He said most of the animals brought in with cat injuries are young, such as baby rabbits, squirrels and birds.
It's an epidemic," Hobbs said.Īn owner of multiple cats himself, Hobbs said he loves cats, just not the people who let them destroy native species. "You are introducing an alpha predator, and local animals don't have the right defense. Hobbs estimated that over the last few years, 80 percent of the injured animals brought to him were injured by a cat. They say that's what they do, I say, 'Yeah, in Egypt,'" Hobbs said. They say they are just being cats, I say, no, that's being an irresponsible pet owner. "I'm not a big fan of people who let cats roam free. Neil Hobbs, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Binghamton, sees firsthand the damage cats can do to birds and small mammals. However, Rodewald cited a study in Florida that showed cats kill more than the sick and the weak and can hurt bird populations. "Some people argue that cats are not impacting actual populations, they say they only take on the weak or sick," Rodewald said. However, a big part of the problem is cat owners who know their cats kill but still let them outside.
I expect the majority would be concerned if they knew their pets were killing so many animals and that they would want to do something about it," Anderson said. "Cat owners obviously love animals, otherwise they wouldn't have a cat. Anderson said the problem is not unique to the Southern Tier and that the best hope to combat the issue is to raise awareness among cat owners and lovers. Rodewald, who lives in Ithaca, said that many people don't realize that their outdoor cats can roam miles away to wild areas and don't just stick to the backyard. A cat can kill a half dozen animals a day, and their range is enormous," Anderson said. "They have an instinct to kill things, even if they don't plan on eating it.
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