The RSPB estimate that 8 million UK cats kill 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Reading, which monitored the activity of 250 cats, estimated that in urban areas, cats’ hunting behaviours are having a serious detrimental effect on native species of British wildlife. Species at the highest risk include blackbirds, robins, house sparrows and other ground feeding birds, as well as wood mice, voles, bats and shrews.
Attempts at curbing the effects of cat hunting range from cat collars with bells, cat bibs and cat deterrents that emit high pitched sounds. None are as successful as keeping domestic cats indoors which is currently the most effective solution to limiting the impact of the predatory habits of cats. Unfortunately, this ‘indoor’ option is not suited to all cats, which are – by nature – lovers of the outdoors.
Luckily, there are other alternatives: cat owners who are dismayed by the ‘gifts’ left on their doorstep at regular intervals might be pleased to discover ProtectaPet’s solution to the problem. The range of UK designed and manufactured products enable cats to experience the best of outdoor life, while controlling their territory, limiting their access to Britain’s otherwise unprotected wildlife.
Cats in ProtectaPet gardens are not only safely contained to protect them from the risks of free-roaming, but their behaviours are also more easily monitored and their access to nests and burrows is restricted to those in the confines of the boundary. Win, win for pet owners, cats themselves, and the wildlife of Britain!