Abandoned house cats are dangerous to wildlife

cats

Cats are animals very loved by human beings. Except for a select group of people, the rest love them. Many have them as pets and others when they see one on the street they try to pet it and get its attention.

But we know that cats are very agile and useful animals for hunting. If we abandon our cat that we have as a pet, it can become a serious threat to other species. How can a creature as adorable as a cat become a hunting weapon?

The cat as a predator

For generations, cats have helped us to control rodent pests in addition to being our pets and giving us unconditional affection. Although it is always said that cats are very selfish and agreed, the word that best defines them is: crafty. Cats know very well what is best for them to survive and where best to do it.

It is well that cunning that can cause that, if we abandon our cat as a pet and leave it in the natural environment, it will feral and adapt to the environment, becoming a hunting machine to suit your needs.

wild cat

For decades, the negative effects that feral cats have on natural ecosystems have been documented as they kill a large number of individuals of other species. Among those most affected by the feral cat are birds. A new study published recently demonstrates and reiterates the seriousness of cats in Australia.

The history of the cat

The first cats were introduced to Australia back in 1804 brought by settlers. Years later, the carelessness on the part of their masters facilitated their flight and escape, adapting to the new conditions of life and becoming wild. In this way the docile cats that fulfilled the role of affectionate pets became wild animals and natural hunters.

This has caused that, to date, these wild cats have pushed almost 20 species of indigenous animals to Australia to the limits of extinction and have caused damage to many others.

A study published this week in the journal Biological Conservation by experts from various Australian universities indicates that wild cats -descendants of domestic cats- currently occupy 99,8% of the surface of Australia, including almost 80% of the surface of its islands. The problem with this is that Australia was the only place on Earth that, along with Antarctica, developed and evolved without the presence of any cats. So it is considered an invasive and very lethal species.

Cats as an invasive species in Australia

Conservative study indicates cat numbers in Australia fluctuate between 2,1 and 6,3 million copies. This range in the number of individuals depends on whether the environmental conditions are more suitable for their reproduction and hunting. These environmental conditions are what make the cat in Australia a real threat to the rest of the species. In addition, these figures only count the specimens that live in the natural environment and not the feral ones that live around farms and in urban environments.

cat hunting

Because the natural species of the Australian continent grew, developed and evolved without the presence of cats, they are very vulnerable to them, because, during their evolution, they have not been able to develop any Defense mechanism before the cunning of these animals. This is why the need to reduce the number of cats is imminent, although it must be done with respectful methods.

In a population count it was found that the density of the cats was the same both inside and outside the conservation reserves as the National Parks and it was concluded that protecting and designating these territories as natural reserves they are not enough to safeguard native fauna.

As you can see, cats can be as adorable as they are destructive, that is why, if you have a cat as a pet, you should not get tired of it but take care of it and give it a lot of love so that they do not become real killing machines.


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