Scientists reveal strange trait in cats: 'There's an indiscriminate killer living in your yard'

A new study has found that domestic cats walking freely outside are some of the biggest predators in the world. They kill or capture more than 2,000 different species of animals, including 347 endangered species.

Most of cats' victims are birds, reptiles, and mammals. Mice and rats are regulars on the cat's menu, but cats can also catch big game such as emus, green sea turtles.

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According to a new analysis by Auburn University ecologist Christopher Lepchick and his colleagues, cats are "cunning meat-eating animals that eat more than 2,000 different species around the world. Of this prey, 347 are listed as species requiring conservation, and some are classified as extinct," writes sciencealert.

"In fact, we know of no other mammal that eats so many different species," the scientists said.

The researchers caution that the analysis likely underestimates the true range of cat predation. That's because the included studies often tried to clearly define prey species and categorized many species as "unknown."

In addition, the researchers believe that most studies of "cat diets" have been conducted in Australia and North America, leaving tropical regions and biodiversity hotspots in Asia, Africa and South America largely unaccounted for.

Cat owners are urged to keep their pets at home to protect both the cats themselves and the surrounding wildlife.

Earlier, experts said how long you can leave a cat alone for.

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