Human Cats Research Paper

"A monster lives among us. It has ultraviolet sight, ultrasound hearing, an unparalleled comprehension of three-dimensional space, astonishing reproduction capabilities, the desire to hunt for not only food, but sport, and an insatiable hunger for every level of the food chain. It has conquered nearly every continent, from rainforests to tundras and it is estimated that their population has risen to over a billion, causing ecological devastation which may one day rival human environmental impact. Despite its description which is reminiscent of a horror movie antagonist with razor sharp claws, fangs, and cruel disposition, the word most likely to be used to describe this demon is “adorable” The creature I am referencing is none other than man’s
This explains why estimates are that there are between 600 million and 1 billion house cats worldwide, with more than 90 million pet cats in the United States (a number which has tripled in the last 40 years), the majority of which roam outside at least part of the time. In addition to the direct threats they pose to ecosystems, they also carry diseases harmful to both animals and humans such as hookworms, rabies, and toxoplasmosis (for which around 74 percent of cats will test positive in their
Public awareness campaigns have spread in the US to encourage people to keep pet cats indoors, especially during times of the year where their prey may be abundant or vulnerable like mating and migration seasons. Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price is Right, as well as his successor Drew Carey ends every show with the line “help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered.” Despite this message being drilled into the minds of millions of Americans watching the show over the last 40 years, the effects seem negligible. Steps are being taken to reduce the amount of stray/feral cats through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs in big cities like Buffalo, Philadelphia, and others, but the National Fish and Wildlife Service does not have a policy supporting or banning the policy. Some organizations, like the American Bird Conservatory, are against TNR because they believe the cats should not be released afterward due to the danger they continue to pose. In an attempt to limit cat populations, NYC, and other cities, have laws which require that cats permitted to roam outdoors be neutered. In regions where endangered animals are threatened by cats, habitats are being fenced off to be less accessible, but not a guaranteed to