Cat house owners warned over ‘limitless wonderful and jail’ for mistake in June or July | UK | News | EUROtoday

Cat house owners are being warned they face a vast wonderful and as much as six months in jail over a regulation which their pet may break this summer season. UK regulation protects birds from being killed within the spring and summer season, together with birds’ nests and eggs.

Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 states that it’s an offence to to deliberately injury or destroy a wild chicken’s nest whereas it’s being constructed or in use.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds backs this up. It says that an individual is breaking that regulation in the event that they deliberately injury a chicken’s nest whereas it’s getting used or constructed.

It says: “The moment it becomes active, it is illegal to destroy it. Breaking this law could land you an unlimited fine and six months in prison.

“The consequences for the above, even in the event of harm to a single bird, nest or egg, is an unlimited fine, up to six months in jail or both. Suffice to say, it is certainly not a risk worth taking.”

It’s for that reason that it is unlawful for farmers to chop hedgerows between April and August. And many cat house owners will know that their pets typically chase and catch and even kill birds outside in gardens and fields.

Unfortunately, throughout nesting season, knowingly permitting your cat to take action may nonetheless be breaking that regulation.

An skilled on the RSPB’s ‘Ask An Expert’ discussion board mentioned; “In gardens here in the UK, whilst cats are not threatening any species with extinction, they do kill in excess of 50 million birds each year as well as frogs, slow worms and various small mammals.

“Given these facts there are a few points to consider if you are thinking of bringing a cat into an area where birdlife is thriving. Many birds nest in our gardens and baby birds are highly vulnerable. Many species have young that stay on the ground for days after leaving the nest, robins and blackbirds being the most common.

“These species will breed numerous times throughout the summer and a roaming cat can cause mayhem. This is often the reason you hear frantic alarm calls from agitated parent birds.

“Again, keeping the cat indoors is the ideal solution.”