My Pet World: New book takes a revealing look into the world of feral cats
Beall laughs and says, "That's impossible since we don't have near 4 billion birds in America. They would all be gone."
So what do feral cats actually eat? No surprise, the bulk of their diet (68 percent) consists of rats and mice (and presumably other rodents).
In the end, no matter how many birds are truly killed by cats, Beall would like the number to decline.
"This is another reason why TNR is so important to reduce feral cat populations," she adds.
Still, in reality, collisions with buildings, habitat destruction, air and light pollution kill far more birds than cats do.
Alley Cat Allies, a non-profit cat advocacy group, celebrates October 16 as National Feral Cat Day. To learn more, including information about local events, www.nationalferalcatday.org. Also, learn about TNR from the Chicago all-cat shelter, Tree House Humane Society, at www.treehouseanimals.org (under the Programs tab).
"We know attempts to trap and kill (feral cats) not only don't work, but are not accepted by most people as being humane," says Beall. "TNR is an approach people like and one that does substantially lower outdoor cat population numbers."
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