Cats are sadistic① murderers， but they have been rated as being as detestable② as rats in a poll of British gardeners？
Though the animals are the UK’s favorite pets， British gardeners have struck back by crowning the cat as one of the most unwelcome visitors to their plot.
Cats cut a swathe③ through the nation’s wildlife， killing around 300 million animals every year.
Predatory④ is instincts
Cats are solitary predatory huntersand theirmotivation to hunt is quite separate from its desire to satisfy hunger. Even with a full stomach， a cat cannot resist the stimuli of prey passing nearby. It doesn’t make sense for a cat to wait until it’s hungry to catch food—there may be none around then. Better to hunt when there’s the opportunity and hide the food away.
Cats make sickness
Wildlife experts say keeping cats locked up from dusk to dawn will prevent much of the carnage⑤ they create， and will also mean they are less likely to be run over. The message is clear， most people are heartily sick of having their neighbors’ cats in their garden”.
Is the bell useful？
Owners who have resorted to collar bells to warn prey may have underestimated feline guile. Some cats have learned to hold their heads to minimize noise coming from the bells around their necks. Perhaps we need to admire this skill， rather than get paranoid⑥ about it.
Even today， some people view the black cat as an omen⑦ of misfortune. Even the English language is stacked against the moggy⑧.Spiteful people are dubbed as being “catty”. A raucous⑨ cry is a “caterwaul”. At work， a greedy， lazy boss is a “fat cat”.
① sadisticadj. 残酷成性的
② detestableadj. 讨厌的，可憎的，可恶的
③ swathe(=swath)n. 长而宽的一长条，细长的列
④ predatoryadj. 以捕食其他动物为生的，食肉的
⑤ carnagen.大屠杀
⑥ paranoidn.偏执狂患者
⑦ omenn. 预兆，兆头[C][(+of)]
⑧ moggyn. ［英］［俚］猫，［英］［方］小牛，母牛
⑨ raucousadj. 声音沙哑的，刺耳的
猫和老鼠
猫是残忍的杀手，但是在对英国园丁们进行的调查中，猫已经被认为是和老鼠一样令人厌恶的东西。
尽管动物在英国是最受欢迎的宠物，但园丁们却给猫冠以最不受欢迎访客的头衔。
猫肆意破坏国家的野生动植物，每年残杀大约3亿只动物。
掠杀是猫的本性
猫是独来独往的捕猎动物，其猎杀的动机与其满足胃口的欲望是不相关的。即使当它很饱的时候，猫也无法抵抗捕杀身边经过的猎物的刺激。对于猫来说，等到饿了才去捕捉猎物是没有意义的，那时也许在它身边压根就找不到食物。最好是一有机会就动手，然后把食物藏起来以备不时之需。
猫令人生厌
野生动物专家说从黄昏到黎明一直将猫锁在家里可以防止它们屠杀生灵，同时也减少了它们被车压死的可能。很明显，大多数人非常讨厌在自家的花园中发现邻居家的猫。
铃铛能管用吗？
猫的主人们给猫系上项圈铃铛希望能够提醒动物，但是他们也许低估了猫的狡诈。有些猫已经学会将头保持不动，将脖子上铃铛发出的声音降到最低。也许我们应该欣赏这种技能，而不是疑神疑鬼。
即使现在，还有一些人将黑猫视为不祥的征兆。英语中甚至充满了各种贬低猫的词语：恶毒的人被称为“像猫一样阴险狡猾”；沙哑的叫声被说成是“猫叫”；在工作中，贪婪而懒惰的老板被称为“肥猫”。
