Pet cats - proposal to ban in places.

[Clodagh]

I probably should ignore as well It's very sad when pet poultry get killed. I've had lots and lost lots so I am very sympathetic to anyone losing them. I wouldn't see much difference to losing a bantam to a cat or a fox. Presumably you would be equally unhappy whatever killed the bantam?
.

I used to have an outdoor cat that would sneak into a neighbours house throw their cat flap (no cat) and steal. Should I have done anything about it.

I would be equally sad if it were a fox but it isn’t. I keep my bantams out of next doors garden, and don’t feel it’s unreasonable to ask for the same courtesy in return.
But the hey, the ‘cats will be cats’ people will never agree

 

[TheresaW]

I think Clodagh is getting a bit of a hard time here.

We don’t have cats now, but have in the past. Ours did roam, but not far, and were always kept in overnight. All neutered and microchipped. We weren’t near a busy road, and had woodland behind the house.

At one point, we had 5. One was a prolific hunter. Brought in rabbits, squirrels, and the odd magpie.

I would have been mortified if he were killing neighbours pets/chickens etc.

We now have dogs, 3 of which have huge prey drives. They are always on lead out and about, and I know if I lived next door to Clodagh, they would wreak havoc were they to get into her garden.

They would also kill any cats that were in our garden. One of our cats lost his tail when he ventured into the wrong garden. I never held it against the owners of those dogs.

 

[palo1]

I probably should ignore as well It's very sad when pet poultry get killed. I've had lots and lost lots so I am very sympathetic to anyone losing them. I wouldn't see much difference to losing a bantam to a cat or a fox. Presumably you would be equally unhappy whatever killed the bantam?

I just don't see you can contain cats. In the countryside whilst they do damage they do equal amounts of good.. I'm not sure what next door could do about their cat. Unless you shut them in a catio, which IMHO is not any sort of existence for a creature that needs to roam and wander.

It is just a case of who is right, you because you wanted your bantam or the neighbour because they wanted their cat.

I used to have an outdoor cat that would sneak into a neighbours house throw their cat flap (no cat) and steal. Should I have done anything about it.

I would definitely not be ok with someone else's cat entering my home through my cat's flap. I mean if your garden gate or back door was open, presumably it wouldn't be acceptable for my dog to enter your property, eat your dog's food etc? This is such odd thinking to me. When I've had cats in the past they've had the kind of collar that unlocks the cat door because I hated finding other people's cats in my home. I don't have cats any more and whilst just about every poster here is confident their cat doesn't hunt and kill songbirds and small mammals, I've never had a cat that didn't. It's really not ok to have an animal but take no responsibility for it being a nuisance to neighbours - whether through crapping on their property or being a threat to other pets/wildlife. I don't have cats any more for a variety of reasons tbh but one of them is definitely because of the threat to songbirds. I'm really surprised by some attitudes to this here but it is really interesting.

 

[rabatsa]

My sister rehomed her cat that visited the neighbour and ate the Sunday roast that was resting on the counter, first offence, then the following day climbed in through a newly painted bedroom window and took its paint covered paws onto the clean bed for a snooze, second offence.

The offending cat was identified by the paint on its paws when it came home. She had two identical, long haired cats at the time. It was boxed up and sent to me the same day. It lived as a pampered farm cat for several months before disappearing, presumably becoming a meal for a badger.

 

[Peglo]

I would definitely not be ok with someone else's cat entering my home through my cat's flap. I mean if your garden gate or back door was open, presumably it wouldn't be acceptable for my dog to enter your property, eat your dog's food etc? This is such odd thinking to me. When I've had cats in the past they've had the kind of collar that unlocks the cat door because I hated finding other people's cats in my home. I don't have cats any more and whilst just about every poster here is confident their cat doesn't hunt and kill songbirds and small mammals, I've never had a cat that didn't. It's really not ok to have an animal but take no responsibility for it being a nuisance to neighbours - whether through crapping on their property or being a threat to other pets/wildlife. I don't have cats any more for a variety of reasons tbh but one of them is definitely because of the threat to songbirds. I'm really surprised by some attitudes to this here but it is really interesting.

My neighbour’s cat has come in through our cat flap but I have to take some of the blame. I’d put old cat food out for the hens before I went to work the one morning. It was still dark but thought they would be out shortly to find it. Well I assume the cat found it first as all the bowls were clean inside the house when I got home which our cats never do (I mean the biscuits at the bottom of the bowl are obviously poison) and then the next day there he was in my passage when I came through the house.
We have a cat flap that will only open for specific microchips but of course we haven’t set that up so it was easily preventable

You’re right though if it was their dogs that came in I would be furious.
It’s interesting because I’ve never heard a local complain about cats here. I think being a farming community every farm or small holding would have cats for pest control and they would be barn cats so free ranging. There has been a few grumbles about cats on faceache from people who have moved here though.

Just wondering is it just song birds that upset you or do you dislike them catching sparrows and pigeons too? What about mice or rats?

 

[Exasperated]

I would be equally sad if it were a fox but it isn’t. I keep my bantams out of next doors garden, and don’t feel it’s unreasonable to ask for the same courtesy in return.
But the hey, the ‘cats will be cats’ people will never agree

Probably not, and the cats certainly won’t. As earlier, sorry you lost them, it’s always sad to find numbers of hens down.
But this electric fence which protected your fowl against foxes - poultry fence is 1.5 metre high, electric mesh - HOW did neighbour’s cat get past that? Never known them to dig, polecats yes, but not kitty cats.

 

[paddy555]

It’s interesting because I’ve never heard a local complain about cats here. I think being a farming community every farm or small holding would have cats for pest control and they would be barn cats so free ranging. There has been a few grumbles about cats on faceache from people who have moved here though.

I've never heard locals complain either. They recognise the value of cats.

I would definitely not be ok with someone else's cat entering my home through my cat's flap. I mean if your garden gate or back door was open, presumably it wouldn't be acceptable for my dog to enter your property, eat your dog's food etc?

yet even if my garden gate (field gate/yard gate etc ) etc is closed I have to put up with hounds entering my property and that is fairly common for many of us. Sometimes those are either cottage gardens in villages/hamlets.

When I've had cats in the past they've had the kind of collar that unlocks the cat door because I hated finding other people's cats in my home. I don't have cats any more and whilst just about every poster here is confident their cat doesn't hunt and kill songbirds and small mammals, I've never had a cat that didn't. It's really not ok to have an animal but take no responsibility for it being a nuisance to neighbours - whether through crapping on their property or being a threat to other pets/wildlife. I don't have cats any more for a variety of reasons tbh but one of them is definitely because of the threat to songbirds. I'm really surprised by some attitudes to this here but it is really interesting.

mine do kill rats and mice and some have killed young rabbits. People put poison down to kill rats and mice and go ferreting to control rabbits so I can't see a cat is any different for small mammals.,
One tried to kill a weasel but soon regretted his mistake.
With the cat I was writing about there was no way to take responsibility as he couldn't be contained or even picked up.


However looking at the situation of that cat in reverse he was here because we were overun with rats when he came. He was killing a couple a night. Once our rats were gone the ones from the neighbour moved in so he moved across to their house (and their cat flap) If they hadn't had rats he wouldn't have nor would he have had to.
So if I kept him under control should my neighbours have taken responsibility to control their rats? After all I didn't want them on my place and that was what was happening. The neighbour had no way of controlling them.

(my neighbours and I were great friends BTW)



t

 

[SEL]

In terms of keeping cats contained....

This (much missed) little lady was 3kg at her heaviest. When we bought our current house we moved in on a boiling hot week but the garden was fenced with huge 6 foot new fencing panels so rather than keep all the doors and windows shut I said let's open them up, she can't go far. 20 minutes later she was on top of one of the posts staring into next door's smallholding, she then dropped 8-9 feet down the other side and went exploring. Thankfully their chickens were kept in an enormous fruit cage because of the foxes so although she was interested she couldn't do anything (she was smaller than most of the chickens!). She came back up 8-9 feet without effort too.

She'd never caught a mouse before but we laid plastic over part of the garden to try and get control of the bindweed and the mice used to run under it. Whack a mouse became her favourite game and she turned into quite an accomplished mouser. Even cleared the baby rats nest under my neighbours shed (running up a decent vet bill after getting bitten by one of them)

The domestic cat is not 'domesticated' really. I don't think they've moved on much from deciding as humans have found fire and warm mammoth blankets they might as well move in and catch the odd mouse to justify their keep. The ancient Egyptians treated them as gods for a reason - if a cat has taken up residence on your throne and is refusing to move its so much easier to honour them than insist they do as they are told. Most of them are semi feral at heart, but we have heating, sofas and comfy beds....

 

[paddy555]

In terms of keeping cats contained....

This (much missed) little lady was 3kg at her heaviest. When we bought our current house we moved in on a boiling hot week but the garden was fenced with huge 6 foot new fencing panels so rather than keep all the doors and windows shut I said let's open them up, she can't go far. 20 minutes later she was on top of one of the posts staring into next door's smallholding, she then dropped 8-9 feet down the other side and went exploring. Thankfully their chickens were kept in an enormous fruit cage because of the foxes so although she was interested she couldn't do anything (she was smaller than most of the chickens!). She came back up 8-9 feet without effort too.

She'd never caught a mouse before but we laid plastic over part of the garden to try and get control of the bindweed and the mice used to run under it. Whack a mouse became her favourite game and she turned into quite an accomplished mouser. Even cleared the baby rats nest under my neighbours shed (running up a decent vet bill after getting bitten by one of them)

The domestic cat is not 'domesticated' really. I don't think they've moved on much from deciding as humans have found fire and warm mammoth blankets they might as well move in and catch the odd mouse to justify their keep. The ancient Egyptians treated them as gods for a reason - if a cat has taken up residence on your throne and is refusing to move its so much easier to honour them than insist they do as they are told. Most of them are semi feral at heart, but we have heating, sofas and comfy beds....

that is just the most lovely cat

 

[palo1]

I've never heard locals complain either. They recognise the value of cats.


yet even if my garden gate (field gate/yard gate etc ) etc is closed I have to put up with hounds entering my property and that is fairly common for many of us. Sometimes those are either cottage gardens in villages/hamlets.



mine do kill rats and mice and some have killed young rabbits. People put poison down to kill rats and mice and go ferreting to control rabbits so I can't see a cat is any different for small mammals.,
One tried to kill a weasel but soon regretted his mistake.
With the cat I was writing about there was no way to take responsibility as he couldn't be contained or even picked up.


However looking at the situation of that cat in reverse he was here because we were overun with rats when he came. He was killing a couple a night. Once our rats were gone the ones from the neighbour moved in so he moved across to their house (and their cat flap) If they hadn't had rats he wouldn't have nor would he have had to.
So if I kept him under control should my neighbours have taken responsibility to control their rats? After all I didn't want them on my place and that was what was happening. The neighbour had no way of controlling them.

(my neighbours and I were great friends BTW)



t

I think there is a difference because ferreting and some other means of pest control are targeted at a pest specifically where a cat roaming freely can kill anything potentially. I absolutely don't agree with poisoning rats and mice for that reason. I think it's reasonable to ask ones neighbors to do whatever they can to control pests that impact on others. But pest control really should be organized rather than incidental.

 

[palo1]

My neighbour’s cat has come in through our cat flap but I have to take some of the blame. I’d put old cat food out for the hens before I went to work the one morning. It was still dark but thought they would be out shortly to find it. Well I assume the cat found it first as all the bowls were clean inside the house when I got home which our cats never do (I mean the biscuits at the bottom of the bowl are obviously poison) and then the next day there he was in my passage when I came through the house.
We have a cat flap that will only open for specific microchips but of course we haven’t set that up so it was easily preventable

You’re right though if it was their dogs that came in I would be furious.
It’s interesting because I’ve never heard a local complain about cats here. I think being a farming community every farm or small holding would have cats for pest control and they would be barn cats so free ranging. There has been a few grumbles about cats on faceache from people who have moved here though.

Just wondering is it just song birds that upset you or do you dislike them catching sparrows and pigeons too? What about mice or rats?

No, it's not just song birds but also amphibians and small mammals. We are lucky here in the diversity of all of those and we have some very rare and vulnerable birds including Marsh tits and curlew (both red listed). I often feel desperate about the risk of losing those completely for the sake of our desire to have destructive pets and man driven imbalances (such as the total protection given to certain predators that our activities have supported and which play a huge part in the downfall of our biodiversity. Basically I'm talking crows and foxes though I like and admire both species immensely in the right number!). I feel that it is important for me to do what I can. We control rats and mice with our dogs and crows and foxes, when they become a nuisance, with a gun. I come from a hunting culture family that views our input as potentially beneficial to biodiversity and I am/was more comfortable with more traditional methods of pest control. I am glad my dogs can hunt rats in a controlled way - for me that is preferable to poison or the random killing a yard cat might offer.

 

[Peglo]

I am glad my dogs can hunt rats in a controlled way - for me that is preferable to poison or the random killing a yard cat might offer.

I can understand your logic with this one but unfortunately there is far too many people who have no interest in even basic training of their dogs, never mind hunting on command. If only they did.

I couldn’t shoot anything so I’d rather leave it to my moggies to keep vermin down which I know is hypocritical. But I feel confident they aren’t a pest to my neighbours and they very rarely catch birds (outsmarted I think) so I feel ok with my cats being outdoors. They will eat far less wildlife being my cats than they would if they had been left as ferals too. (Is that reaching too much? )

 

[Peglo]

@palo1 curlews thrive up here. I didn’t realise they were so vulnerable. Stoats are a concern but they seem to be doing ok regardless of them.

 

[palo1]

@palo1 curlews thrive up here. I didn’t realise they were so vulnerable. Stoats are a concern but they seem to be doing ok regardless of them.

Curlew are our most endangered bird in the UK. The biggest threat to them are foxes although change in land use has had an impact too in reducing habitat. I simply could not accept the risk of a cat killing or disturbing these wonderful birds especially after an experience I had some years ago of my neighbour's cat killing a nightingale! I feel incredibly lucky to have curlew here: their call in the Spring is always a source of joy. Marsh tits and various warblers, nuthatches and tree-creepers are here as well as all the woodpeckers. I would not forgive myself if a pet cat took any of these though I very much like cats and had house cats all through my childhood and actually until around the time of the nightingale incident.

 

[palo1]

I can understand your logic with this one but unfortunately there is far too many people who have no interest in even basic training of their dogs, never mind hunting on command. If only they did.

I couldn’t shoot anything so I’d rather leave it to my moggies to keep vermin down which I know is hypocritical. But I feel confident they aren’t a pest to my neighbours and they very rarely catch birds (outsmarted I think) so I feel ok with my cats being outdoors. They will eat far less wildlife being my cats than they would if they had been left as ferals too. (Is that reaching too much? )

Mmm, well I am of the opinion that all dogs should be licensed, chipped and a stiff fine given for anti-social behavior. It's a privelage to keep a dog and everyone should attend basic training or prove competence somehow. I am no great shakes as a dog trainer either so I know it's not impossible for ordinary folks to have a safe and civilized companion!

 

[Peglo]

Curlew are our most endangered bird in the UK. The biggest threat to them are foxes although change in land use has had an impact too in reducing habitat. I simply could not accept the risk of a cat killing or disturbing these wonderful birds especially after an experience I had some years ago of my neighbour's cat killing a nightingale! I feel incredibly lucky to have curlew here: their call in the Spring is always a source of joy. Marsh tits and various warblers, nuthatches and tree-creepers are here as well as all the woodpeckers. I would not forgive myself if a pet cat took any of these though I very much like cats and had house cats all through my childhood and actually until around the time of the nightingale incident.

I really wish the development would stop
We have lots of curlews in the field opposite ours and your right, their call is one of my absolute favourites, just beautiful. I’ve never saw my cats go near them though. The cats are easily scared off if something squares up to them. They run away from the chickens if they come close enough. They don’t even look at the pigeons I feed in the garden.

 

[ponynutz]

Honestly, I kind of agree with it. I don't know a lot about the facts so my opinion might change but I have seen and heard about too many cats being killed on dangerous roads. Even though we live on a countryside lane and have a field, I even worry about our two if they go out of the front gates.

I personally would no longer own cats in a town house nor do I agree with keeping cats inside for their entire lifespan.

Ultimately I think cats are outdoor animals and no amount of enrichment is sufficient imo - excluding rescues and where it is necessary for health etc of course. However, I do also know the threats that are posed to outdoor cats and the threats cats pose to wildlife. It is an extremely tricky debate that I think will change as the next generation comes through and I don't think there is an answer that isn't detrimental to either cats or other wildlife.

 

[Exasperated]

No, it's not just song birds but also amphibians and small mammals. We are lucky here in the diversity of all of those and we have some very rare and vulnerable birds including Marsh tits and curlew (both red listed). I often feel desperate about the risk of losing those completely for the sake of our desire to have destructive pets and man driven imbalances (such as the total protection given to certain predators that our activities have supported and which play a huge part in the downfall of our biodiversity. Basically I'm talking crows and foxes though I like and admire both species immensely in the right number!). I feel that it is important for me to do what I can. We control rats and mice with our dogs and crows and foxes, when they become a nuisance, with a gun. I come from a hunting culture family that views our input as potentially beneficial to biodiversity and I am/was more comfortable with more traditional methods of pest control. I am glad my dogs can hunt rats in a controlled way - for me that is preferable to poison or the random killing a yar

Curlew are our most endangered bird in the UK. The biggest threat to them are foxes although change in land use has had an impact too in reducing habitat. I simply could not accept the risk of a cat killing or disturbing these wonderful birds especially after an experience I had some years ago of my neighbour's cat killing a nightingale! I feel incredibly lucky to have curlew here: their call in the Spring is always a source of joy. Marsh tits and various warblers, nuthatches and tree-creepers are here as well as all the woodpeckers. I would not forgive myself if a pet cat took any of these though I very much like cats and had house cats all through my childhood and actually until around the time of the nightingale incident.

We’ve still got many curlews and lapwings on our land, altho fewer than previously. However, badgers have been videoed attacking the nests (badgers having taken most of the old fox dens, and expanded into the uplands), also crows, magpies and hawks. These birds have ‘perching posts’ from which to survey for ground nesters, then swoop as opportunity presents. Very efficient and merciless.
Cats would be capable of predating curlew chicks, but has anyone witnessed numerous cats on the moors?? We’re up there and outside all the time, see loose dogs and predator birds, but never seen a single cat! Gamekeepers don’t mention or consider them, completely off the radar.
Upland and moorland are unlikely habitat: cats are stealth hunters, better in woodland, fields, around ditches, walls and buildings, places where they’re less exposed.
I think upland ground nesters face worse threats than pet cats: right to roam trippers with their uncontrollable dogs, and off-piste mountain bikers would be more obvious targets for control.

 

[Exasperated]

My neighbour’s cat has come in through our cat flap but I have to take some of the blame. I’d put old cat food out for the hens before I went to work the one morning. It was still dark but thought they would be out shortly to find it. Well I assume the cat found it first as all the bowls were clean inside the house when I got home which our cats never do (I mean the biscuits at the bottom of the bowl are obviously poison) and then the next day there he was in my passage when I came through the house.
We have a cat flap that will only open for specific microchips but of course we haven’t set that up so it was easily preventable

You’re right though if it was their dogs that came in I would be furious.
It’s interesting because I’ve never heard a local complain about cats here. I think being a farming community every farm or small holding would have cats for pest control and they would be barn cats so free ranging. There has been a few grumbles about cats on faceache from people who have moved here though.

Just wondering is it just song birds that upset you or do you dislike them catching sparrows and pigeons too? What about mice or rats?

Yes, it tends to be incomers into rural communities who like to ‘stake out their little slice’, and generally haven’t much idea or empathy

 

[palo1]

We’ve still got many curlews and lapwings on our land, altho fewer than previously. However, badgers have been videoed attacking the nests (badgers having taken most of the old fox dens, and expanded into the uplands), also crows, magpies and hawks. These birds have ‘perching posts’ from which to survey for ground nesters, then swoop as opportunity presents. Very efficient and merciless.
Cats would be capable of predating curlew chicks, but has anyone witnessed numerous cats on the moors?? We’re up there and outside all the time, see loose dogs and predator birds, but never seen a single cat! Gamekeepers don’t mention or consider them, completely off the radar.
Upland and moorland are unlikely habitat: cats are stealth hunters, better in woodland, fields, around ditches, walls and buildings, places where they’re less exposed.
I think upland ground nesters face worse threats than pet cats: right to roam trippers with their uncontrollable dogs, and off-piste mountain bikers would be more obvious targets for control.

I wasn't suggesting that cats are stalking the uplands but on our farm we do have some land that is curlew appropriate and close enough to the house for a yard or pet cat. I agree that other things are a greater risk to curlew but at the same time garden song birds, small mammals and amphibians are definitely at risk.

 

[rabatsa]

Badgers are the biggest culprit against curlew, hedgepigs and even cats round here.

 

[Exasperated]

I wasn't suggesting that cats are stalking the uplands but on our farm we do have some land that is curlew appropriate and close enough to the house for a yard or pet cat. I agree that other things are a greater risk to curlew but at the same time garden song birds, small mammals and amphibians are definitely at risk.

Well, I do hope your curlews survive, likewise songbirds, I’d also be annoyed at evidence that our cats were going after them - quite apart from anything else, they’ve got more than enough vermin to catch on the farm.
But there’s another issue of moorland policy having unwonted effects, and that’s destocking of herbivores (sheep / cattle).
Nominally to encourage different sorts of plants and grass, and return moors to bogland, it is becoming very noticeable that there are far fewer birds on the emptied moors - because this has removed their food source. All animal droppings are FULL of insects and beetles, gathering almost as soon as excreted, which birds / chicks pick over, thrive off and disseminate the nutrients. Bit of an environmental own goal.

 

[palo1]

Badgers are the biggest culprit against curlew, hedgepigs and even cats round here.

Both Curlew Country and the RSPB identify foxes as the greatest threat to curlew at the moment.

 

[rabatsa]

Both Curlew Country and the RSPB identify foxes as the greatest threat to curlew at the moment.

I think it depends on the density of the badgers v foxes.

Here most of the fox holes have been taken over by badgers.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

When I lived in my previous house years ago I had a fantastic Standard Poodle boy. Next door had around eleventy seven cats. Several times when they got into my garden she would end up with one less as my boy would kill them. Now, Im not proud of this in any way BUT she would come around ranting at me and telling me I needed to build higher fences etc. I told her to get stretched (or similar). The police told her that if she let her cats roam then no-one else had to be responsible for what happened to them. In 3 years of living there my dog killed 3 cats and injured 2. I declined to pay her vets bills. One of my hawks also dispatched a young cat that got into the garden.
This probably makes me sound very uncaring but what could I do?? She didn't want to contain her cats, or make any financial contributions to secure fencing to keep her cats IN (My own fencing was well adequate enough to keep my dogs and hawks safe and contained).

 

[Clodagh]

When I lived in my previous house years ago I had a fantastic Standard Poodle boy. Next door had around eleventy seven cats. Several times when they got into my garden she would end up with one less as my boy would kill them. Now, Im not proud of this in any way BUT she would come around ranting at me and telling me I needed to build higher fences etc. I told her to get stretched (or similar). The police told her that if she let her cats roam then no-one else had to be responsible for what happened to them. In 3 years of living there my dog killed 3 cats and injured 2. I declined to pay her vets bills. One of my hawks also dispatched a young cat that got into the garden.
This probably makes me sound very uncaring but what could I do?? She didn't want to contain her cats, or make any financial contributions to secure fencing to keep her cats IN (My own fencing was well adequate enough to keep my dogs and hawks safe and contained).

That’s very sad but I absolutely can’t see any of that is your problem. I’ll be interested to see, though, if the people who feel I’m irresponsible for my chickens being killed by next doors cat also feel you are to blame. Which will be very hypocritical but I await comments!

 

[Exasperated]

When I lived in my previous house years ago I had a fantastic Standard Poodle boy. Next door had around eleventy seven cats. Several times when they got into my garden she would end up with one less as my boy would kill them. Now, Im not proud of this in any way BUT she would come around ranting at me and telling me I needed to build higher fences etc. I told her to get stretched (or similar). The police told her that if she let her cats roam then no-one else had to be responsible for what happened to them. In 3 years of living there my dog killed 3 cats and injured 2. I declined to pay her vets bills. One of my hawks also dispatched a young cat that got into the garden.
This probably makes me sound very uncaring but what could I do?? She didn't want to contain her cats, or make any financial contributions to secure fencing to keep her cats IN (My own fencing was well adequate enough to keep my dogs and hawks safe and contained).

You did exactly what you could and should - your poodle and ‘pet’ hawk were contained, and the police explained the legal position. Might feel sad about deceased cats, but no way to blame, particularly since the neighbour was aware of the danger for any cats accessing your garden.
If the poodle got into next door, or into a public space to kill cats, the law is equally clear.

 

[Exasperated]

Both Curlew Country and the RSPB identify foxes as the greatest threat to curlew at the moment.

That could reflect the area surveyed, because in many places badger expansion has been exponential and almost displaced rural foxes (altho foxes doing better in towns), or could reflect vested interests and attitudes.
I’m unconvinced by RSPB pronouncements, generally. They also peddled the (thoroughly discredited) hair-raising statistics on killer cats - obviously cats can predate birds, but not on a nuclear scale - then had to tone it down. Also fake news re various other bird populations.
Eg. At a moors management meeting; with charities, NGOs, stakeholder reps etc. discussing biodiversity; bird enthusiasts expressed serious concern about impact of predator birds and badgers, with phone footage of attacks on nests, chicks and even some adults.
Mr. RSPB replied ‘sorry, off the table, raptors, corvids and badgers are too political, please delete from the minutes’. Nothing like a bit of genuine investigation.
RSPB similarly ‘sold’ Red Kites to the public on the basis they are shy, scavenger birds, not predators - ha bloody ha.
In some places R.Kites are now numerous, with serious detrimental effect on other birds, as well as small mammals like leverets. Human children even been swooped and scratched for their sandwiches!
Whenever there is one of these illconsidered, blanket protection / promotions of ANY single species, there are serious imbalances and side effects, doesn’t matter which creature.
Any idiot who simply takes up cudgels to defend ‘their’ particular favourite wants their ar*e kicking for the disservice they do science and nature in general.