Free-roaming cats kill billions of wildlife in the U.S. every year. The greatest risk is from cats that are allowed to roam freely and hunt.
New research suggests that free-roaming felids are likely infecting other animals with Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis. This disease is linked to nervous system disorders, respiratory and heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. These study findings are important because it’s a clear example of how human and feline pet densities raises the risk of a parasite in wildlife.
As increasing human densities are associated with increased densities of domestic cats, our study suggests that free-roaming domestic cats, whether pets or feral cats, are the most likely cause of these <toxoplasmosis> infections.”
Source: Treehugger, November 17, 2021. Link. Only wild and domestic cats (called felids) can spread the infectious form of toxoplasma into the environment through ocysts (eggs) in their feces. An acutely infected cat can excrete as many as 500 million toxoplasma eggs in two weeks, and even one oocyst can cause an infection.
INSIGHTS: In the case of birds, the losses due to cats are threefold higher than all other direct causes combined. A progressive movement amongst cat owners promotes supervised access through harness training and catios which is encouraging and benefits feline welfare.