Pet cats kill up to 270 million animals a year in UK alone: ‘Mini super predators’

Pet cats may be killing up to 270 million animals as prey every year in the UK alone, according to a new study.

Researchers, including those from the University of Reading, said the loss of tens of millions of animals each year through cat predation may “go beyond animal welfare concerns and become conservation concerns”.

The study, published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, assessed the movement and prey of 79 pet cats in inner suburban areas and in areas adjacent to natural habitats on the edge of the suburban area.