Cats and Birds information on net.

CATS may be man's new best friend - but proof that they are birds' worst enemy comes in a new report.

Latest studies by the British Trust for Ornithology estimate that around 10 per cent of small birds that die in Britain each year are killed by cats.

With the British cat population standing at around eight million, it is estimated they kill between 55 and 60 million birds, mainly garden species such as blackbirds, tits, robins, finches and wrens. On average, therefore, each cat kills seven to eight birds a year. This ranges from nil for the pampered pet in a high-rise flat to well over 100 for the feral farmyard cat. A separate trust report reveals that at least 10 million birds are killed on Britain's roads each year - and the figure could be as high as 60 million. The vanishing house sparrow is the main victim of cars, trucks and lorries, followed by the blackbird, song thrush, pheasant and chaffinch, according to leading ornithologist Chris Mead in the magazine British Wildlife. After reviews of all the evidence available from surveys throughout Europe, Mr Mead says vehicles travel 250 billion miles a year on Britain's roads. One survey suggests that as vehicles approach 50mph, bird deaths may increase 20-fold. The ornithology trust has issued a three-point plan to help birds survive. It urges people to: * Fit a new hi-tech "bleep" device on your cat's collar. * Put out food throughout the year and not just in winter. * Flash your headlights at birds on the road ahead of you.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:42 AM