Purina One: Stop Glorifying Outdoor Cats

Bird populations are in a decline around the world.  Outdoor cats contribute to this issue by killing hundreds of millions of birds each year.  Purina One, by airing this commercial, promotes outdoor cats which could potentially lead to more cat owners allowing their pets to roam outdoors.

Purina One's Born to Be commercial appears to glorify outdoor cats as living healthy, active and long lives.  This is the furthest thing from the truth.  In addition to be dangerous to your cat's health, allowing cats outside decimates wildlife populations.  Please ask Purina to pull this commercial for the following reasons:

* Cats are not wild animals. They are warm, loving companions, domesticated by humans  thousands of years ago.

* Cats that are allowed outside are more likely to lead shorter lives. Exposure to  transmittable and deadly diseases (such as rabies, feline leukemia, distemper and FIV), the constant threat of being hit by a car, and being attacked by a dog or a larger predator such as a fox are very real and likely possibilities.  

* Human cruelty.  There have been many publicized cases of cats found stabbed, burned and shot.

* Cats can make YOU sick. Cats can contract diseases such as rabies and toxoplasmosis, both of which can be transmitted to humans.  They also can carry parasites, such as ticks, fleas and worms, into the home.

 * Cats will kill wildlife no matter how well they are fed.  They do not always hunt  because they are hungry, they hunt because of an innate urge to hunt.

 *  Bells are not a deterrent since wildlife does not  recognize the sound of bells as dangerous and most cats will learn to hunt silently, even with the bells.    

 The Impact of Cats on Wildlife:

Many bird populations are in a serious and steep decline due to three major causes: habitat destruction, window bird collisions and cat  predation.  When you add up these losses, the math is chilling.  Hundreds of millions of birds are killed by cats each year, and  between 100 million and a billion die from window collisions.   Factor in  habitat loss and you are now looking at an unsustainable loss of these species.

Cats also kill prey animals such as mice,  chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and other small   mammals, competing with native species such as hawks, owls, foxes and other larger wild predators that depend on these animals for their survival.     Statistics show that the combined numbers of birds and small mammals killed each year by cats is close to one billion. Allowing a well fed house cat to compete for wild food sources places native predators at a disadvantage.

Bottom line is that for the health and happiness of cats, the benefit of wild animals, and  for their owners' peace of mind,  cats belong indoors.