How many birds are killed by cats every year? Statistics to Know in 2022

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Despite being common and devoted pets, domestic cats offer a serious threat to birds, other species, and the ecology. Domestic cats who spend their entire lives outdoors or only sometimes do so pose a threat to biodiversity and have a negative influence on critically endangered bird species.

How many birds are killed by cats each year? Every year, outdoor cats kill nearly 2.4 billion birds in the United States alone. Tens of millions of outside cats are to blame for this. Let's examine the statistics in more detail.

We review data on cat homicides from various categories. If you want to quickly access a particular topic, click the type below:

Cat Killing Statistics

Cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year.

Domestic cats are one of the world’s worst non-native invasive species.
Outdoor cats contribute to 33 extinctions globally.
About one-third of the 800 species of birds in the US are endangered, threatened, or in decline.
Cats threaten endangered species such as the piping plover, the Hawaiian petrel, and the Hawaiian goose.
Americans own about 86 million cats.
Roughly 65%–75% of pet cats are strictly indoor cats.
About 25%–35% of pet cats are outdoor cats.
The average house cat kills 2 animals per week.
Stray and feral cats kill 3x as many animals as indoor pet cats.
Stray and feral cats are estimated to number between 30 and 80 million.
US animal shelters euthanize over 1.4 million cats each year.