When you exit your doorway, you notice something on the doormat. You see a dead mouse. You wince at the sight of it. You mutter under your breath, “Those darn cats…” as you walk to work. Have you ever wondered if cats are helpful or another reason why you dislike Los Angeles? I am here to tell you the pros and cons to having stray cats in our city.

Cats can cause a lot of damage to Los Angeles. Cats kill at least a hundred million birds in the US every year. They are also the reason why almost 33 bird species are extinct worldwide! Cats also carry diseases such as rabies, hookworm, and toxoplasmosis, which causes birth defects. With cats around, the tick and flea population increases as well. They scratch trees, which can cause harm to trees. The cat population has increased three times in the last eighty years-it’s blatant we have a cat problem.

Despite the wreckage cats can do to the city, there are good and helpful things that can make up for the felines’ misdeeds. According to an article by Mother Jones, cats kill insects, which can remove diseases carried by pests. Cats also kill rabbits and birds and cause less crop damage, which lowers the percentage of a famine. At a young age, getting exposed to cats can reduce allergies because later on, your immune system will be able to recognize any virus or bacteria that you were exposed to a long time ago. With cats, populations of insects, birds, rabbits, etc. are controlled and none will be overpopulated.

Cats can be mischievous and sometimes leave a gift on your doormat. These felines can be annoying at times, but they are a necessity in our community. The world might be very different without cats.


<Elise Kim, New Covenant Academy 7th Grade>