What an excellant idea

"Gorgeous George" wrote in message
...
The Sunday Times - Britain



March 23, 2003

Bird lovers push for cat alarms to stop carnage
Jonathan Leake, Environment Editor



BRITAIN'S 10m cat owners are being asked to place their pets under
curfew or to tag them with sonic collars in a bid to halt the feline
slaughter of millions of wild birds, amphibians and small mammals.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is concerned that
the decline of sparrows, starlings and other species is linked to
killing by cats. Now it is to publish research showing that tagging
cats with sonic alarms or bells could save millions of animals every
year.

It follows a two-year trial in which cats, chosen for their hunting
ability, were fitted with devices that emit an ultrasonic "beep" that
cannot be heard by cats or humans. The high-tech alarms gave birds and
other small animals an early warning of the cats' approach and cut
their kill rates by at least a third.

The same study also found that larger ultrasound emitters could be
fitted in private gardens on a different frequency to deter cats from
entering them.

An RSPB spokesman said cats killed 55m birds and 220m other animals a
year. Since 1980 cat numbers in Britain had nearly doubled: "As birds
become increasingly concentrated in gardens, reducing cat predation
may become an important conservation measure," he said.

Gardens are used for nesting by more than 20% of Britain's house
sparrows, starlings, greenfinches, blackbirds and song thrushes -
whose populations are all declining. Every year the RSPB gets
thousands of calls from people angered by cats killing such birds and
the absence of legislation obliging owners to control their pets.

Most of the killing takes place at dawn and dusk, the most active time
for foraging birds. In the deterrence study, 150 cats were fitted with
collars equipped with either ultrasonic beepers or bells. Both cut
wildlife deaths by a third.

In the 70 gardens fitted with the larger devices - which emitted
blasts of ultrasound each time a cat appeared - fewer animals tried to
get in and those that did soon left.

The RSPB is also considering campaigning for cat owners to restrict
the time their pets are allowed to roam free, especially at night.

In some areas it may already be too late. Janet Edwards lives in a
hamlet in north Somerset where there are fewer than 20 homes - and 17
cats. "When we moved here 20 years ago we had a beautiful dawn chorus
but it has gone," she said. "In last year's nesting season the cats
from one set of neighbours killed the robins while the cats from the
other side slaughtered the blackbirds. Our garden is a wildlife desert
now."

Such carnage has prompted many wildlife enthusiasts to install
chemical or ultrasonic anti-cat devices in their gardens. Others go
further. Dieter Stegmeier, a German gardening expert from Essingen,
crossed a South American nettle and an Australian weed to create the
Scardy (pronounced scare-dee) Cat plant with a smell so repellent that
cats refuse to go near it.

The plant has been a big hit with gardeners: leading nurseries such as
Thompson & Morgan are hard-pressed to supply enough of them. Another
popular device is the Contech Scarecrow, a battery-powered lawn
sprinkler with a motion sensor, which fires water at any approaching
cat.

Keith Pulman, chief executive of Songbird Survival, a Bristol-based
organisation, sees cats as "invasive foreign predators" that should be
kept locked up. "There are double standards for cats and dogs," he
said. "No one would allow a dog to roam wild, but for some reason it
is okay for cats.

"We believe they should all be licensed and neutered, made to wear
collars and taken out only on leashes, just like dogs."

Such views get some support from cat lovers. Cats Protection, a
charity, believes cats should be kept in at night to stop them roaming
and hunting, as well as protecting them from cars and foxes.

But Emma Osborne, a spokeswoman, said: "We would not support cats
wearing collars as they can snag and trap them."





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It follows a two-year trial in which cats, chosen for their hunting
ability, were fitted with devices that emit an ultrasonic "beep" that
cannot be heard by cats or humans. The high-tech alarms gave birds and
other small animals an early warning of the cats' approach and cut
their kill rates by at least a third.

This would be pointless in many gardens, it would in mine anyway. We have
birds nesting in our roof, where the cat often lays. They would all be
scared away by the noise, destroying a very popular nesting spot. We don't
object to having them there, the cat doesn't go after them either as he
prefers them on the ground! Millions of birds would be forced out of the
homes if this came into affect. Not to mention that most cats with half a
brain can get a collar off anyway.

Charlie.


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Pointless, my cat cant catch anything owing to a simple device called a
"bell" on her collar

"bnd777" wrote in message ...
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is concerned that
the decline of sparrows, starlings and other species is linked to
killing by cats. Now it is to publish research showing that tagging
cats with sonic alarms or bells could save millions of animals every
year.

Perhaps they could retrain the cats to chase the "wrong type" of duck, instead.

"lamebert" wrote in message
...
Pointless, my cat cant catch anything owing to a simple device called a
"bell" on her collar

Aside from the fact that bells are not very kind to the cat - you try
wearing a cowbell round your neck for a few weeks to see why - a good hunter
can get within pouncing distance without the bell making a sound.

Colin Bignell

nightjar wrote:

"lamebert" wrote in message
...
Pointless, my cat cant catch anything owing to a simple device called a
"bell" on her collar

Aside from the fact that bells are not very kind to the cat - you try
wearing a cowbell round your neck for a few weeks to see why - a good hunter
can get within pouncing distance without the bell making a sound.

Colin Bignell

2-3 years ago, I was in Switzerland, near Lucerene, indulging in my
interest in classic cars - the club was having an international meet.

Dinner on Saturday evening was in full swing when the local equivalent
of Morris Dancers appeared. About 8 men with enormous "cow bells"
strapped to their waists - each bell much have weighed 25 kgs. The noise
was deafening. They walked around the dinning room for ~10 mins
"donging" - quite put me off my weissbier! They then walked out, down
the street to the next hotel.

I feel that if cats had a bell of this size stapped to their necks, the
cat would cease to be a problem to anybody.
--
Larry Stoter

In article k, Larry
Stoter writes

I feel that if cats had a bell of this size stapped to their necks, the
cat would cease to be a problem to anybody.

I will second that motion.

Mike
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In message , Mike
scribes
In article k, Larry
Stoter writes

I feel that if cats had a bell of this size stapped to their necks, the
cat would cease to be a problem to anybody.

I will second that motion.



I thought you were against motions...

--
Snowy

in article , Gorgeous George at
wrote on 25/3/03 4:22 pm:

The Sunday Times - Britain



March 23, 2003

Bird lovers push for cat alarms to stop carnage
Jonathan Leake, Environment Editor

BAN ALL CATS !

You want to ban me hunting with my terriers, perhaps cats should be your
next target, as they kill far more than any hunt with dogs.

Dogs also don't torment their quarry like cats do.

Michael