Do you have any tips to help me stop my cat killing so many birds and wild animals

A.� This problem certainly isn't a minor one. The average pet cat can kill around 40 wild animals a year and given that there are around 9 million of them in the UK, this means that we're loosing 300 million small wild animals a year, including, not surprisingly, some endangered species.

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Here The AnswerBank suggests a few handy hints so that cat owners can do their bit for the environment too.

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Q.� My cat kills most animals at night, but wouldn't it be cruel to keep her in

A.� As the hunting instinct is more pronounced at night, putting the cat out is a sure way to sign the death warrant for some small wild animal. But, by keeping your cat inside at night, you could also help keep feral cat population numbers down while also help keep small wild animal populations numbers up. If your cat isn't neutered then it is probably adding to the number of wild cats born. Feral cats hunt to survive and they’re much more of threat to birds and other small creatures than your pet cat is.

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As for being cruel, no it isn't. Studies suggest that while hunting is a natural instinct for cats if you restrict a cats hunting opportunity then eventually they'll loose the desire to hunt.

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Q.� Even if I keep my cat in at night, does it still need to be neutered

A.� Ideally yes, because of course cats don't restrict their mating activities to the twilight hours.

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Q.� Should I take the bird table out of my garden to stop my cat attacking feathered visitors

A.� No, although this might seem contradictory advice, attracting a large number of birds to your garden has a safety in numbers effect. The more birds there are the more likely that one of them will spot an approaching cat and warn the others. Although please be responsible about where the bird table is and what you feed the birds. Click here for more information.

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Q.� My cat has a bell around its neck, is this a good warning to wild animals

A.� It may let other mammals know that something is approaching but birds don't seem to pick up on it. Eventually though, even other mammals may fall victim to cats that soon learn to move stealthily enough to keep the bell from moving, so fit at least two bells.

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Alternatively try fitting your cat with a sonic collar instead, which alerts birds as well as other mammals, but make sure that the collar is elasticised: wildlife protection is the aim but not at the expense of your cat garrotting itself on some bush.

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Got a pet problem Ask The AnswerBank to sort it out for you.

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by Lisa Cardy