Cats and Birds | About
Cats and Birds is
- A wildlife conservation issue
- An animal welfare issue
- A human health issue
- A complex issue with a simple solution: keeping cats indoors or supervised while outdoors.
The Cats and Birds topic often causes debate between conservation groups and cat advocates, and the reason is very simple: birds and outdoor cats don’t mix but both are beloved and cared for!
A short clip about “Cats and Birds” by Vancouver Avian Research Centre.
North American bird populations are rapidly declining. Since the 1970s, nearly 3 billion birds were lost. Among many dangers, cat predation on birds is the strongest human-related source of bird mortality. Eager, skillful and adept hunters, cats kill about 100 – 350 million birds every year in Canada alone!
A study published on Sept. 19, 2019 in the journal Science reveals that since 1970, bird populations in the US and Canada have declined by 29 percent, signalling a widespread ecological crisis. Video by American Bird Conservancy.
Cats are at risk while outdoors
It is important to remember that cats face many dangers when roaming outside unsupervised, including
- Cars
- Toxins
- Diseases
- Predation
- Unwanted pregnancy
- Cat theft
The Cats and Birds program supports responsible cat ownership and encourages best practices for cat welfare. Learn more in our section for cat owners.
What do we do to help birds and cats?
Watch the video below to hear an interview with the Stewardship Centre’s Executive Director DG Blair to find out what the Cats and Birds program is and how you can be a part of this initiative that helps to protect our beloved pets and native wildlife.
SCBC’s Executive Director DG Blair talks about the Cats and Birds program.
You can also check our Cats and Birds program summary presented at the Harris Barn Bird Stewardship Roundtable Event in Delta, BC in October 2021.
Cats and Birds Project Coordinator, Anna Skurikhina explains ways the Stewardship Centre for BC is working with others to help make British Columbia a safer place for cats, birds, and other wildlife. This talk was part of the Harris Barn Bird Stewardship Roundtable Event in Delta, BC in October 2021.
To address this issue and protect our feathery friends and furry companions, we developed resources for pet owners, veterinarians and local governments to help make British Columbia a safer place for Cats and Birds!
