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It started as nothing more than an innocent gathering of a few furry friends in an empty house.
But word spread quickly in a remote island community – and soon a handful of cats had become a feral horde that threatened to destroy the local wildlife.
Now a ‘monumental’ operation has been launched to save Barra’s birds from the freelance cats – as well as save the cats themselves.
The Moggies began ‘gathering’ at the vacant property on the Hebridean island several months ago.
With the number quickly increasing to more than 20, they have since been joined by even more homeless barn cats following the deaths of two local owners.
Now, with kitten season approaching, the home’s absentee owners have called in outside help to capture, neuter and rehome the colony before it floods the entire island. The owners of the empty property had tried to feed the cats, but as they live on the mainland, it proved a struggle to keep up with the growing population.
A ‘monumental’ operation has been launched to save Barra’s birds from freelance felines
Moggies began ‘gathering’ at the vacant property on the Hebridean island several months ago
With numbers quickly increasing to more than 20, they have since been joined by even more homeless barn cats following the deaths of two local owners
But amid concerns for the cats – many of whom have never had to hunt for food – and the island’s limited bird population, which would be the colony’s main prey, they decided something had to be done. They have now set up a project in the Western Isles Support for Cats and Kittens (WISCK) to deal with the problematic residents.
In a statement, WISCK claimed the owners were told by a national species charity to “just stop feeding them”. But it said: ‘This is a human-caused problem, so we need to step in to help.’
A spokesman for the charity said yesterday that the intervention was vital for the cats’ well-being and the protection of the island’s wildlife.
She said: ‘The lack of natural prey and the cats’ reliance on human provision has escalated the need for intervention to prevent the colony from growing out of control.
‘WISCK undertakes the monumental task of capturing the cats, transporting them to Cat Central in Stornoway for health checks, neutering and ultimately finding them suitable stables or stable homes across the islands.
The home’s absentee owners have called in outside help to capture, neuter and rehouse the colony before it floods the entire island
In a statement, WISCK claimed the owners were told by a national animal charity to ‘just stop feeding them’
The charity said: ‘Any help will be invaluable in ensuring the health and survival of these cats and the scarce wildlife on Barra’
“This intervention is imperative for the welfare of both the cats and the island’s ecosystem, especially with the kittening season ahead.” The charity said the island has “too few” birds to risk an “out of control colony decimating them”. Also, since no rabbits have been seen locally for years, the cats – most of whom are used to being fed – are unable to survive by hunting alone.
It added: ‘We know some of these females may already be pregnant, so kittens born into care will be cared for until they can find loving pet homes.’
The charity is now seeking donations to support its efforts.
It said: ‘Any help will be invaluable to ensure the health and survival of these cats and the scarce wildlife on Barra.’