Feral Cats

By Tom Atkinson, President

The official position of the Board of Directors of the Indian River Audubon Society representing over 1300 families in Brevard County is “Feral cats do not belong in the wild in any form.”

The Florida peninsula is an important flyway for migratory birds. Migrating birds have to stop to rest and refuel on their long migratory trips, particularly during storms and strong head winds. The Florida peninsula has always provided a safe and welcoming haven for these hardy travelers for eons on end. Small domestic cats are not native to the Florida environment. Therefore,
migratory birds have not developed a defense strategy against small cats. The birds, hungry and exhausted, which stop to rest and feed, fall prey to an introduced predator against which they have built up no defense.