An interesting little bit in our paper this morning in which Chris Packham suugested that if cat owners kept their cats in overnight the number of songbirds killed could be reduced by 50%.Not sure what the cats or their owners will think about this but does it mean that Sparrowhawks and corvids have been taking the blame for the cats misdeeds all these years and can they demand an apology ?No doubt some cat owners will be up in arms at Chris's suggestion but others may welcome it.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
My catsleeps indoors every night, but am I being dim here as aren't they more likely to catch birds during the day? Maggie is not a big hunter of birds, but does sit at the base of the pole meowing at them:) I think they just laugh at her
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/
Had to look twice at that Seaman
Thought it said Fat Curlew lol
Ray
a good laugh is better than a tonic
Mine is confined to quarters overnight for her own safety as well as that of local wildlife. She doesn't seem to mind a bit.
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
Until I saw the article in the paper I presumed most pet cats slept indoors at night and like Bramble says I would have tought daytime would have been the prime hunting time but maybe Chris has a better idea than us.
Unknown said: Had to look twice at that Seaman Thought it said Fat Curlew lol
How many birds are around at night in the dark for cats to catch? Also just how do you suggest any cat owner ensures that their cat is indoors at night - tell kitty to be home by 10pm? Cats are free spirits and as such can not be controlled in the same way as dogs. We have several cats at home. all of which are entirely INDOOR cats and through my work with a cat rescue we do actually try to encourage new owners that it is not cruel to keep a cat indoors as long as the cat is happy. We also point out that it is safer for cats to be kept indoors. I am also a bird lover and feed the birds in our garden - so it is possible to be a responsible cat owner and birdwatcher together.
Make the most of the best and the least of the worst
Could it be that the roosting birds are the ones at risk,I agree with the point about the cats safety at night.
goldfinch said: How many birds are around at night in the dark for cats to catch? Also just how do you suggest any cat owner ensures that their cat is indoors at night - tell kitty to be home by 10pm? Cats are free spirits and as such can not be controlled in the same way as dogs. We have several cats at home. all of which are entirely INDOOR cats and through my work with a cat rescue we do actually try to encourage new owners that it is not cruel to keep a cat indoors as long as the cat is happy. We also point out that it is safer for cats to be kept indoors. I am also a bird lover and feed the birds in our garden - so it is possible to be a responsible cat owner and birdwatcher together.
A friend of mine has recently adopted two adult cats, and she keeps them in overnight. She has trained them (with food) to come indoors to a whistle and they respond every time (and amazingly quickly).
My own cat lives indoors. She has a kidney problem which is controlled by a very strict diet, and if allowed out she could access other cats' food and make herself ill. This also means we can't easily get a companion cat for her (unless it was another cat with kidney problems who needed the same diet!) I spend lots of time playing with her to keep her fit and mentally stimulated - she is only young and has LOADS of energy.
My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/
My Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/
Maggie is sort of trained I suppose in that when I let Bramble out for her last tour of the garden maggie take this as her cue to come in. If she does not appear I call her and she will always come. Admittedly due to sheer numbers of very large cats about she doesn't go very far, but both she and Bramble get a treat when they come in for bed:))
You can read some of Chris Packhams comments here. Please note that his comments relate to 200 million animal deaths a year, not just birds. Cats will hunt and kill frogs, small rodents and even bats during the night, they are effective predators in low light conditions and often do most of their damage to wild birds at dusk and dawn. The estimated figures for the number of birds killed by cats is 50 million a year.
As you can see from our website advice pages, link here, keeping cats indoors especially at dusk and dawn, is one of the tips we give to cat owners in order to reduce the impact cats have on wild bird populations.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.