A coalition of individuals and organisations will spend $1.5 million over the next three years to arrive at an accurate estimation of the number of cats living in Washington DC. The data gathered through this study could lead to better ways of managing cat populations across America, and even in other parts of the world, where cats are getting unfriendly press and facing policy wrath. At the centre of the debate is the extent of impact of paw imprint on ecology in countries such as America, Australia and New Zealand.
Some scholars have blamed cats for hunting birds and small mammals at unsustainable scales, pushing many of them to extinction. An ongoing Australian government project, announced in 2015, targets to kill over two million cats by 2020, through shooting, trapping and poisoning.
In America, there are many proponents for a similar policy. Critics of this approach ridicule the charges against cats. They point out that cats came with colonists, who wrecked more ecological havoc than cats could even dream of in their naps.
The DC Cat Count, launched earlier this month, seeks to “develop humane, data-driven cat population management programmes in communities across the nation”. It is “designed to count the cats who live outdoors, indoors, and in the animal shelter system in Washington, and to understand how cats move between these segments”, the organisers said in a statement. This will be an “interdisciplinary collaboration of organisations and individuals with a shared interest in finding practical, humane solutions to conflicts between cats, wildlife, and people in our communities”. The principal collaborators are the Humane Rescue Alliance, the Humane Society of the U.S., PetSmart Charities, and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
“Up until now, cat advocates and wildlife scientists haven’t had a ‘common language’ as a basis for discussion. Developing informative, objective, and mutually-acceptable ways to measure progress will be a key to better collaboration among stakeholders in the future,” said Dr. John Boone, research director at the Great Basin Bird Observatory and consultant to the Humane Society of the U.S.
Cat wars
Indeed, the cat conversation has been extremely polarised, as is the case with most American debates these days. Cat Wars , a 2016 book published by the Princeton University Press, claims to paint “a revealing picture of a complex global problem”. The book’s subtitle is ‘The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer’. Authors Peter P. Marra and Chris Santella argue for radical solutions.
“From a conservation ecology perspective, the most desirable outcome seems clear — remove all free-ranging cats from the landscape by any means necessary,” argued the authors, who estimated that there are 100 million wild cats and 50 million pet cats that are allowed to roam outside. Supporters of the programme claim this will lead to restoring the lost, rich wildlife of the continent.
Domestic cats apparently first appeared in North Africa about 10,000 years ago, and travelled with traders to Europe and other parts. North Africa and Europe are considered the ancestral homeland of cats. Native species that had not lived with cats fell easy prey to them.
Cat advocates challenge many of these assumptions, including estimates of cat population and the number of birds killed. They also argue that the cat population can be effectively managed by neutering or spaying them.
Varghese K. George works for The Hindu and is based in Washington
