Curbing killer cats — why we should and how to go about it

Curfews, bibs, games — here are some practical steps cat owners can take to greatly reduce the risks to wildlife

With the nesting season once again underway, this time of year young birds just learning to fledge offer easy pickings for cats. Here a ginger tabby climbs towards a blue tit perched higher up

While a number of recent dog attacks on sheep have grabbed the headlines, a far more deadly killing spree by pets in Ireland goes almost entirely unreported.

While we may think of them as cuddly and adorable, cats — both domestic and feral — are the ultimate natural-born killers, finely tuned by evolution with the agility, stealth and hunting instinct to wreak havoc on wildlife on a huge scale.