Animal charity: Ban cat f laps to save birds

IT might put an end to your moggie’s nasty habit of leaving dead birds and mice on your doorstep.

But a call for all cats to be kept inside to stop them killing wildlife seems sure to get fur flying among pet lovers.

An animal rights charity has issued the demand – along with a ban on cat flaps – not just because of the threat our feline friends pose to small animals, but also for their own safety.

Peta – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – says cats which are allowed out unsupervised are at risk of being hit by a car or poisoned.

The only exception to their confinement, they say, is if owners have a secure ‘catio’ – a garden enclosure from which cats cannot escape.

Peta founder Ingrid Newkirk said: ‘People wouldn’t dream of opening the door and letting a toddler wander into the road.

‘Yet every day, cats are run over, poisoned by anti-freeze or die at the hands of teenagers out for a lark – because their guardians do just that.

‘If you love your cat, for goodness sake keep them indoors and make your house their home, with views to enjoy and things to play with.’ Many cat owners, however, will see such a policy as imprisoning pets which need to roam.

And Dr Lauren Finka, a cat welfare expert from the University of Nottingham, said: ‘Cats should definitely not be kept indoors as a blanket policy.

‘Most benefit greatly from having the option to roam around. This can be an important way for cats to manage the stress of living in human households.’

A quarter of British cats are believed to live almost exclusively inside. But cat expert Celia Haddon said: ‘For cats who have lived outside, keeping them indoor-only is positively cruel.’

This week, vets warned that almost half the cats in Britain were obese, a situation which making them housebound would only make worse.

In 2006, 230,000 cats were run over on UK roads. But of almost 11million cats in the country, fewer than one in 25 have been involved in a traffic accident by the age of 12, a poll suggests.

And although cats are estimated to catch up to 29 million birds a year, the RSPCA says they mostly take weak ones.

Peta, which had previously suggested that cats and dogs should not be called ‘pets’, said owners can train cats to go for walks using a harness or lead.

In a new book, 250 Vital Things Your Cat Wants You To Know, Miss Newkirk suggests owners create a stimulating environment, such as shelves indoors for cats to climb on creating a walled outdoor ‘catio’.

But Dr Finka said being restrained and unable to explore may cause cats anxiety.

She advises owners to use petfriendly garden fencing to keep cats from getting out, adding: ‘Peta is focusing on quantity of life over quality of life. Cat ownership is not just about keeping an animal alive, but making sure they have a fulfilling life.’

‘Keeping them in is positively cruel’