Looking for practical solutions to keep your cat safe while protecting birds?
Check out ABC's Solutions for Pet Cats page.
Domestic cats (Felis catus) can make wonderful pets. But cats that roam outdoors, can have serious consequences.
Across the globe, cats have been introduced into new habitats by people with terrible results. Outdoors, cats are a non-native and invasive species that threaten birds and other wildlife, disrupt ecosystems, and spread diseases.
Now numbering well over 100 million in the United States, cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year in the U.S. alone, making cat predation by far the largest source of direct, human-caused mortality to birds.
Our Cats Indoors program educates the public and policy makers about the many benefits to birds, cats, and people when cats are maintained indoors or under an owner's direct control. In addition to advocating for responsible pet ownership solutions, we also oppose Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) for feral cats because of the persistent and severe threats posed by these cats on the landscape.
We're leading a movement to overcome local and national challenges caused by roaming cats through science-based policies and management. We invite you to join a growing network of diverse stakeholders, such as animal shelters, veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, and conservation biologists, as we build a future that is better for cats, better for birds, and better for people.
Sign up for ABC's Cats Indoors newsletter to stay informed!
American Bird Conservancy successfully protected nesting Piping Plovers at Jones Beach State Park in New York from feral cats. In 2018, following an Endangered Species Act lawsuit by American Bird Conservancy, all cats were removed to a local cat sanctuary. Read more about this groundbreaking court case here.
In 2018, following years of advocacy by American Bird Conservancy and partners, the State of Hawaiʻi officially prohibited the abandonment of animals and the feeding of wildlife or feral animals at Hawaiʻi Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation properties across the state. This move will protect Hawaiʻi’s endangered wildlife and reduce the spread of harmful cat-carried diseases such as toxoplasmosis.
In the last five years, we have distributed over 100,000 brochures to concerned citizens, veterinarians, and conservation groups, helping to spread the word that cats, birds, and people are better off when cats are kept indoors. Order brochures.
Want to live a bird-friendly life? Try these six simple steps!
