Are we running low on birds or something?

I don’t get the angst about this:

For cats who are hunting outside, both domestic and feral — a number estimated at more than 100 million in the U.S. — the researchers estimated predation of between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds a year.

And mammals? “It’s upward of about 15 billion,” said Smithsonian animal ecologist Pete Marra. Here’s a link to their study.

Let’s be clear – we’re not talking about endangered pandas. When they say “mammal,” they mean small mammal. Rodent, usually, I’ll bet.

Fifteen billion fewer rodents. I’m having a little trouble seeing the problem, here.

Okay, so, song birds. Fine. I get it. They’re pretty. But is there some kind of shortage? Are we running low?

More importantly: what would another few billion small birds and all their offspring – and fifteen billion rodents and all their offspring – do to the environment? Doesn’t anybody care about that?

Apparently not:

The Humane Society of the United States issued a statement Wednesday reminding cat owners to spay and neuter their pets and keep them indoors.

I suppose they just don’t want to seem like all those .223 rounds might have some legitimate purpose.