Study shows cats are ruthless killers
Friday , December 07, 2012 - 5:17 PM
Curiosity doesn’t always kill the cat . . . sometimes it makes the cat a ruthless killer.
In a study of 60 cats fitted with cameras for seven to 10 days, a University of Georgia research team has found nearly 30 percent of them killed prey, ending the lives of two animals per week on average. Their prey? Unlucky lizards, snakes and frogs accounted for 41 percent - but the cats ate only 30 percent of what they killed.
With the help of National Geographic Society’s Crittercam project (see link at end), the study also found the felines to be adventurous, nearly half crossing roadways and a quarter eating and drinking things they found.
With 74 million cats in America, the potential amount of cat carnage is much higher than was earlier thought, according to the research. Beyond some moments of terror, the video and photo evidence proves an ancient lesson some of our cities and neighborhoods could stand recalling: more cats . . . fewer rats!