Anyone who has a garden and a cat is being urged to keep their pet indoors this month due to the risk to wildlife.

According to garden bird feeding experts Kennedy Wild Bird Food & Pet Supplies, July is the first month of fledgling season.

This is when birds that hatched earlier in the spring begin to fly the nest, foraging for their own food as a young bird for the first time. But because their flight is still developing, fledglings tend to spend a lot of time on the ground in their first few days out of the nest, which unfortunately makes them a prime target for predators like cats to strike.

What’s especially unfortunate is that cats kill young fledglings in gardens purely for sport, not because they need to prey on them to eat.

According to bird feeding expert Richard Green, fledglings need extra support during this time of year, known as fledgling season.

He said: “Summer is often referred to as "fledgling season" because it's the time when many young birds leave their nests and begin to explore the world as fledglings, but during this vulnerable time, they may need extra support.”

He urged households to keep cats indoors, or under close supervision - especially early mornings and overnight. He added that putting a bell on a cat’s collar can also be a way to avoid cats harming birds as the noise can help alert birds to imminent danger.

Richard said: “Fledgling birds often spend their first few days on or near the ground, which makes them highly vulnerable. 

“To protect young birds, it’s important to keep cats indoors or under supervision, especially overnight when parent birds are most active. 

“A bell on a cat’s collar can also help give fledglings a chance to escape.”

He also said that households should consider where they leave food out for birds in order to give birds less chance of being preyed on by neighbourhood cats.

He added: “Scatter food in sheltered parts of the garden where fledglings can access it easily. 

“Stay alert, as cats may lie in wait nearby. Keeping your cat indoors, particularly in the early morning, helps protect young birds at their most vulnerable.”

Richard adds that young birds need protein rich foods, like sunflower hearts and mealworms: “Young birds need plenty of protein and moisture-rich food while they grow, but not all foods are safe. Live mealworms are ideal, but soaked dried mealworms or waxworms also offer excellent nutrition.

“Other good options include sunflower hearts, soaked sultanas, raisins, currants, mild grated cheese, and soft fruits like bananas, grapes, and halved apples or pears. 

“Any dried foods, like fruit or mealworms, should be soaked before serving to make them easier to swallow.”