Cat or dog - which is the best choice for the planet?

October 3, 2007

EVERYONE knows the world is divided between cat people and dog people and that, to paraphrase Kipling, pups are pups and pussies are pussies and never the twain shall meet. But perhaps it is time we began choosing our pets on another basis altogether - the environment.

"Both cats and dogs can have a detrimental effect on the environment," says Rodney van der Ree, senior ecologist at the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology. "But I would have to say that in terms of predation at least, cats are the worst offenders."

Domestic moggies are thought to chew through an average of eight birds, 16 mammals and eight reptiles a year. In Victoria alone they consume 29 million items of wildlife a year, with strays and ferals accounting for another 182 million. The Shire of Yarra now requires owners to confine cats to their properties 24 hours a day. After proclaiming cat curfew in the 1980s, the council was forced to act when it found that housecats were attacking a local colony of powerful owls.

But dog lovers should not be complacent. Faecal analysis by the National Parks and Wildlife Service recently found domestic dogs regularly feast on native wildlife, such as possums, wallabies, kangaroos and southern brown bandicoots, the last being a critically endangered species. In the late 1990s domestic dogs were blamed for wiping out the entire penguin colony at Eagle's Claw, near Eden.

"Dogs can also disrupt breeding of wetland birds," says Van der Ree. "Wetland birds nest at ground level, and their egg laying can be interrupted by dogs coming through playing and splashing."

So what is the answer for pet lovers? "Owners are responsible for their animals," says Katrina Warren, a television vet and spokeswoman for the Petcare Information and Advisory Service. "The basic things are to microchip your pets, and always clean up after them, since you don't want their poo getting in waterways or parks where kids play." (It is now possible to buy dog waste composters, which use worms to convert the waste into garden safe compost.)

Most important of all, says Warren, is to keep your cat indoors, at least at night. "Cats that are kept indoors live longer anyway - about eight to 10 years more - because they aren't as vulnerable to cars, dogs and infectious diseases."

Building a cat run in your backyard means they can exercise in the day. "Meanwhile, try to create an indoor environment that is as enriched as possible, with a climbing post and maybe some cat grass to chew on."

And buying the right breed is essential. "Most longhair breeds are perfectly happy as indoor lap cats," Warren says.

The same goes for dogs, which should always be indoors at night and on a leash when outside. "Look for more laid-back breeds like French bulldogs, Boston terriers, Italian greyhounds."

People are often attracted to highly intelligent breeds like border collies, "but they have chasing instinct and are more likely to get out of your yard and cause chaos".

Tim Elliott

