Viewed as companions by some and pests by others, domestic cats have adapted to a variety of environments across the globe through their innate ability to hunt. Within these different environments, they prey on wild animals like birds and mammals and can threaten biodiversity. Even just the presence of a cat can negatively affect bird reproduction. But while we can’t repress their instinct to hunt, we can attempt to reduce their impact.

Keeping cats indoors prevents predation, of course, but guardians are sometimes reluctant to confine their feline companions to indoor-only life. They want their cats to have the freedom to do what’s natural to them. Therefore, to address the problem of cats killing wild animals, we need to consider the preferences of cat guardians. Without them on board, any proposed solution will be unsuccessful.

The key to changing the social norms around our beloved cats, then, is to identify the behaviors that guardians are most likely to adopt. To this end, researchers from the University of Exeter aimed to find effective ways to reduce predation without cramping cats’ style.

Conducted in southwest England, the study included 219 households with 355 cats given regular outdoor access. First, guardians recorded the number of wild animals their cats captured and brought home for a period of seven weeks. Next, the researchers divided guardians into six groups, each of which was given a different intervention:

1. Bell group: Guardians fitted their cats with a quick-release reflective collar that had a bell attached to it
2. Anti-predation collar group: Guardians fitted their cats with a quick-release reflective collar and a Birdsbesafe® collar cover
3. Diet change group: Guardians fed their cats a commercial grain-free diet with a high meat content (both wet and dry versions)
4. Puzzle feeder group: Guardians fed their cats their regular dry food using a food-dispensing puzzle feeder
5. Playtime group: Guardians played with their cats for five to 10 minutes a day with a wand toy and a mouse toy
6. Control group: Guardians made no changes to how they cared for their cats

Once assigned to a group, guardians then recorded prey numbers for a further five weeks. Participant feedback was gathered through Facebook groups, in-person workshops, weekly update forms, and a final survey once the experiment ended.

Meaty Meals And Daily Playtime Win Out

After the 12-week trial was over, the researchers compared prey numbers. Here’s what they found:

• Cats fed the high-meat diet reduced their total number of wild animals killed by 36%, while those who had daily playtime with their family brought home 25% fewer prey animals. When just considering mammals, the high-meat diet reduced killing by 33% and daily playtime reduced killing by 35%. For birds, the diet change intervention reduced killing by 44%.
• Cats fed with a puzzle feeder brought home 33% more prey animals overall. The puzzle feeder intervention increased mammal predation by 49%.
• Bells and Birdsbesafe® collars had no effect on the number of wild animals killed overall. However, when just considering birds, the anti-predation collar intervention reduced killing by 42%.

Cat Guardian Buy-In Is Key

Guardian responses to the different interventions were just as variable. Some participants in the bell and Birdsbesafe® collar groups stopped using them due to their cat’s discomfort or loss of the collar. And, while bells weren’t found to be effective at reducing predation, over half (53%) of participants in the bell group said they would continue using them. Only 21% of the Birdsbesafe® collar participants intended to stick with their use despite the fact that they helped protect birds.

Around half (50%) of participants in the diet change group reported that their cats didn’t like the wet food as much as the dry food. However, a third (33%) still said they would continue giving their cat a high-meat diet in the future.

Close to a third (32%) of participants in the puzzle feeder group planned to continue using it, though most reported that their cat just wasn’t interested in it.

Around three-quarters (76%) of participants in the playtime group said they would continue playing with their cat in the future. This is encouraging given the relative effectiveness of this intervention.

Implications

Based on these findings, it’s clear that daily playtime and a diet high in meat had the most impact on outdoor cats’ tendency to hunt. While animal advocates might not be comfortable recommending a high-meat diet due to concerns for farmed animal welfare, it’s worthwhile to consider encouraging guardians to play with their cats for at least five minutes a day. This can strengthen the human-animal bond and save the lives of wild birds and mammals at the same time. For guardians open to having their cats wear an anti-predation device, the Birdsbesafe® collar appears to be an effective choice to protect birds in particular. And, of course, for guardians amenable to keeping their cats indoors, this is the only way to prevent predation completely.