Feline felons: what to do with Switzerland’s killer cats?

Cats kill millions of birds, frogs and other animals every year in Switzerland, but most politicians are reluctant to do anything about it. Would a “cat moratorium”, banning the importing and breeding of cats for ten years, make a difference? Rats, bats, birds, voles, lizards and slow worms – these are some of the offerings, in various degrees of life, my wife and I have had to deal with over the years thanks to Sam. Given that a third of Swiss bird species are endangered, a higher proportion than in many other countries, environmentalists are now calling for something to be done to curb the Swiss cat population and reduce the threat to biodiversity. Around two million cats prowl around Switzerland (human population nine million), of whom around a tenth are homeless and feral, estimates the Tier im Recht animal rights foundation. These cats, most of whom have access to the outdoors, provide companionship and pleasure for millions of people. They also kill about 30 million birds and ...