#shorts #ranging cats #different animal species #study #percent
A new study has found that domestic cats are voracious predators that kill an estimated 2084 different animal species. That’s right, your cuddly little fur ball is actually a cold-hearted killer. The study authors write that “cats are indiscriminate predators and eat essentially any type of animal that they can capture at some life stage or can scavenge.” Some of the largest animals they found evidence of cats eating included emu, green sea turtle, and domestic cow (which presumably they scavenged, we hope). In a similarly impressive feat, scientists have previously observed a single cat devouring an entire kangaroo body. Needless to say, their findings aren’t great news for conservation. The new study estimated that up to 347 (16.65 percent) of the species eaten by cats are of conservation concern. The percentage of threatened prey species is significantly higher on island ecosystems. In New Zealand, for example, research in the 1970s found that feral house cats were implicated in the extinction of at least six endemic bird species and over 70 localized subspecies. So, next time you’re looking at your cat lovingly, remember that you’re in the presence of a cold-hearted killer – and a considerable threat to conservation. The new study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
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