Community
Keeping Cats and Birds Safe
Outdoor cats are the leading human-related cause of bird deaths in Canada. As highly skilled hunters, domestic and feral cats pose a serious threat to birds and small wildlife. At the same time, cats that roam outdoors face many hazards, from traffic to predators and disease.
Being a responsible cat owner helps keep your pet safe, protects local wildlife, and reduces the number of homeless cats in our community. While the Town of Gibsons does not have a cat bylaw, we focus on education and actively encourage responsible cat ownership to safeguard pets, people, and our local environment.
Key Facts
- An estimated 196 million birds die each year in Canada due to feral and domestic cats.(Source: Environment Canada)
- Indoor cats live much longer: Indoor cats: up to 20 years, Outdoor cats: average of 2 to 5 years
- 80% of Canadian veterinarians recommend an indoor lifestyle for cats to protect their health. (Source: Canadian Veterinary Medical Association)
- Free-roaming cats (owned, abandoned, or feral) can carry diseases that spread to people, including rabies, toxoplasmosis, and cat scratch fever.
- Most Canadian cat owners already keep their cats indoors: 59% to 72% prevent their cats from roaming unsupervised. (Source: Nature Canada)
Responsible Cat Ownership Tips:
- Introduce controlled access to outdoors, such as cat enclosures or leashed walks, and reduce unsupervised outdoor visits.
- Spay/neuter your cat: have less desire to go outside and roam.
- Enrich the indoor environment. Provide perches/cat shelves, cat TV, cat furniture and toys, and have lots of playtime with your cat
