Keeping Cats and Wildlife Safe

Keeping Cats and Wildlife Safe

Free-ranging cats are a major source of wildlife mortality, with some estimates suggesting that cats may kill as many as 100 to 350 million birds in Canada alone each year. This talk will discuss the impacts of cats on wildlife and  how keeping pet cats indoors can help keep wildlife safe. We will also discuss the impacts of free-ranging behaviour on cat safety, and how keeping cats indoors is also important for pet cat safety. Finally, we will talk about how to improve indoor cat welfare using enrichment such as catios and cat training.

Dr. Jessica Haines is an assistant professor at MacEwan University. She enjoys teaching about ecology, evolution, and conservation biology and is currently working on Franklin's ground squirrel in Alberta in collaboration with Nature Alberta. In her spare time she likes to be outdoors exploring nature, usually accompanied by her two Labrador retrievers. She is also owned by two indoor cats. One of whom is a trained therapy cat who has helped people relax and feel joy.

To watch the recording on YouTube, click here.