I'm a vet and here are 5 tips to stop your cats from killing the declining songbird population
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A British vet has revealed five things you can do to stop your outdoor cats from killing songbirds. Content creator @ben.the.vet shared his expertise in a video on TikTok, where he has more than 208,000 followers. In the clip, he explained that the domestic songbird population is falling.
![[The vet (pictured) also suggested using a special type of collar for your cat, as well as keeping them inside during cat breeding season]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/05/18/82063357-13159895-image-a-53_1709661930186.jpg)
Accompanying the video, he wrote a comment that said: 'According to the charity Songbird Survival more than half of UK songbird species are threatened or already in decline and hunting by cats is one contributor to this. 'But its not just birds - and its a global consideration - wherever there are outdoor cats.
'If you have a cat who hunts and want to reduce this without keeping them indoors at all times, these 5 tips are for you.'. In the video, he points out that some outdoor cats are 'wild animal killers', and if yours is prone to slaughtering birds, mice, and other creatures, then these interventions may help.
'Number one is playing with your cat for five to 10 minutes every day has been shown to reduce the number of prey animals brought home by them by 25 per cent,' he said. TikTokker Ben the Vet (pictured) has shared five things you can do to try and reduce the number of wild animals your cat kills.
'That was the finding of a study at the University of Exeter which looked at the hunting habits of 355 cats. The best choice to use is a one toy like this which helps to replicate the hunting experience and fulfil that instinct they have to chase and pounce and means they're a bit less likely to bother hunting animals when they're out.'.
