Cats are by far the most 

popular pets in the Netherlands. In 2021, the country’s households were home to more than three million of them. Though originally exotic 

creatures, they have established 

themselves, with help from 

humans, in areas where they originally did not occur. Yet few people realize that cats are harmful, killing about 40 

million animals every year. Not only birds and rodents, but also threatened species. Since cats don’t have a natural enemy, I created ‘The Catcher’. This creature is part of her campaign to inform cat owners about the impact of their pet. If owners took responsibility and kept their creatures indoors, it might go some way to 

protecting  animals native to the 

Netherlands.