Cats are among the most popular pets in Germany. Despite their cute appearance, they are perfect predators with a wide range of prey. This can make freelancers and stray cats a danger to birds and other small wild animals. But there are solutions. What can cat friends and garden owners do?
How many cat owners can testify to their freelancers pretty much everything that comes to them in front of their mustache: from small mammals to birds and reptiles to amphibians and insects. Viewed worldwide, cats hunt more than 2,000 different animal species. As long as her prey is small enough, she can quickly land in front of the patio door or even in the living room as an involuntary gift. However, the hunting instincts of the velvet paws have far -reaching consequences: free -range cats are a significant problem for biodiversity and, in some cases, have already contributed to extinction of certain animal species.
Advantage over wild animals
In themselves, cats are not the only or greatest evil that threatens smaller wild animals and, above all, many birds. But they exacerbate their already critical chances of survival. Because free -range cats have the great advantage that they have a safe home and are fed regularly there. Even cats exposed often receive support from volunteers and animal welfare organizations who take care of their feeding and vaccination.
These circumstances give the cats a decisive advantage as hunters: they are fitter and healthier than wild predators. Her prey, on the other hand, often fight with diseases and the loss of their natural habitats and food sources – challenges that make their survival difficult anyway.
Many victims remain undetected
It is difficult for the hunting victims of the free -range cats: In Germany there is no registration obligation for cats or freelancers, which makes it considerably more difficult to record such data. In addition, the hunting behavior of cats to cat varies: while some animals are in the immediate vicinity of their place of residence and only spend their surroundings sporadically, other cats cover long distances of several kilometers. Many cat owners often don’t get the prey of their animals. Cats usually bring home only part of their captured animals and quickly learn that the dead or living small animals are not exactly valued by their owners. Instead of adjusting the hunting, you often simply leave your dead victims in the forest or meadows.
This fluctuates, for example, the estimates of the birds killed by cats for Germany: at the lower end, this number is estimated to be around 20 million; However, some sources assume up to 100 million birds killed- a value that is just below the 115 million birds annually, which die from collisions with window and glass panes. The nature conservation association goes even further and speaks of alarming 200 million animals that lose their lives every year in Germany through free -range cats.
What can you do to protect the wild animals?
Colorful collars or bells on cats can offer certain protection because they warn mobile prey in good time. In practice, however, you often have no significant effect, as studies suggest. While the optically and acoustically striking collars aim to warn potential prey, many young birds are not yet able to flee in time. Other animals, such as lizards, often do not even recognize the tones and signal colors as a warning. In addition, many cats learn quickly to move silently despite the bell.
Why free-range cats should be neutered
A big problem is that free -range cats often multiply uncontrollably. Although in many regions of Germany there is a castration obligation for freelancers, many cat owners are not aware of this or do not stick to it. Checking every free -range cat is also not possible. Cat owners should be neutered by their animals so that they do not contribute to the increase in street cats. In some cities, such as Bad Mergentheim, there are even grants for the castration of free goers.
Animal welfare organizations also try to counteract the growing populations through castration projects for abandoned cats. But they often face major hurdles: often there is a lack of sufficient financing and staff to effectively implement the projects and capture the animals. In addition, at least 75 percent of the cats have to be neutered in one area so that an effect even occurs.
Make the garden -unfriendly garden
People who do not have a cat, but still want to contribute to the protection of the domestic wildlife, can make their garden unfriendly as possible. For example, thorny bushes or dense hedges can be planted, which serve smaller animals as cat -proof retreats. In addition, drinking and feeding points for birds should be placed so that stray cats have no access.
The creation of small piles of stone or walls with gaps also offers living and container rooms for reptiles and amphibians. In addition, there are certain plants such as lemon thyme, lavender and garden roots that avoid cats because of the smell. Such measures are not only advantageous for the animal world, but can also promote a diverse flora and fauna in their own garden.