Why is there a domestic house cat in the wildlife mural, and what does it have in its mouth?

House cat with prey, a Carolina chickadee

True, the house cat is not wildlife. But its impact on wildlife is profound, therefore it is included in this mural. Unfortunately, that is not a ball of string in its mouth, it is a chickadee.

 Did you know.....

• Nationwide, hundreds of millions of birds, and more than a billion small animals are killed by cats every year?
• Cats can transmit disease to wildlife?
• Cats compete with natural predators?
• Invasive species, including cats, are the second most serious threat to bird populations worldwide?

 It is a myth that well-fed cats don't hunt and kill birds and other wildlife. Well-fed cats kill birds and other wildlife because the hunting instinct is independent of the urge to eat. In one study, six cats were presented with a live small rat while eating their preferred food. All six cats stopped eating the food, killed the rat, and then resumed eating the food. I'm talking about Fluffy and Snowball here, not feral or native wild cats, such as the bobcat. Even putting a bell on your free-range cat doesn't help, because cats can learn to stalk quietly, and birds do not recognize the sound of the bell as something dangerous.

Things you can do to help:

•   If at all possible, for the sake of your cat and local wildlife, keep your cat indoors. Keeping your cats indoors helps protect the wildlife around your yard and prevents your cat from picking up diseases from strays or getting injured.
• Neuter your cats or prevent them from breeding, and encourage others to do so.
• Locate bird feeders in sites that do not provide cover for cats to wait in ambush for birds. 
• Don't feed stray cats. Feeding strays maintains high densities of cats that kill and compete with native wildlife populations.  

For more information, visit the American Bird Conservancy's website www.abcbirds.org and read about their program called CATS INDOORS-THE CAMPAIGN FOR SAFER BIRDS AND CATS.