The case in summary Norwegian cats injure or kill between 21 and 68 million animals a year, mainly small mammals such as mice and birds. Some of the species that are exposed to the cats are already on the red list, such as house sparrows, starlings and yellow sparrows. The cat’s hunting also affects the animal welfare of other animals, as cats often play with their prey. There are measures to reduce the number of animals cats catch and kill, such as keeping the cat indoors, using a leash or enclosure, or hanging a bell on the cat. We have had cats in Norway since the Viking Age. For a long time they were used to take care of mice and rats. In the last hundred years, that has changed. The cats are no longer just practical helpers who take care of pests. We have taken them into living rooms and apartments and use them as pets. But even though they are our pets, it does not mean that they are harmless – to other animals. Today we have between 700,000-900,000 cats in Norway. Photo: Ole Marius Trøen / news Mice and birds – The main conclusion is that domestic cats take a high number of prey a year. That’s what Erlend Nilsen says. He is a professor at Nord University and senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Natural Sciences. In addition, he has been appointed as a member of the Science Committee for Food and the Environment. And that committee has seen how our cats affect the wild animals in Norway. When Nilsen says that there is a high number of prey animals, he means that the cats injure and kill between 21 and 68 million other animals a year. That is the estimate that VKM has arrived at. Our cats mostly take small mammals such as mice. In addition, they take between four and 14 million injured and killed birds. This cat has caught a bird and brought it home. Photo: Anders Werner Øfsti / news – Some of the species that are at risk are already on the red list. It could be species such as house sparrows, starlings and yellow sparrows and so on, says Nilsen. The animal welfare of other animals is also affected by cats. – You know of cases where the cat plays with the prey and that type of thing, says the professor. A cat dragged a bird inside. The owner found the remains of the bird in his robotic vacuum cleaner. Photo: Ole Marius Trøen / news Fence and collar Fortunately, there are things you can do to ensure that your cat does not catch and kill so many other animals. Researcher Erlend Nilsen has led the work on the new report on Norwegian cats. Photo: NINA Nilsen in VKM emphasizes that they do not make recommendations about what people should do, but only tell about different possibilities and their consequences. – It could be things like keeping them indoors all or part of the year, or in special seasons, such as during the nesting season for birds. It can be combined with having them on a leash or in an enclosure when they are outdoors. Nilsen says the committee has also discussed measures that can warn other animals. – It could be things like hanging a bell on them to warn the prey. Other possibilities are to use colorful collars or collars on the cats. Cats don’t just catch mice and birds. Vipers can also become prey for the cats. Photo: Sjur Søfteland Up to 100,000 wild cats The scientific committee has also looked at the situation with the cats. Most cats who have an owner are fine. – When they are outside without supervision, they are exposed to various dangers. Either being run over, getting away from the owner or being taken by other predators. It is potentially an animal welfare problem. In addition, VKM estimates that there are between 50,000-100,000 wild cats in the country. – They often have poor animal welfare and contribute to the negative effects on biological diversity. There are very few who want us to have large populations of ownerless cats.
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Norwegian cats injure or kill up to 68 million animals a year – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
