A distant Scottish island is being overrun by a rising colony of feral cats, sparking fears for the native chook inhabitants.
More than 20 cats have been left operating wild on Barra within the Outer Hebrides after the loss of life final yr of two elderly individuals who stored cats of their barns.
The animals have since bred and their numbers proceed to develop, with animal rescue volunteers estimating that there might now be 40 feral cats roaming throughout the tiny island.
Western Isles Support for Cats and Kittens (WISCK) have warned that kitten season begins in April – more likely to additional enhance numbers and put birds in danger.
The volunteer group has launched plans for a rescue operation on Barra within the weeks forward for the reason that distant island – with its inhabitants of simply over 1,000 – doesn’t have a vet of its personal.
They hope to entice the cats, take them to the close by island of Lewis to be neutered, and discover them properties all through Scotland’s Western Isles.
“There’s a colony of around 20 cats sticking together, but there’s probably quite a few more – potentially even double that,” mentioned Maryann MacAuley, volunteer at WISCK, advised i.
“There isn’t a large supply of rabbit and rodents for them, like on the mainland,” she mentioned. “So we worry it will affect the bird population, because that’s all they have to fend for themselves.”
Ms MacAuley added: “We can’t let the animals effect the ecosystem, or risk the cats starving. It’s also not ideal to have feral cats fighting at night – it’s quite a noise. So we need to find homes.”
Barra – finest often called the home of Whisky Galore! author Sir Compton Mackenzie and site for the movie model of his guide – is home to a big inhabitants of seabirds resembling gannet.
But it’s the smaller chook species on the island, resembling thrush and warbler, that are feared to be most in danger from a rising inhabitants of feral cats.
Ms MacAuley mentioned the charity would do its finest to seek out good properties for the feral cats, together with farmers who want barn cats to maintain down their rodent inhabitants.
“We know some of these females may already be pregnant so kittens born in care will be cared for until they can find loving pet homes,” she mentioned.
