American Bird Conservancy’s Resolution on
Free-Roaming Cats

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that American Bird Conservancy:

• calls for all cats to be kept indoors or under close supervision and the humane removal of all free-roaming cats beginning with areas important to wildlife;

• opposes human behavior permitting cats to roam free;

• supports programs to neuter or spay cats before reaching reproductive age, register cats, and encourage owners to keep their cats indoors;

• strongly opposes managed free-roaming cat colonies;

• will work with the scientific, conservation, and animal welfare communities to educate the public about the dangers that free-roaming cats pose to birds and other native wildlife and the hazards to free-roaming cats;

• urges local, state, and federal wildlife agencies, public health organizations, legislative bodies and the public to:

           (1) ban and eliminate free-roaming cat colonies through humane capture by animal care and control facilities; and

           (2) require the licensure of all cats and prohibit free-roaming cats by adopting laws similar to those in existence or dogs.