RE: Public Service Announcement – Keeping Cats Indoors
Did you know that at least half-a-billion birds are killed each year by domestic house cats – one of the leading causes on bird mortality in the nation?
Or that cats that roam outdoors are likely to live only half as long as indoor cats?
Help us get this message out to cat owners by airing our 30-second radio PSA on your station.
The Problem
There are more than 80 million pet cats in the U.S., the majority of which roam outside at least part of the time. In addition, millions more stray and feral cats roam our cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Scientists estimate that free-roaming cats kill at least 500 million birds and hundreds of millions more small mammals, reptiles and amphibians each year.
Cat predation is an added stress to wildlife populations already struggling to survive habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, and other human impacts (see: Domestic Cat Predation On Birds And Other Wildlife). Free-roaming cats are also exposed to injury, disease, parasites, getting hit by cars, or becoming lost, stolen, or poisoned. Cats can also transmit diseases and parasites such as rabies, cat-scratch fever, and toxoplasmosis to other cats, wildlife or people (see: The Great Outdoors Is No Place For Cats).
The Solution
In 1997, American Bird Conservancy launched the Cats Indoors! Campaign for Safer Birds and Cats to educate cat owners, decision makers, and the general public that cats, wildlife and people all benefit when cats are kept indoors, in an outdoor enclosure, or trained to go outside on a harness and leash. ABC developed many education materials, including a radio Public Service Announcement (PSA).
Please consider airing this 30-second radio PSA - Listen - Download (zipped file).
For more information please contact Steve Holmer, American Bird Conservancy, 202/234-7181,sholmer@abcbirds.org, www.abcbirds.org.
