On Tuesday at 2:24 p.m., bird lovers watching the 探花精选 Society of Western Pennsylvania's (ASWP) were served a harsh dose of reality after one of the brought a kitten back to its nest. The bird then proceeded to tear the quarry up and feed it to its two eaglets (, but it's graphic). While the small cat already appeared to be dead on the live stream, some viewers 鈥攁nd that鈥檚 when the questions started. Do eagles poach cats? Should pet owners fear death from above? Do cats go to heaven?
Spoiler alert: No, no, and Google it.
Depending on where they live, some Bald Eagles eat mainly fish; others subsist mostly on other birds, such as gulls and geese. But mammals, like rabbits, lambs and, yes, even adorable kittens, are typically an uncommon item on the menu. The eagles that own the nest in Hays, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh,聽are no exception: They鈥檝e mainly been fetching fish, says ASWP Executive Director Jim Bonner. When a mammal does show up for dinner, it鈥檚 usually dead on arrival.
The fact is Bald Eagles don鈥檛 love the taste of red meat. When presented with a choice between a rabbit (by far the most common mammal in their diet) and a fish, chicks and juveniles will consistently abandon Thumper for sashimi. In fact, baldies seem to dislike mammalian prey so much that they won鈥檛 even bother hunting it; carrion is usually their primary source of red meat. In other words, Bald Eagles are a little picky鈥攂ut mostly they鈥檙e just lazy. That鈥檚 why they tend to hang around garbage dumps (a great place to 听产颈谤诲颈苍驳).
So, just to review, here鈥檚 a simplified take on a Bald Eagle鈥檚 tasting preferences:
- Anything they don鈥檛 have to chase.
- Fish.
- Birds.
- Everything else, including Mr. Whiskers.
While Tuesday鈥檚 feline feast might have shocked or disturbed some viewers, it鈥檚 important to remember that of the many reasons to keep your cats indoors, 鈥渢hey might get slaughtered and eaten by a eagle鈥 is pretty low on the list.
For more info on ASWP's eagle cams, online聽chats, and curriculums, head over to .