Hard to believe

His request that cat owners control their pets and stop them doing what comes naturally - hunting birds and mice and burying their "number twos" in the garden - showed he had no understanding or tolerance of their behaviour.

I find it hard to believe that his neighbour's cat "decimated" the bird population of his garden within two weeks of its arrival.

We, and both our next-door neighbours, have cats yet our gardens is still visited by many birds. On the rare occasion our cat has managed to catch a bird she has brought it into the house alive.

She is gentle and only wants to play with them, so I have always managed to rescue and free them, minus a feather or two.

During the last 12 years of having cats live next door, or with us, I have only found one dead sparrow in our garden. So Mr Key's experience seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

I understand many animals are predators, and much as I hate to see any animal or bird, being killed, I do not discriminate in my tolerance and understanding of all creatures. I hope the bad press Mr Key's letter gave cats will not be used to justify mistreating them.

Paul S Cordock,

Durlston Drive,

Strensall, York.

Updated: 09:41 Thursday, December 23, 2004