Cats can be cute, but they are also efficient predators.

Cats can be cute, but they are also efficient predators. Researchers in the School of Biological Sciences have been looking at the effects of predation on wildlife by pet cats. Despite being well fed, some pet cats will still go out and hunt wildlife. Most cats kill only a few birds or small mammals per year (on average 18 prey/cat/year), however as urban cats are found at such high densities it can have negative effects on some prey populations. Most people did not consider cat predation to be a significant problem, and only a quarter of people questioned fitted belled collars to their cats. We are continuing our research into cat predation here at Reading, and we will keep you updated on our work. In the meantime you can read the full study for free here:
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