12/02/2019
Cats are free to roam, says EU
The European Commission has “categorically” denied that it will ever force cats to be kept inside or on leashes. The odd clarification came in response to a study that argued that outdoor cats should be forbidden under the EU's Birds and Habitats Directive, which protects birds and other wildlife that cats often kill. The lawyers behind the article say letting a cat roam freely outside when you know it could damage biodiversity should be considered a violation of the law. An EU spokesperson said "the Commission is a strong defender of free movement rights — including of cats."
■Class discussion: Should domestic cats be locked up to protect birds and rodents? Why or why not? Scientists say most of the millions of birds killed by cats each year are victims of feral animals – domestic cats that have returned to the wild. Could we ever control those feral cats? Why did ancient human beings ever join up with these small, efficient predators? How did domestic cats help create human civilization? Why are predators needed to maintain the balance of nature? What top predatory mammal has caused — and is still causing — the lion’s share of species extinctions?