Cats can impact local wildlife. As planting designer Nigel Dunnett says he wouldn’t have a cat, we look into whether cats are detrimental to a wildlife garden <\/p>
According to a 2021 study by Cats Protection, there are almost 11 million pet cats in the UK. Considering this number doesn\u2019t reflect stray cats, the actual number of cats is possibly much higher.<\/p>
You may also like<\/strong><\/p> An on-going debate around cat-ownership is our furry-friends\u2019 impact on local wildlife<\/a>. In an upcoming episode of Talking Gardens<\/a><\/em>, the Gardens Illustrated<\/em> podcast, planting designer and professor Nigel Dunnett<\/a> told Stephanie that cats would never be allowed in his fantasy garden.<\/p> He said: \u201cThe one thing that\u2019s banned from my gardens is cats.<\/p> Cats are killers and they take songbirds, and they take mammals, but they also deter and scare things away. So I really, don\u2019t have cats myself, but I would really want my dream garden to be a cat free zone just to let other life exist without being eaten, chased or scared away.\u201d<\/p> Given that cats are such popular pets, we decided to ask our followers on Instagram what they thought about cats and their impact on ecosystems.<\/p> Many people mentioned that cats had kept mice and rats that were causing problems for them under control<\/p><\/blockquote> A 2023 study published by the journal Nature Communications<\/a><\/em> identified that globally, house cats eat 2,084 different species, with birds, reptiles and mammals making up around 90 per cent of the species consumed.<\/p> We don\u2019t hear so much really about the damage that cats do from nature conservation organisations like the RSBP<\/p><\/blockquote> National conservation charities often come under fire from some who suggest that they don’t campaign against the impact of cats on wildlife to avoid alienating supporters. <\/p> This view has often been contradicted by organisations that say they are focused on wider scale problems affecting wildlife such as climate change and habitat destruction. <\/p> We asked the RSPB for their opinion on cats in gardens, and this is what their spokesperson said: \u201cWe know cats do kill large numbers of birds in UK gardens. Given the many pressures on our garden bird populations, from loss of habitat to the effects of climate change, we try to advise the public on ways to help reduce predation from domestic cats. <\/p> If you want to garden solely for the benefit of wildlife then not having cats should be something to consider<\/p><\/blockquote> This includes fitting bells to quick-release collars and keeping cats inside overnight, as some of the simple ways cat owners can reduce the number of wild birds and other wildlife that their pets catch. We also encourage garden owners to help support birds and other wildlife through more nature-friendly gardening. For example, planting dense fruiting shrubs like holly<\/a> and hawthorn<\/a> can provide food and nesting sites for garden birds, as well as offering protection from cats and other predators.”\u00a0<\/p> It is undeniable that free-roaming cats kill wildlife, and if you want to garden solely for the benefit of wildlife then not having cats should be something to consider. Cat owners should certainly be taking steps to limit the amount of access their pets have to outdoor areas and habitats. However, this is a problem without a simple solution, and it’s a debate that is likely to continue for a long while to come. Is this opinion about the impact cats have on wildlife widely shared?<\/h3>
What impact do cats have on wildlife?