Spring is in the air and new life will be arriving soon. This can sometimes be a stressful time for animal loving cat owners, as their companions bring in feathered and furry ‘presents’ to surprise them.
A recent mammal society surveys show us that 9 million domestic cats in the UK will kill 300 million small creatures a year.
Many of these are garden birds and are therefore part of the reason why garden birds are in decline. Although the loss of their natural habitat is the main cause of their decline but stopping cats catching them will help reduce this decline.
Feral cats also kill many more wild birds in comparison to our domestic cats but there are ways to help stop your cat from hunting. It has been shown that by decreasing a cat’s opportunity to hunt it will decrease the desire to hunt.
Tips for Prevention:
- Collar and Bell – Two bells are better than one! Some cats learn how to keep one bell quiet. Always use snap collars in case your cats gets caught in a tree.
- A well fed cat can help stop hunting but be careful that they don’t end up as an overweight cat.
- Cat curfew – Birds are more vulnerable at dawn and dusk so try to keep your cat in at those times.
- Neutering may reduce the hunting instinct and certainly reduces feral population.
- Attract more birds – This may sound odd but an increased number of birds will increase survival as this creates an early warning system. Consider installing bird feeders but ensure they are off the ground.
Let us know if you have any good tips you would like to share, we would love to hear them.
