ChatterBank1 min ago
Pet Cats V. Birds.
41 Answers
The RSPCA estimate there are 8 million cats in the UK. I have 20 bird feeders in my garden and the decline in once common birds is disturbing. I record species and numbers for one hour every week. I can usually see about four feeders at once. The domestic cat is widely reported, along with changing farming practices as the reason behind this decline. Should a law be enacted to force cat owners to keep their pets indoors. I know this will be tough but maybe give five years notice of the change for cats to be acclimatised. What do you think?
Answers
Clearly the cat population is out of control in the UK and is affecting other native species as well as causing this imbalance of our natural ecosystems. One solution could be a ban on cats similar to the ban on keeping rabbits in Australia (giving 5 years notice of the ban could be too long, as the cat population could have increased at least another million by...
21:40 Wed 11th Oct 2017
We have them all Sam. We have shrubs outside the kitchen window that are full of sparrow, I'd say about 50+ We live in the sticks adjacent to another cottage. Next door feed all the birds, of which there are hundreds. We have a murder of crows in the trees at the bottom of the garden that attack both our two cats and the two cats next door. Hence, all the cats leave the birds alone, they are scared of them, the crows made sure of that. The only time we lost a yellowhammer was to a Rat!. I'm pleased to say that family have now departed.
I live in a city, near a large park. One house I pass in a close is a magnet to both cats...the lady feeds them all...and birds. She feeds them also. I'll frequently see both in her garden at the same time.
In fact...many of her neighbours do the same. Only once in 12 years have I seen a local cat go after a bird. Is this unusual?
My cat stays in because he is deaf. But even if he wasn't, he'd be kept in at night. I've lost cats on country roads at night...during harvest time when the fields are full of mice. I'd not wish that on anyone.
In fact...many of her neighbours do the same. Only once in 12 years have I seen a local cat go after a bird. Is this unusual?
My cat stays in because he is deaf. But even if he wasn't, he'd be kept in at night. I've lost cats on country roads at night...during harvest time when the fields are full of mice. I'd not wish that on anyone.
Our cats have got bells on, you can hear them coming for miles, they sound like Quasi Modo, and we have lots of lovely native bird breeds in our grounds, but then we live in a very rural part of Herefordshire and we have all manner of undisturbed wildlife here, however there is no statistical evidence to suggest that cats are at all responsible for the decline in birds-you say you're a gardener and 'not a cat person' so I think perhaps your views are also perhaps coloured by that? https:/
I like birds, we have robins, green woodpeckers and a sparrow hawk (until the army went mental and totally hacked down someone's tree) but we have a kitten. I don't encourage the birds and I discourage the cat from going out (because we're worried he won't come back - but he's spoilt rotten so he doesn't stray far). It's a delicate balancing act, probably depends upon the environment you live in.
kvalidir, at no point have I concluded that cats are the problem. My concern is based on the number of bird species that have visited my garden over the last 30 years. Some species have declined by over 70%. I am most anti cat when I am filling a bucket with their little presents. I would like all cat owners to train them to a litter tray.
''The domestic cat is widely reported, along with changing farming practices as the reason behind this decline. Should a law be enacted to force cat owners to keep their pets indoors.''
Sorry I took that to be that you HAD concluded cats were in some way responsible, if not then what exactly is the question, as clearly cats AREN'T to do with the decline in native species, it's more the loss of habitat as you also acknowledge somewhat? I'm just interested to know how cats figure in your question if you're agreeing they're not relevant to the problem?
Sorry I took that to be that you HAD concluded cats were in some way responsible, if not then what exactly is the question, as clearly cats AREN'T to do with the decline in native species, it's more the loss of habitat as you also acknowledge somewhat? I'm just interested to know how cats figure in your question if you're agreeing they're not relevant to the problem?
murphs an indoor cat now, she was an outdoor cat and had numerous bells as i got tired of rescuing wildlife from my bed as it got dropped in my in the wee hours. baby rabbit was the final straw, after that she couldn't move without clanking.
now she's old and sleeps all day, dreaming of catching rabbits no doubt...
now she's old and sleeps all day, dreaming of catching rabbits no doubt...
Campbellcat has long since given up hunting birds at the age of 14, but does like to sleep on the roof outside during the day. Robbie cat has never caught a bird in his life (zero hunting instinct and not enough brain to work out any from of method to catch them, and now he's eleven I don't think that's about to change). For many years I had numerous blue tits flying into the garden, this has stopped now the next house has been restored and their trees chopped down, so I suspect environmental factors have more to do with it.
