Mainstream UK media went into meltdown in late September and the nation divided along battle lines drawn between cat lovers and haters, with renewed focus on the devastating impact that domestic cats are having on songbird and small mammal populations in garden habitats.
At the centre of the argument is a new publication, Cat Wars, and its author, Dr Peter Marra, advocating that cats must no longer roam free, but be locked indoors and walked on a leash by their owners. He maintains that cats should be caught and killed wherever they pose a threat to birds and wildlife.
Britain’s 8 million cats are reckoned to kill 55 million birds and 275 million small animals a year, according to studies by the Mammal Society and others. And speaking on BBC Radio 4 programme, Dr Marra said the RSPB needs to re-assess the impact that cats have on the nation’s bird life. Species most frequently targeted include house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings - all regular visitors to Britain’s garden birdfeeders.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the debate, garden centres and other vendors of wild bird food and animal lodges will capitalise on the consumer awareness this autumn, and can look forward to increased demand for welfare-friendly cat deterrents alongside sales of bird food. STV, supplier of Defenders animal deterrents, is again focussing its marketing on keeping unwelcome visitors (principally cats) out of gardens and away from bird feeders, without doing them harm.
“We’ve brought through new merchandise displays and in-store videos that highlight the problem with cats and help consumers select the right product,” says STV Chairman Edwin Allingham. “The feedback at GLEE was fantastic and we’re already starting to see an uplift in sales as wild bird food business gets underway.”
A bird’s eye view on cat deterrents
STV is investing in high-tech GPS tracking devices to map and measure changes in cats’ behaviour following treatment with Defenders cat deterrents.
Product development manager, Ed Deane, is aiming to show a 75% reduction in fouling across lawns, beds and borders after treatment with the Defenders Natural Active products: “Our initial proof-of-concept trials have shown very positive results for formulations that STV has developed to comply with the new Biocidal Product Regulations,” says Ed. “The next step requires data gathering and analysis for which we will use new-generation tracking devices with mapping software that demonstrates behavioural changes in treatment areas. ”Keeping the nation’s gardens free of scats and poo is a major mission for STV, with cat deterrent accounting for over half of all sales under the Defenders brand.
Boost your revenue and drive secondary sales with Defenders animal repellents alongside bird food.
Contact your sales rep or call STV on 01953 881580 for more details.
