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Cats Inside
One of the best ways to help birds is to keep cats inside. (Of course, it's also the safest place for cats to be, too.)
Nationwide, cats kill an estimated hundreds of millions of birds each year, both common species such as Cardinal, Blue Jay, and House Wren, as well as rare and endangered species such as Piping Plover, Florida Scrub-Jay, and California Least Tern.
Cats are NOT part of natural ecosystems, and although some people view cat predation of rodents as beneficial, native small mammals are important to maintaining biologically diverse ecosystems.
Cats can have significant impacts on local wildlife populations, especially in habitat "islands" such as suburban and urban parks, wildlife refuges, and other areas surrounded by human development.
Bells on collars are not effective in preventing cats from killing birds or other wildlife. Birds don't associate the sound of a bell with danger, and cats with bells can learn to silently stalk their prey. Even if the bell on the collar rings, it may ring too late, and bells offer no protection for helpless nestlings and fledglings.
Wildlife rehabilitation centers report that most small animals injured by cats die. Cats carry bacteria and viruses in their mouths, some of which can be transmitted to their victims. Even if treatment is administered immediately, only about 20% of victims survive the ordeal. A bird that looks perfectly healthy may die from internal hemorrhaging or injury to vital organs.
Please keep your cats inside for the sake of our birds, other creatures, and for the cats themselves.
From the American Bird Conservancy's Cats Inside! campaign
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WHEN:
I'll be giving a presentation on bees and other pollinators immediately before the Edible Gardening CNY meeting on 
