware. And now I no longer have my free-ranging cats. I expect one day I'll have a cat again. And I'll keep it inside, to the benefit of all.
March 29, 2022
A good read for conservation professionals who intersect with feral cat issues and for conservation-sympathetic cat owners. The book does a nice job of framing why both sides think they are right within the context of animal versus environmental welfare.
I am firmly in the author’s camp on this issue (why is one cat’s life worth more than the hundreds of birds it might depredate?) but I do understand why some people are skeptical of the science; “TNR doesn’t work” is unintuitive and at its most basic level has to be wrong to some extent, and as such it might be a counterproductive message. However, the book ends with a strong message about the need for collaboration between cat and bird advocates, and I found myself seeing the outline of a decision-making framework that would use the full suite of tools available to us to better manage the impacts of feral cats on wildlife.
On a final note, I have to laugh at the reviews from non-scientists that suggest that Pete Marra does junk science. The guy has published hundreds of excellent peer reviewed papers that have improved the way we conserve birds. He has surely added birds to this planet through his work.
I am firmly in the author’s camp on this issue (why is one cat’s life worth more than the hundreds of birds it might depredate?) but I do understand why some people are skeptical of the science; “TNR doesn’t work” is unintuitive and at its most basic level has to be wrong to some extent, and as such it might be a counterproductive message. However, the book ends with a strong message about the need for collaboration between cat and bird advocates, and I found myself seeing the outline of a decision-making framework that would use the full suite of tools available to us to better manage the impacts of feral cats on wildlife.
On a final note, I have to laugh at the reviews from non-scientists that suggest that Pete Marra does junk science. The guy has published hundreds of excellent peer reviewed papers that have improved the way we conserve birds. He has surely added birds to this planet through his work.
April 29, 2017
I'm a cat lover and love them for that wildness they retain even as they live with us in our homes. so this was a very hard book to read. The authors want us to face the fact that cats that are outdoors--as feral or abandoned or occasionally roaming--are taking a devastating toll on birds, small mammals, and reptiles. If we value biodiversity, we have to face this. Fortunately, more people are keeping cats indoors and I rarely see outdoor cats compared to years ago. But what to do about all the cats living outdoors? There are cat sanctuaries--but they may not be adequate to handle the problem. The authors discuss "trap-neuter-return" but while the cats may get sterilized, they are returned to nature. It's a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, two groups of animal lovers--the cat lovers and the birders--have become pitted against each other. We need to find some solutions.
Read
September 10, 2016kinda makes me wanna get a cat
April 7, 2020
Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer by Peter P. Marra is a thorough discussion of outdoor domestic cats. Each chapter focuses on an issue that arises when cats are allowed to live outside. The authors use their impressive list of references, many of which are peer-reviewed, to explain the science.
We are presented with clear research and data that indicate, without a doubt, that domestic cats kill wildlife and carry disease. Peter P. Marra presents the proposals for addressing the problems, the reactions of various groups of people and the scientific effectiveness of each plan.
While cats are not the only threat to birds (habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, etc.), it is something we can easily control. As a pet owner, I can choose to keep my spayed calico cat indoors. As an avid birder, I value the abundance and diversity of birds and other small animals in our world.
If you have a cat and care about natural ecosystems, I encourage you to read this book.
We are presented with clear research and data that indicate, without a doubt, that domestic cats kill wildlife and carry disease. Peter P. Marra presents the proposals for addressing the problems, the reactions of various groups of people and the scientific effectiveness of each plan.
While cats are not the only threat to birds (habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, etc.), it is something we can easily control. As a pet owner, I can choose to keep my spayed calico cat indoors. As an avid birder, I value the abundance and diversity of birds and other small animals in our world.
If you have a cat and care about natural ecosystems, I encourage you to read this book.
February 15, 2023
This book *tries* to be a "balanced" review of domestic cats and their effect on nature and, in particular, wildlife. It does present many things to ponder and has a lot of references to back up their statements. Unfortunately the author *HATES* cats, and he really can't get past this. Basically his solution is to kill all feral cats and lock up all owned cats inside. Pity. He devotes and entire chapter on diseases, especially toxoplasmosis, but never once mentions there was once a vaccine for toxoplasmosis in cats. The author makes no attempt at creative solutions. Feral cats are a problem, but I'm disappointed that the only conclusion the author comes up with is to KILL THEM ALL. I was really hoping to find some genuine creative ideas. Yea, nope.
February 11, 2019
Picked it up as part of my thesis' literature, but too one-sided of a perspective to be of any use. Yes, cats can cause vulnerable species to go extinct horribly fast, but we should also keep an open perspective towards ethical, optionally controlled or monitored ways cats can exist in nature.
February 6, 2017
This book has been on my radar for a very long time. Perhaps not because it seems to have seriously ruffled the feathers of a great number of obdurate cat-owners, but because it presents an argument that I’d never really stopped to consider myself until the media furore that followed its publication exploded over social media a few months ago. Indeed, since then I’ve read several reviews in an attempt to gauge the general feel of this book but so polarised are opinions left in its wake, I’ve had no choice but to read it myself – and what a surprise it turned out to be! I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it – not because I hate cats – but because it was massively enlightening. Sensationalist title and inflammatory opening aside, the book explores a number of implications of growing “unowned, free-ranging” cat colonies stateside, from health implications (the best chapter in the book centres solely on cats as hosts of zoonotic diseases, with a focus on the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii) to the ethics of such colonies and, of course, the devastating effect that such populations can have on local fauna – particularly if that fauna is endemic to an isolated habitat such as an island.
The authors present some pretty mind-boggling numbers - all derived from statistical modelling - but overall the science was not as compelling as I had hoped it to be. Presenting such massive numbers without context is unhelpful when encouraging someone (the reader) to form a balanced opinion (though I'm pretty sure that was not the author's intention). I'd have liked to have seen comparisons of number of birds/reptiles/amphibians/mammals killed per week per cat with the number of birds/reptiles/amphibians/mammals killed per week by traffic or habitat destruction/growing urbanisation or perhaps other invasive species. The pandemic of invasive species - aptly named by Elizabeth Kolbert as 'the new Pangaea' - is heavily emphasised in the book but only from a feline perspective. Just how damaging are cats to the natural environment when contrasted with goats on the Galapagos, Stoats in New Zealand or the European Red Fox to Little Penguins on Middle Island, etc? It's evident when reading that a significant bit of cherry picking has gone on in order to push an agenda and, although I actually do agree that cat owners should keep their cats indoors and 'feral' cat colonies should be culled, it's no more agreeable to me than the culling of American Grey Squirrels in the UK to make way for the native red, and so on and so forth. This 'cat epidemic' as it is so named in the book is yet another example of anthropogenic activity negatively affecting wildlife but, in my opinion, there are far more pressing matters to be not only focusing on but encouraging people to direct their energy at. Of course conservation starts at home and perhaps the publication of this book will affect positive change in at least some cat owners but ultimately, conservation starts with empowering people to understand the implications of their decisions through information and 'Cat Wars' does a disservice to that ethos. It's enjoyable and informative at times but the agenda it really tries to hammer home is too often misleading.
The authors present some pretty mind-boggling numbers - all derived from statistical modelling - but overall the science was not as compelling as I had hoped it to be. Presenting such massive numbers without context is unhelpful when encouraging someone (the reader) to form a balanced opinion (though I'm pretty sure that was not the author's intention). I'd have liked to have seen comparisons of number of birds/reptiles/amphibians/mammals killed per week per cat with the number of birds/reptiles/amphibians/mammals killed per week by traffic or habitat destruction/growing urbanisation or perhaps other invasive species. The pandemic of invasive species - aptly named by Elizabeth Kolbert as 'the new Pangaea' - is heavily emphasised in the book but only from a feline perspective. Just how damaging are cats to the natural environment when contrasted with goats on the Galapagos, Stoats in New Zealand or the European Red Fox to Little Penguins on Middle Island, etc? It's evident when reading that a significant bit of cherry picking has gone on in order to push an agenda and, although I actually do agree that cat owners should keep their cats indoors and 'feral' cat colonies should be culled, it's no more agreeable to me than the culling of American Grey Squirrels in the UK to make way for the native red, and so on and so forth. This 'cat epidemic' as it is so named in the book is yet another example of anthropogenic activity negatively affecting wildlife but, in my opinion, there are far more pressing matters to be not only focusing on but encouraging people to direct their energy at. Of course conservation starts at home and perhaps the publication of this book will affect positive change in at least some cat owners but ultimately, conservation starts with empowering people to understand the implications of their decisions through information and 'Cat Wars' does a disservice to that ethos. It's enjoyable and informative at times but the agenda it really tries to hammer home is too often misleading.
February 28, 2017
I'm a cat person, but I agree that free-ranging cat predation is a problem. So I had no issue with the content of this book. It's a book with a message that needs a wider and less defensive audience.
What kept me from giving this book more stars were issues of quantity, tone, and editing. Overall, the substance here felt like a magazine feature article. It just wasn't sufficient for a whole book. As other reviewers have noted, it gets repetitive. Example: In chapter 8, the authors say, "The advantages of keeping cats inside have presented here at length." True. But then they go on to fill the paragraph by repeating those advantages (p148).
Regarding tone, this strongly opinionated book begins with too many notes of uncertainty. The story of the Stephens Island Wren in particular is chock-full of "probably" and "may have." I assume that the authors were using scant historical evidence to draw conclusions about lighthouse keeper Lyall, but all those equivocal words greatly weaken the book's beginning and affect the reader's perceptions throughout.
And then there were the odd editing choices: "bats, foxes, skunks and Raccoons" (p79), "seals, sea lions ... Sea Otters" (p91), "the Great Gerbil, the Black Rat, ground squirrels, prairie dogs ..." (p76). I found the capitals jarring, and they distracted me from the message.
What kept me from giving this book more stars were issues of quantity, tone, and editing. Overall, the substance here felt like a magazine feature article. It just wasn't sufficient for a whole book. As other reviewers have noted, it gets repetitive. Example: In chapter 8, the authors say, "The advantages of keeping cats inside have presented here at length." True. But then they go on to fill the paragraph by repeating those advantages (p148).
Regarding tone, this strongly opinionated book begins with too many notes of uncertainty. The story of the Stephens Island Wren in particular is chock-full of "probably" and "may have." I assume that the authors were using scant historical evidence to draw conclusions about lighthouse keeper Lyall, but all those equivocal words greatly weaken the book's beginning and affect the reader's perceptions throughout.
And then there were the odd editing choices: "bats, foxes, skunks and Raccoons" (p79), "seals, sea lions ... Sea Otters" (p91), "the Great Gerbil, the Black Rat, ground squirrels, prairie dogs ..." (p76). I found the capitals jarring, and they distracted me from the message.
April 10, 2017
Thank you to Peter Mara and Chris Santella for having the courage to address the problem of free-ranging and outdoor cats. I love my cats but understand and appreciate this clear and lucid presentation of the facts and scientific findings that supporting the argument that free-ranging cats can decimate birds, wildlife, and human health. It is a tough story to tell, making it unpopular to many, but it is a story that must be told and spread.
April 22, 2025
Very informative book, but was a bit repetitive and dry at times (though understandable as it supported claims with multiple peer reviewed studies)
There clearly is a divide on this topic. Cats are an invasive species, but that doesn't deem them "evil", they are just following instinct. As the ones who brought cats here, it's our job to simply keep them indoors. Not only does it protect native species, but the cats will live longer lives.
There clearly is a divide on this topic. Cats are an invasive species, but that doesn't deem them "evil", they are just following instinct. As the ones who brought cats here, it's our job to simply keep them indoors. Not only does it protect native species, but the cats will live longer lives.
April 28, 2021
I was led to this book by The Science of Birds podcast, episode called Cats vs Birds. The main point of this book is that there are way too many outdoor cats, and outdoor cats kill a lot of birds (billions every year) and are vectors of serious disease affecting humans. People are either strongly pro-cat (we’re talking outdoor cats) or pro-bird, and never the twain shall meet. Solutions such as TNR (trap-neuter-release) barely put a dent in the problem—there are just too many cats, and no way to systematically trap them all, unless perhaps on an island. Way too many cats to be adopted out. A cat sanctuary big enough to hold all outdoor cats would have to be larger than the State of Rhode Island. The authors creep slowly toward the conclusion that euthanasia is a necessary part of cat control.
NOTE: because of rabies, packs of stray dogs have largely been eliminated in this country. We’ve conveniently forgotten how that happened.
This book came out 5 years ago—definitely pre-Covid—yet the themes are familiar. The authors write:
“[C]at owners need to apprehend how individual predation rates scale up with increased cat densities if they are ever to understand the impacts of cats on wildlife. Without more information and knowledge, it will be difficult for the average person to think about how the handful (or bucketful) of birds killed by his or her cat or those stray cats in the woods behind the local convenience store are emblematic of a widespread and grave problem.
This inability to contextualize scale speaks to a larger challenge—the unwillingness or inability of many people to acknowledge the validity of scientific research, especially if it contradicts their own belief system.”
Sound familiar? The authors reference the website Age of Autism which perpetuates the debunked notion that childhood vaccines cause autism: “Deniers [of the science] have created their own media (e.g., the website Age of Autism), which in turn are cited as “authorities” and pounce upon any new reports casting doubt on their views with vitriolic critiques and refutations—much in the manner that many outdoor-cat advocacy groups attack any new studies suggesting that free-ranging cats pose a problem.”
These exact Cat (vs Bird) Wars played out remarkably in the reviews of this book on Goodreads. Many one-star reviews from the deniers.
Put me down on the side of the birds.
NOTE: because of rabies, packs of stray dogs have largely been eliminated in this country. We’ve conveniently forgotten how that happened.
This book came out 5 years ago—definitely pre-Covid—yet the themes are familiar. The authors write:
“[C]at owners need to apprehend how individual predation rates scale up with increased cat densities if they are ever to understand the impacts of cats on wildlife. Without more information and knowledge, it will be difficult for the average person to think about how the handful (or bucketful) of birds killed by his or her cat or those stray cats in the woods behind the local convenience store are emblematic of a widespread and grave problem.
This inability to contextualize scale speaks to a larger challenge—the unwillingness or inability of many people to acknowledge the validity of scientific research, especially if it contradicts their own belief system.”
Sound familiar? The authors reference the website Age of Autism which perpetuates the debunked notion that childhood vaccines cause autism: “Deniers [of the science] have created their own media (e.g., the website Age of Autism), which in turn are cited as “authorities” and pounce upon any new reports casting doubt on their views with vitriolic critiques and refutations—much in the manner that many outdoor-cat advocacy groups attack any new studies suggesting that free-ranging cats pose a problem.”
These exact Cat (vs Bird) Wars played out remarkably in the reviews of this book on Goodreads. Many one-star reviews from the deniers.
Put me down on the side of the birds.
April 8, 2019
This week 3 cats were killed on the roads of my daily commute to work. As I write this, all 3 are still laying there unclaimed, now rotting, five and three days after being hit. Two are laying on the road in front of homes that presumably house their "owners". The third is in the middle of a four lane divided highway, but within 100 yards of a farm where it probably lived. You never, ever see dogs that are hit and killed by cars, left laying on the road until they rot. This is all I need to know about how bad the cat overpopulation problem really is. And it is a cat overpopulation issue and an owner irresponsibility issue. Every cat "owner" who doesn't really take responsibility for their pet, but feeds it outdoors and allows it to run free should read this book to understand why this is a problem. Cats are killers. They are devastating native animals and nature. Domesticated cats do not belong in nature. Keep your pets indoors and take care of them the way a responsible pet owner should. Cats carry diseases. Diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Nothing worries me more about my vegetable garden than when I find cat crap in it. I usually end up digging up a good amount of dirt around the crap and removing it. If you don't understand why, then you really should read chapter 5 to understand the diseases that cats can transmit to humans including, but not limited to, rabies, plague, and toxoplasmosis, which has been linked to schizophrenia. Cats are safer kept inside, we are kept safer when they are inside, and nature and native animals are safer when cats are kept inside.
May 29, 2017
The war is really the birders against the cat lovers. While cats definitely decimate wildlife, so do raccoons, foxes, coyotes and so on. People who keep pet cats should confine them indoors or on screened porches. Feral cats are another matter. It is probably best not to feed them, anymore than you would feed coyotes or squirrels. In areas, where coyotes thrive, they are a check on cats. It seems the more we interfere with nature, the more damage is done. The cases cited against cats regard areas where there were no felines—isolated New Zealand islands for example, and when cats were introduced they swiftly caused the extinction of species that had no defense. A similar case has been made against rabbits in Australia. The authors clearly favor birds over cats and caution about the diseases that cats may introduce: cat scratch fever, feline leukemia, rabies and plague. The latter two are more likely to be introduced via rats, dogs, raccoons, prairie dogs, foxes and so forth. Feral cats provide a check on rats, mice and other varmints. The TNR program (trap, neuter, release) is criticized as being ineffective at reducing ferals, but that argument just doesn’t hold water, as non-breeding animals clearly will have a population reduction. Again, the authors tiptoe around their opinion that euthanasia is a better solution. These arguments won’t be decided easily—rather like the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
August 25, 2017
I love both cats and birds. Cats allowed outside kill birds whether you see them do it or not. Feral cats maintained in colonies are a very bad idea, for both the cats and the surrounding wildlife. The feral cats are exposed to every form of human wickedness, and can be killed by dogs and humans, run over by cars, etc. etc. In what universe is this considered good for cats? Either take them in, adopt them out, or euthanize them. I don't understand the mentality of feral cat colony fanatics, except to call it, misplaced compassion. You want to help cats, volunteer at an animal shelter, and accept the reality that not all cats are suitable for adoption.
The science in this book is sound. I have studied quite a few books on invasive species and the cat is the No. 1 culprit in many areas. People just don't want to hear it. Also if you allow your cat outside, if it gets hit or badly injured by a car or coyote or evil human, you have only yourself to blame. Build a catio. Responsible animal owners do their best to protect their pets.
I have a cat and have been a cat person all my life. I have been a birder for over 20 years, have gone to Africa several times to see both cats and birds, and am a lifelong student of natural history. I have a pet Starling who mimics speech and is adorable and highly intelligent, a beautiful affectionate Black cat who stays indoors, and I love them both.
The science in this book is sound. I have studied quite a few books on invasive species and the cat is the No. 1 culprit in many areas. People just don't want to hear it. Also if you allow your cat outside, if it gets hit or badly injured by a car or coyote or evil human, you have only yourself to blame. Build a catio. Responsible animal owners do their best to protect their pets.
I have a cat and have been a cat person all my life. I have been a birder for over 20 years, have gone to Africa several times to see both cats and birds, and am a lifelong student of natural history. I have a pet Starling who mimics speech and is adorable and highly intelligent, a beautiful affectionate Black cat who stays indoors, and I love them both.
November 10, 2017
In Chapter 5 ("The Zombie Maker"), Marra writes about the truly horrifying effects of toxoplasmosis (cats are vectors for the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii) which include a kind of brain damage that makes an organism lack appropriate fear of predators, and in fact causes them to be drawn towards predators. One must wonder if Marra hasn't got some similar affliction, walking straight at the wackadoo feral cat "caretakers" and cat-fanciers with this book, with statements like, "...the most desirable solution seems clear- remove all free-ranging cats from the landscape by any means necessary." To his credit, Marra cites scientific evidence and discusses scientific methodology in explaining how and why, e.g., trap-neuter-return (TNR) regimes are ineffective- both in terms of the impact of cats (an invasive species, it is worth noting) on threatened and endangered native species, and the welfare of cats themselves. If you are a 'cat person' (you know who you are), you really must make yourself aware of the overwhelmingly negative impact your (or any) cat has on the environment. This book is not, as has apparently been claimed by some, "anti-cat"; it is, however, "anti-outdoor-cat". And there's the bottom line: keep your cat indoors; and if you have to take it outside, put it on a leash. Free-range cats are a nuisance and a danger to man and animal alike.
July 2, 2017
This book certainly makes one paws, and wonder. (Get it, Pause.) I've understood for a long time that feral cats can have an effect on other mammals, birds, lizards. I was not aware of the diseases they can transmit to other species. I was particularly interested in what Marta wrote about The Hawaiian Black Crow, which is now extinct in the wild, but is being successfully bred in or near Hilo. But, and this is a BIG BUT, it has not been successfully reintroduced into the wild. Peter Marra attributes it to toxoplasmosis. I hadn't heard that before. I see some research in my future.
This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions. . Feral cats are indeed a problem. We may like to think of them as content and happy, as they pursue their lives without restraint. The truth is they have a much shorter life span, (often only 2 yrs) and 1. most are infected with a cat life ending disease that they have passed on to the rest of the colony, and often other species., and 2.) they contribute to the demise of many other wild creatures, by killing them, or infecting them. I love cats. I also love birds. I don't know how the feral cat problem can be contained. I only hope all pet owners will be responsible for the pets that have been entrusted to them.
This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions. . Feral cats are indeed a problem. We may like to think of them as content and happy, as they pursue their lives without restraint. The truth is they have a much shorter life span, (often only 2 yrs) and 1. most are infected with a cat life ending disease that they have passed on to the rest of the colony, and often other species., and 2.) they contribute to the demise of many other wild creatures, by killing them, or infecting them. I love cats. I also love birds. I don't know how the feral cat problem can be contained. I only hope all pet owners will be responsible for the pets that have been entrusted to them.
May 20, 2024
I have 2 cats that I love, but I also love the diversity and vibrant living things that make up the natural world. I didn't have a strong opinion on either feral or outdoor pet cats previously, but this book is a damning look at the negative and well-documented effects cats have on the natural world. I'm not a scientist, but I think it's pretty telling that essentially all peer-reviewed data supports the author and anything refuting the claims comes directly from trap/neuter/release-oriented organizations. Insisting on outdoor cats is selfish. It's subjecting the cats themselves to violent lives and brutal deaths in areas they wreck native mammal, reptile, bird, and insect populations that aren't evolved to survive alongside them.
Invasive lionfish are wrecking the south-eastern Pacific coast of America. How delusional would it be for aquarium keepers to argue for the well-being of those fish over native coral reefs? Why is the argument different for cats simply because they are cute?
I looked at the 1 star reviews for this book and can't help but think of climate-change denialism. "Every study published in scientific journals is wrong, but check out this blog post that supports my opinion already."
Invasive lionfish are wrecking the south-eastern Pacific coast of America. How delusional would it be for aquarium keepers to argue for the well-being of those fish over native coral reefs? Why is the argument different for cats simply because they are cute?
I looked at the 1 star reviews for this book and can't help but think of climate-change denialism. "Every study published in scientific journals is wrong, but check out this blog post that supports my opinion already."
June 7, 2019
A smart person here on Goodreads told me , “ There are too many good books out there waiting for me to read to waste time finishing bad ones.”
Or ones that you just don’t enjoy I imagine.
I care for and have Ferals fixed that live near me and I catch them and have them fixed when I can out of my own pocket but I am NOT a cat lady. I have 2 cats that are indoor only. Why I need to explain that I have no idea other than the fact I wanted to see if I could learn more about my furry feral feline friends and what I could do to lessen their impact on the environment.
I read thru half of this book and while it is packed with stories of how cats destroy local eco systems , facts , data , raw percentages etc etc I found myself struggling to finish it because it was very boring to me.
Now I have whisked my way through scientific books on cloning , gene editing, robotics and other scientific theories with relish, throughly enjoying them. But this book just put me on the snooze level.
I might revisit this title. I might.
Or ones that you just don’t enjoy I imagine.
I care for and have Ferals fixed that live near me and I catch them and have them fixed when I can out of my own pocket but I am NOT a cat lady. I have 2 cats that are indoor only. Why I need to explain that I have no idea other than the fact I wanted to see if I could learn more about my furry feral feline friends and what I could do to lessen their impact on the environment.
I read thru half of this book and while it is packed with stories of how cats destroy local eco systems , facts , data , raw percentages etc etc I found myself struggling to finish it because it was very boring to me.
Now I have whisked my way through scientific books on cloning , gene editing, robotics and other scientific theories with relish, throughly enjoying them. But this book just put me on the snooze level.
I might revisit this title. I might.
July 3, 2023
This tiny book is definitely the most impactful nonfiction book I have ever read. I was skeptical about the topic from the synopsis but this book has made it's mark. I will definitely think about the issues broached in this book for a long time. It made me think of how much I did not know about the world. For example, I didn’t even know cats hunt and kill birds, I thought they were limited to rodents and lizards. The writers made the good balance of urging for quick action but not endorsing being cruel to the animals or demonizing them. The threats that free ranging cats possess are our mess and decreasing their number will be a heavy toll both financially and emotionally but it is a necessary cost to pay for the greater good. Maybe the sin of disrupting the lives of so many animals with our whims has to balanced by another sin of altering or taking away the lives of some animals.
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