Cat owners are being warned they face an unlimited fine and up to six months in jail over a law which their pet could break this summer. UK law protects birds from being killed in the spring and summer, including birds’ nests and eggs.

Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 states that it is an offence to to intentionally damage or destroy a wild bird’s nest while it is being built or in use.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds backs this up. It says that a person is breaking that law if they intentionally damage a bird’s nest while it’s being used or built.

It says: “The moment it becomes active, it is illegal to destroy it. Breaking this law could land you an unlimited fine and six months in prison.

“The consequences for the above, even in the event of harm to a single bird, nest or egg, is an unlimited fine, up to six months in jail or both. Suffice to say, it is certainly not a risk worth taking.”

It’s for this reason that it’s illegal for farmers to cut hedgerows between April and August. And many cat owners will know that their pets often chase and catch or even kill birds outdoors in gardens and fields.

Unfortunately, during nesting season, knowingly allowing your cat to do so could still be breaking that law.

An expert at the RSPB’s ‘Ask An Expert’ forum said; “In gardens here in the UK, whilst cats are not threatening any species with extinction, they do kill in excess of 50 million birds each year as well as frogs, slow worms and various small mammals.

“Given these facts there are a few points to consider if you are thinking of bringing a cat into an area where birdlife is thriving. Many birds nest in our gardens and baby birds are highly vulnerable. Many species have young that stay on the ground for days after leaving the nest, robins and blackbirds being the most common.

“These species will breed numerous times throughout the summer and a roaming cat can cause mayhem. This is often the reason you hear frantic alarm calls from agitated parent birds.

“Again, keeping the cat indoors is the ideal solution.”