Hello Tweeters,



As a veterinarian who treats both cats and raptors, I have often wondered
just how much a threat raptors pose to pets. Please, folks, do not take this
posting as an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of cats! That is not
my intention. Please contact me off list if you'd like to discuss this
subject.



Many folks here on Whidbey Island "know" that any raptor is dangerous to
cats and dogs but my 20+ years experience here doesn't support these claims.
I just don't see cats and small dogs with wounds consistent with a raptor
attack and my area is richly blessed with an assortment of large diurnal and
nocturnal raptors. I have never received a first-hand, eyewitness report of
a raptor attack on a cat or small dog. I have treated an unfortunate
Red-Tailed Hawk who entered a chicken coop which housed a very large and
very aggressive rooster. J



A quick look through the Sibley Guide gave the following raptor weights;
Red-Tailed Hawk - 2.4lb, Barred Owl - 1.6lb, Great Horned Owl - 3.1lb, and
Bald Eagle 9.5lb. These weights are pretty characteristic of the raptors
that I weigh here with some exceptions (like the giant Bald Eagle that
weighed 13.5lb!) Most adult domestic cats weigh between 7 and 11lbs.



A perusal of some of the more reputable raptor websites (where did they get
their data?) state that Red-Tailed Hawks can carry one-half their body
weight, Eagles one-third, and owls two to three times their body weights! If
anyone knows of any hard data about owls carrying that amount, I'd like to
see it. My only experience was with an 82gram Saw-Whet Owl which had killed
a 21gram Song Sparrow and couldn't drag it off the road, let alone become
airborne. It is a well-known fact (?) that Great-Horned Owls can kill and
carry striped skunks. Can a three pound owl really carry a ten pound skunk
to its nest or do they selectively pick on smaller skunks? I've regularly
seen larger hawks and owls carrying the local Eastern Cottontail rabbits. I
have examined dead or dying eagles which have been struck by cars while
carrying teals because they couldn't maintain enough altitude to cross the
highway.



My conclusion; It's difficult to separate myth from reality and the myths
are often fervently believed as if sacred doctrine. I believe that raptor
attacks on cats and small dogs are unusual but do occur, as Mr. Sandelin has
observed. Most cats are just too big, quick and dangerous for raptors to
tangle with unless they are starving or otherwise desperate. Coyotes, on the
other hand, are a significant cause of cat and small dog mortality here and
I know that raptors are often unfairly blamed.



Dave Parent, Freeland, WA