The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Jordan Corral.
My cat Izzy is special. My wife, Sara Marti, and I saved Izzy from the streets of Mid-City, Los Angeles, when she was just several months old. If we had left her, she likely wouldn’t have lasted long without help.
The average lifespan of a cat living on the streets with no human intervention is less than three years due to car strikes, predation, disease and lack of proper nutrition. My family and I have enjoyed Izzy’s company for over four years now, and trust me when I say, she is family. That is why I keep Izzy safe indoors.
Often on Nextdoor I see posts along the lines of, “Keep your cat indoors to protect them from coyotes.” This is true and helpful; you absolutely should keep your cat indoors away from hungry predators. But you know who else is a hungry predator? Your cat.
In the U.S. cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds every year. That’s more than double the number of birds killed by cars, windows, wind turbines, power lines and communication towers combined.
In addition to birds, cats kill an estimated 478 million reptiles, 173 million amphibians and 12.3 billion mammals, according to a peer-reviewed study published in Nature. Meanwhile, many bird populations are struggling due to light pollution, habitat loss, car strikes, traps and poisons.
If keeping your cat(s) indoors is not an option, there’s another way: construct an outdoor enclosure known as a “catio.” These enclosures can be built at home or purchased online. From within a catio, your cat can coexist with birds and mammals relatively close to one another all while getting sunshine and fresh air.
If you still want your cat to wander, wander alongside. Leashes and harnesses are excellent; just ask dog owners who use them to walk their dogs.
Palisadians are fortunate to live where we do, enjoying the outdoors between the mountains and the sea. We enjoy watching and listening to birds that sing throughout the seasons. The late conservationist and author of “Silent Spring” Rachel Carson devoted her life to protecting birds and nature. Now it’s our turn to protect the animals we so thoroughly enjoy.
We can all become conservationists just by keeping our cats indoors. It may take time and patience, understanding, and some creativity, but together we can accomplish great things. We are more connected with our natural world than we think.
And as Palisadians, we have the resources to help those in need, including our feathered friends. So I hope you’ll consider keeping your cat(s) indoors or constructing a catio.
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