by Monika Wenzel-Curtis
Every May, I send out the following Facebook post:
“I love cats. I love birds. I implore all my likeminded human beings to keep their furry friends inside while the feathered ones are nesting or at least make them wear a loud bell so they don’t contribute to the increasing decline of Alberta’s songbirds. The statistics are staggering. Do the right thing.”
The reactions have been 50/50. Rage has surfaced from the thread of cat owners who refuse to acknowledge the bylaws in place and the obvious guilt associated with a role in what we know is a bad result of roaming cats. We take it personally when someone criticizes our children and our pet’s actions, it is human nature.
Much like other bylaws, the rules around responsible cat ownership rely on a buy-in that society has rules in place for a purpose. In Calgary, current bylaws mandate that cats must be confined to their owner’s property. Roaming cats are considered a community nuisance, as they can damage gardens and pose a threat to local wildlife, particularly songbirds. The City encourages pet owners to keep their cats indoors or within enclosed areas to ensure their safety and protect the environment.
Here are the words from the city site:
“Calgary’s Cat Bylaws and Enforcement
Confined to Property: Cats must remain on their owner’s property.
Community Nuisance: Roaming cats can damage gardens and harm wildlife.
Trapping and Reporting: Residents can humanely trap roaming cats and bring them to the Animal Services Centre. Before trapping, individuals must sign an agreement and have the trap inspected by a Community Peace Officer. Trapped cats must be brought to the Animal Services Centre within 24 hours.”
Do you know anyone who traps cats on their property? I have never gone to that extent, but I understand the frustration of repeat offenders using your garden as a litterbox and waiting under your feeder for the opportunity to snatch another migrating songbird from existence. When you invest in a motion camera, you can track the visits and find out their destructive schedules. Obviously, knowing your neighbours and voicing your concerns, respectfully, is the first and best course of action. You can’t choose your neighbours, but you can try to appreciate their point of view despite political, and bylaw abiding differences, making it a workable challenge. Pet owners have a strong bond in their love of animals.
Rules regarding roaming cats are all over the map in this province and not easy to enforce. A 2024 article in the Lethbridge Herald by Al Beeber lays out the grizzly truth. Between 150 million and 300 million birds are killed annually by domestic cats in Canada alone but only about 38 percent of communities in this country have bylaws on the popular pet.
A study suggests that between two and seven percent of birds in the southern regions of this country are killed annually by cats with many species potentially vulnerable because they feed or nest at or close to ground level. The Community Safety Standing Policy Committee of Lethbridge states that while communities have long had dog bylaws, “historically, cats have been allowed to be unsupervised because of a belief that cats are independent and need to explore outdoors. We think of cats as being able to ‘look after themselves’ more than other pets. This ignores the fact that cats have been domestic pets for thousands of years and do not belong in the wild.”
Yes, cats are doing what they were instinctually born to do. I left my front patio door open for five seconds, and my cat took advantage of a new fledgling robin, bringing it past my two screaming children all the way to the basement before she presented it to me, expecting praise and receiving outrage. So, I keep the door closed during this time of year and supervise backyard excursions. It is an inconvenient necessity. The only way to prevent a cat from killing a bird is to keep it inside, however, keeping it inside is not always easy, especially for people who adopt or inherit outdoor cats. Catios, leashes, and harnesses are always options. Please, do not walk them to the local dog park, it is not a cat park! Outdoor cats live significantly shorter lives, and the current coyote/bobcat population isn’t helping their life expectancy.
Development brings people who bring pets. Natural areas and wildlife bring balance to our human sprawl, and there are reasons beyond the bylaws to keep it that way. Seeing the world through an Indigenous lens and looking seven generations ahead should be normalized before we succumb to the damage we are inflicting on a precarious planet.
Image provided by httpspangovet.comstatisticshow-many-birds-do-cats-kill-in-canada
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