Cats, Cats and more Cats
The Mammal Society has just completed a survey of the kinds and numbers of animals that are killed by domestic cats. The main findings and recommendations are as follows:-
The Survey
- A total of 14,370 prey items were brought home by 986 cats, living in 618 households over a period of five months (April to August).
- Mammals made up 68.6% of the prey, birds 23.6%, reptiles 4.1% and reptiles, fish, invertebrates and unidentified 3.7%.
- The number of birds - but not the number of mammals - brought home was significantly lower in households that provided food for birds, and was negatively related to the age and condition of the cat.
- In contrast, the number of mammals - but not birds - brought home was significantly lower when cats wore bells and were kept indoors at night.
- The British population of nine million cats was estimated to have brought home 136 to 163 million prey items in the period of the survey. This would include 90-113 million mammals and 33-40 million birds.
- Management practices that reduce the numbers of wild animals killed by cats will be useful for nature conservation, particularly in suburban areas.
Three ways to be a responsible cat owner
- Keep your cat indoors at night. This helps your cat as well, as it reduces the chance of it being run over.
- Put a bell on the cat's collar. This will warn of the cat's approach.
- Feed the birds in your garden. The more birds there are, the more ears and eyes are watching. Both the BTO and RSPB encourage summer feeding, so long as peanuts are kept in containers that make it impossible for whole nuts to be taken.
David Beattie