Consumer Behavior and Animals, Research Paper Example

ConsumerBehavior

Most consumers have a loving affinity for wildlife habitats in their communities. It is human behavior to have a relationships with animals because they represent the best of people and why we are motivated to care for animals. Both forms have been shown to be successful in influencing judgments, motivations, and behaviors in social cognition research (Bargh 280). It’s human behavior that consumers naturally having a respect for birds that have been identified as an endangeredspecies. The relationship between the animals and wildlife have a natural connection that is naturalistic or most people have basic interest and affection for wildlife and the outdoors.Consumer’sbehavior towards animals can be seen on a sunny day with a family of birds crossing the street. The traditional human behavior response for anyone driving or riding will be to yield the way of the birds until they have crossed the streets with their babies. The consumer will present apositive attitude of appreciation and happiness, to see nature in its most basic form of birds leading their family across the road.

Consumers have learned to live with wildlife in their communities. However, there are times that consumer’s behavior is negative towards wildlife. Normally, consumers have domestic animals they consider to be family. The treat the animal like one of the family. There are some animals that consumers are afraid. In the news media, bears that walk up to a consumer’s residence looking for food. In many instances, consumers will call Animal Control to remove a 30 foot Python or King Cobra has found their way inside the garage or house. The amazing part about wildlife that enters the space of consumers home is most consumers behavior is to save the animal not kill it. The only time consumers behavior changes about the outcome of the wildlife is when it the animal puts someone life in danger.

Human Behavior

There are special organizations and individuals that spend a life time trying to save wildlife such as bird’s species that have been identified as possible extinction. Its human nature to that attracts people to the wonders of wildlife. In many communities, people marvel at the wildlife of the ducks, birds, turtles, and pelicans. Some days you can find children talking to a turtle as if the turtle totally understands the words we are saying to them. It’s our human behavior towards communicating with animals the most personal way. The significance of the communication between consumers and animals cannot be underestimated. The animals that are domesticbring out the best in human beings. In the news, they often talk the amazing hearing of dogs or animals or how cats can tell when someone is sick or how an animal will not leave their masters side in danger. In contrast, how many times has adults could hearing a crying dog that sound like a child hurting 10 blocks away or how a dangerous animal while injured does not attack when a human tries to help them. There are plenty of studies and research that need to be exploredconcerning human behavior with domestic animals and wildlife. The research of communication between animals and humans is fascinating subject that helps us learn more about human behavior. The consumer’s behavior depends on the benefits or personal interest of the subject matter. The non-cat owners will be less interested in attending seminars on how to save birds from cats. The non-bird lover will not be willing to make donations or provide volunteer activities to education the community about cats that kill birds.

Domestic Cats

In the news media, it has been shared that domestic cats kill many more wild birds in the United States. The scientists have made some predictions on the number of bird’s death but they fear is more than previously thought. Today, however, many bird species in our state and across our nation are in trouble. National Audubon Society has identified 54 (11%) of the bird species found in Oregon as either “globally threatened” or “at risk of becoming globally threatened.” (National Audubon Society 4).Today, cats may rank as the biggest immediate danger for birds that migrate.Cats may be killing far more birds each year than previously thought, as well as substantial numbers of mammals, says a new analysis based on hunting studies from around the world. America’s cats, including housecats that adventure outdoors and feral cats, kill between 1.3 billion and 4.0 billion birds in a year(American Bird Conservancy 4).

In the United States, the exact number of birds that are killed is not known. However, estimates worldwide. The domestic and wild cats are known to kill Cardinals, Blue Jays, and House Wren. Domestic cats are natural predators that are being supported by being fed and housed by the consumers. This make the domestic cat one the most dangerous predators.Owned cats have huge advantages over native predators. They receive protection from disease, predation, competition, and starvation (American Bird Conservancy 5). It’s very hard for consumers to make the adjustment because they love their cats and cats normally live without cages. There are more than 77 million pet cats in the United States. A 1997 nationwide poll showed that only 35% are kept exclusively indoors, leaving the majority of owned cats free to kill birds and other wildlife at least some of the time(American Bird Conservancy 1)

We live in a society that human beings care about domestic cats. Domestic cats have become like family and they keep many elderly people from being lonely. The trend for keeping cats is they are not put on leases or cages while allowing them to run free or loose. This is not about choosing between birds and cats,it’s about the community working with local agencies to prevent tens of thousands of cats and birds from suffering each year in the community. Not every cat owner can make an immediate conversion, but a gradual transition by those who are able to make this adjustment is the only thing that is going to end the carnage(Sallinger 2). It is estimated that stray and domestic cats kill thousands of wild birds every year. Our human nature is to protect these birds by changing our traditional ways of caring for our cats. Everyone has seen the damaged of a defenseless birded that has been mauled by a cat. It has been the human behavior of cat owners that have strived to create safer backyard environments that protect birds from cats that prey on them. These changes can change the habitat to a safe one while minimizing the number of birds that are killed every day.(Mayntz 1). It is important to find new routines for your cat that keeps the cat indoors when birds are most vulnerable. The consumers need to treat their cats like dogs and do not leave them to roam free with supervision. Bird’s peak feeding times are early in the morning, therefore consumers should keep their cats inside during this time.

Key Discussion

The discussion about cats and birds are a well-documented subject by the media and the community of Portland. It’s important to understand how the community members feel about the killing of many birds by free cats. The community members of the Portland metro members believe that everything must be done to protect any bird species. One the best example of the community attempting to help birds, they support a habitat program at the Portland Community College Rock Creek campus. The young birds were released around sunset at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus, which is backed by a wide expanse of habitat and clusters of tall trees will provide the birds with good perching spots from which to monitor the surrounding grassland for prey (Hunsdofer 2). The community approaches this issueswith optimism because the Portland media has brought the issue of cats killing thousands of birds that migrate to Portland annually. The consumers/community member’s human behavior is to save the birds from the cats, however, it there are separate points of views from cat owners a non-cat owners. These factors will determine how the non-cat owners and cat owners will react. The non-cat-owners do not have a stake in protecting the birds from the cats. Therefore, they may not participate in community efforts to build safer yards for the birds. In contrast, the cat-owners are more committee because they have a stake in making sure the birds and cats are protected.

The communitywill always be split between the cat lovers and no owners to the bird lovers to people who do not have an affection for birds. However, research had indicated that many people understand some of the problems with birds becoming extinct but they do not understand the true impact of bird’s death. Yet most city dwellers are unaware of the window strike problem, because gulls, rodents and other urban scavengers, as well as cats and dogs, very efficiently dispose of the dead and injured birds before we see them(Proskow& Adams 2). The National Audubon Society of Portland is making a major effort to inform consumers about the number of birds that die from the domestic cats. They have started campaigns that merge the city, state and community efforts to save wildlife in the state of Portland.

The National Audubon Society of Portland is appealing to bird lovers and nature lovers to help saved these birds. (National Audubon Society 3). The National AudubonSociety is doing everything they can to prevent the deaths of wildlife in Portland. They are Increasing penalties at both the State and Federal levels for illegal killing of birds: Portland Audubon continues to work to strengthen bird protection laws and ensure their strict enforcement. In addition, the Portland Audubon is working to protect and recover our most imperiled species and the ecosystems on which they depend including the Northern Spotted Owl, Marbled Murrelet, Snowy Plover and Sage Grouse (Audubon Society of Portland 3).

Works Cited

Audubon Society of Portland(2013). Protecting bird’s species. Retrieved from http://audubonportland.org/sanctuaries/for-the-birds

American Bird Conservancy. (2013). Domestic cat predation on birds and other wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/materials/predation.pdf

Bargh,J.A.(2002). Losing consciousness: Automatic influences on consumer judgment, behavior and motivation. Journal of Consumer Research. 29,280-285.

Hunsdorfer, T. (2013). Trio of Barn Owls released at Portland community college. Retrieved from http://audubonportland.org/wcc/currentanimals/april19-2013

Mayntz. M. (2013). Protect backyard birds from cats. Retrieved from http://birding.about.com/od/birdconservation/a/catsandbirds.htm

National Audubon Society. (2013). the national Audubon society guide. Retrieved from http://www.audubon.org/

Proskow, J. & Adams, C. (2013). Our cities: A killing field for birds. Retrieved from http://globalnews.ca/news/915611/our-cities-a-killing-field-for-birds/

Sallinger, B. (2013). Cats & wildlife guide. Retrieved from http://audubonportland.org/wcc/urban/cats/guide

Desired behavior:To promote cat caretakers to consider keeping their cats inside more and/or promoting the use of contained outdoor spaces for cats to explore, thus mitigating bird threats.

Understanding consumers’ awareness, attitudes, and beliefs concerning wildlife habitats in their communities and determining effective messaging that would promote desired behaviors to preserve bird species considered at risk.

Specific Issue: Domestic cats that may contribute to the killing of migratory birds, endangering bird species.

Community Issue:1 of those sources has to be a peer review paper. cite sources in (JCR) this is a marketing paper so please focus on consumers and not the cats. its about human behavior and attitudes of human beings in this issue.

Introduction

Hundreds of different bird species migrate through the Portland metro area annually.  Thousands of injured/killed birds are brought into the Audubon Society of Portland annually, attributed in part to domestic cat attacks.