Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Think of cats and you’ll probably think of your family’s own animal companion…but for the state’s natural wildlife predators, those same pets are tapping into their food sources…

06—Some people estimate that cats will take a total of 39-million prey animals per year.

Kelly Bender is an Urban Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Even well fed pet cats allowed to roam outdoors prey on the same food sources…including birds and mice…posing a risk to native wildlife.

04—From a wildlife management standpoint, we really should be keeping our cats indoors…

To limit the competition, locate bird feeders in areas that don’t provide cover for cats to lie in ambush. And don’t keep pet food dishes outdoors.

:09—…and realize that by not spaying or neutering our cats, we are producing an awful lot of predators each and every year.

Above all, do not release unwanted cats in rural areas, thinking it a more humane option than taking them to a shelter.

It is, in fact, an inhumane practice. Dumped in an unfamiliar setting, they are vulnerable. If they survive, this is when they become a threat to wildlife…and it’s not their fault.
Contact your local animal welfare organization for help.

That’s our show. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cecilia Nasti.

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