By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:10 EST, 31 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:10 EST, 31 July 2013 . Bedtime! Cats should be kept inside at night . It could be the end of letting the cat out for night if one wildlife expert has her way. An authority on animals is calling for a cat curfew so as to protect millions of hedgehogs, birds and other wildlife. Rosie Catford wants owners to ensure their cats stay indoors at night, and says such a curfew already operates in parts of Australia. Rosie from Wildlives Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Thorrington, Essex, said more than 200million birds alone are killed by domestic cats every year in the UK. She said small mammals including baby hedgehogs are also targets. 'They have a cat curfew in Australia as they have wiped out a lot of the native wildlife,' she said. 'I would like to see something like that in this country. 'It's not just birds they kill - the first baby hedgehogs we had come in this year were orphaned when the mother was killed by a cat. 'In Australia they have cat patrols going . around with wagons and nets - any cats seen out at night after the . curfew are caught and inpounded and the owners have to pay a fine.' The hedgehog population is in massive decline, and has plunged from 33million 20 years ago to less than a million now . Rosie said that wildlife is already struggling enough with the current weather patterns the UK is experiencing. 'We have had a massive explosion of animals coming in as the extremes of the weather has made it very difficult for the parents of the baby birds and hedgehogs to get enough food,' she said. 'It went from very cold to very dry and hot. The hedgehog population is in massive decline, we have gone from 33million 20 years ago to less than a million now. This is the animal that survived the dinosaur.' Rosie said the public can do more to help wildlife by feeding birds and hedgehogs, as well as keeping their cats in at night when the wildlife is so much more vulnerable to their attacks.
Curfew already operating in Australia, wildlife expert says .
Will help protect hedgehog population, which is in massive decline .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:10 EST, 31 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:10 EST, 31 July 2013 . Bedtime! Cats should be kept inside at night . It could be the end of letting the cat out for night if one wildlife expert has her way. An authority on animals is calling for a cat curfew so as to protect millions of hedgehogs, birds and other wildlife. Rosie Catford wants owners to ensure their cats stay indoors at night, and says such a curfew already operates in parts of Australia. Rosie from Wildlives Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Thorrington, Essex, said more than 200million birds alone are killed by domestic cats every year in the UK. She said small mammals including baby hedgehogs are also targets. 'They have a cat curfew in Australia as they have wiped out a lot of the native wildlife,' she said. 'I would like to see something like that in this country. 'It's not just birds they kill - the first baby hedgehogs we had come in this year were orphaned when the mother was killed by a cat. 'In Australia they have cat patrols going . around with wagons and nets - any cats seen out at night after the . curfew are caught and inpounded and the owners have to pay a fine.' The hedgehog population is in massive decline, and has plunged from 33million 20 years ago to less than a million now . Rosie said that wildlife is already struggling enough with the current weather patterns the UK is experiencing. 'We have had a massive explosion of animals coming in as the extremes of the weather has made it very difficult for the parents of the baby birds and hedgehogs to get enough food,' she said. 'It went from very cold to very dry and hot. The hedgehog population is in massive decline, we have gone from 33million 20 years ago to less than a million now. This is the animal that survived the dinosaur.' Rosie said the public can do more to help wildlife by feeding birds and hedgehogs, as well as keeping their cats in at night when the wildlife is so much more vulnerable to their attacks.
out for night if one wildlife expert has her way. night, and says such a curfew already operates in in massive decline, and has plunged from to very dry and hot. The hedgehog population is