Letter: What has gone wrong? Cats!

NINE years ago, my wife and I moved into the area and now live in a leafy area of the county.

As a hobby and to do a little bit for our wildlife, I decided to build a little haven for birds and other species. Bird feeders, bird houses, a pond, bird bath, etc. It took about two years before word got around and the garden became a bit of a haven.

I could spend time in my deckchair and watch all manner of species taking advantage of the facilities. Even the hedgerow became a noisy hotel for sparrows.

Last year I noticed a sharp reduction in visitors. This has now declined to the point where the feeders are not used, the nesting boxes remain empty and the hotel hedgerow has fallen silent. What has gone wrong? Cats! Next door has acquired one, and this has attracted three more from somewhere.

There are 10.5 million domestic cats in the UK (excluding feral cats). Domestic cats kill around 25 million birds annually. If you include mice, rats and voles, that kill rate increases to over 55 million. They say that modern agricultural methods and loss of wild habitat are even bigger killers.

More than 20% of responsible owners are aware of the fact that they own a killing machine and actually keep their pets indoors all the time. There has been a sharp rise in this move over the past five years and long may it continue.

In some parts of the US, if you want to take your cat outside it has to be on a lead (like a dog). No free-roaming domestic cats there, they can get impounded.

I have now dismantled my bird friendly garden and I cannot see me reinstating it any time soon.

John Walsh

Address supplied