If your cat has ever brought you a dead mouse or bird, you know about the unending war between pets and wild animals. It’s true that when a dog chases a squirrel, or a coyote eats a cat, they’re all just following their instincts. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we humans can do about it. We can take steps to reduce the harm pets and wildlife do to each other.

Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge has some advice for cat and dog owners.

First, what doesn’t work for cats:

• Simply feeding them enough. In one experiment, cats eating their favorite foods stopped when they saw a live rat. Every one of them killed the rat, then went back to its food.
• Bells on collars. Some cats have figured out how to move without ringing the bells. Also, prey may not know the bell’s supposed to be a warning. Whatever the reason, a British study found that cats with bells actually killed more prey than those without.

The best thing to do is to keep your cat indoors, but, of course, not everyone will want to do this. You may want a barn cat, for example, to keep down the mice and rats. The Refuge says well-fed, spayed female cats are best for this because they tend to stay close to home. Outdoor cats will hunt, but you can cut down on it by keeping them in at night.

Dogs may not drag home prey, but they still can do harm. The Refuge says, “Being chased by a dog, especially for young or pregnant animals, might mean the difference between having and not having the energy to survive.”

So, keep your dog on a leash – it’s safer for him, and it’s probably the law.

Though they may not know it, it’s a win for all animals.