Habitat loss is by far the leading factor - over half of all threatened bird species are in trouble because of the fragmentation of habitats. We at Alley Cat Allies hope that Earth Island Journal, a publication that takes pride in its quality scientific and environmental reporting, will not continue to make cats a scapegoat for a situation that is not of their making. Educated conservationists must realize that threats to endangered species can only be answered by compassion for all species. We must cultivate a greater understanding of the impact we as humans have and the imbalance of nature we have caused, threatening all forms of life on planet Earth. No one here is scapegoating cats.
Blame is a human concept.
Rather, we see cats as yet another human impact on our environment. It is the cats' human custodians who bear the responsibility for the damage to the environment the cats cause. While other factors may produce a higher overall loss of birds than do outdoor cats, the simple fact is that cats are the one factor over which the average person has some control. It is precisely compassion for all beings, including cats, that prompts groups like the American Bird Conservancy to advocate keeping cats indoors. But we regret giving the impression that North is a reliable source of information on any subject.