Nesting time well underway so care is needed.
A new study has suggested that pet cats kill up to 270 million animals per year in the United Kingdom alone.
The study, published recently in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, assessed the movement and prey of 79 pet cats in inner suburban areas and in areas adjacent to natural habitats on the edge of the suburban area.
Scientists assessed nine sites within the counties of Berkshire and Hampshire, in the UK – all within a radius of 30km from the town of Reading.
Researchers from the University of Reading and Royal Holloway University of London devised that the problem could have a major impact on the local environment and even suggested restricting cat access in some areas.
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Dr Rebecca Thomas, from the Royal Holloway University of London, said: “They are a non-native species. “They reach incredibly - and unnaturally - high densities, especially in suburban environments. “They get fed by their owners and given veterinary care so you could consider them mini super predators.”
The study claimed there were an estimated 9.5 million pet cats owned in Britain and noted that the mere presence of cats could have a devastating impact on other animals in the area.
The researchers tracked the movements and amount of prey killed by 79 cats living across Berkshire and Hampshire over a year.
The results were published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, with the team concluding: “A simple extrapolation based on the predation rates found in this study suggests that the 9.5million pet cats in Great Britain may kill in the region of 160-270 million prey individuals per year.”
They added: “Domestic cats bring great joy and companionship to their owners, with benefits for mental health and well-being. But they also cause the loss of tens of millions of animals each year through predation, which in some cases may go beyond animal welfare concerns and become conservation concerns.”
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So says Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner, who this week unleashed a broadside against the RSPB, suggesting that if it really cared about birds, it would take its own membership to task over the 'hundreds of millions' massacred every year by their pets.
230,000 uncontrolled cats are hit by cars every year - that's 630 every single day in the UK
Is YOUR cat running loose tonight?
CONTAINMENT ALSO MINIMISES THE RISK THEY WILL HARM OR KILL WILD ANIMALS AND BIRDS OR CAUSE DISTURBANCE TO NEIGHBOURS.
Predation by domestic cats is the number-one direct, human-caused threat to birds in the United States and Canada. In the United States alone, outdoor cats kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year. Although this number may seem unbelievable, it represents the combined impact of tens of millions of outdoor cats. Each outdoor cat plays a part.
Where cats are contained, measures must be taken by owners to ensure that sufficient exercise and environmental augmentation are available. Contained cats do not have to live completely indoors. Access to an outdoor escape-proof compound is highly recommended as this greatly increases the opportunity for activity and stimulation for contained cats allowing them to experience the benefits of outdoors in a safe way.
There are also dedicated backyard fences that can help stop cats escaping, such as fences that have revolving tops or lean inward), and if you have a balcony this can be cat-proofed through the use of netting. These can be a great way to allow contained cats to still have access to the outdoors without being able to roam off beyond their home property limitations.
PetPlan figures record 230,000 cats are hit by cars every year, that's 630 every single day in the UK. In the US the number of cats killed on the roads in the US every year is much higher at an approximation of 5.4 million.
It’s all about being a responsible, and truly caring, owner and realising that our wildlife is NOT a disposal asset to ignore at will. Moreover, getting upsetting news that your ‘fur baby’ has been crushed on a local side road by a vehicle is certainly not something reckless owners wish to receive.
See also:
PetPlan figures record 230,000 cats are hit by cars every year, that's 630 every single day in the UK. In the US the number of cats killed on the roads in the US every year is much higher at an approximation of 5.4 million.
It’s all about being a responsible, and truly caring, owner and realising that our wildlife is NOT a disposal asset to ignore at will. Moreover, getting upsetting news that your ‘fur baby’ has been crushed on a local side road by a vehicle is certainly not something reckless owners wish to receive.
See also:
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