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 Now is the time to bell your cat
If your cat enjoys the great outdoors with a spot of small game hunting on the side, now is the time to buy a collar with a bell on it. Preventing your favourite feline friend from sneaking up on the starlings and other birds could help you both stay out of trouble.
As recent events have proved, bird flu hasn't gone away and a research programme in Indonesia has shown that the virus has mutated and the infection has been found in cats.
Cats are natural hunters and whilst the recent outbreak of bird flu appears to have been brought in to this country by man-made means, there is still a danger that it could have spread to the wild bird population.
 In areas of Indonesia where there have been outbreaks of bird flu, there have also been unusually large numbers of dead cats. Tests have shown that they also died form a mutated form of bird flu. This proves that the virus is able to mutate to animals.
Cats have also been tested in Thailand and several cases found of feline death's from bird flu. China does not appear to have been carrying out tests on cats, so we don't know what the figures are there.
It's not just happening in the Far East. There have been confirmed outbreaks of the H5N1 (bird flu) virus in cats as close to home as Iraq, Germany and Austria.
Are humans at risk? Only if the virus mutates again and is able to spread to people. It has to be remember that conditions in some countries mean that diseased dead birds are often left outside. Hungry cats eat them and that's how they become ill. It's thought that there are many thousands of cats who've had the disease and recovered, still roaming around. Open air poultry markets throughout Africa and Asia are swarming with cats looking for left overs.
So will the governments of these countries try to eradicate the cat population? No, this isn't on the agenda, and even if it were possible, it would lead to an increase in the rodents who are as much a problem. The aim is to prevent cats from eating sick chickens.
We don't normally have this as a problem in the U.K. Here the danger is from cats whose lunchtime snack is a wild thing. So if the great hunter in your life brings you a feathered morsel, put your rubber gloves and take it from him pronto.
I know it might mean a chase up the garden but don't let your cat eat a dead bird. Although we have no evidence of the virus in our bird flocks, it makes sense to handle and dispose of the deceased bird with care.
Will it be the end of any cat who catches the virus? Not necessarily, some will die, some will recover. If this doomsday scenario ever came to pass, we might find that cats in this country would benefit from their improved nutrition and either not get the disease or recover if they did.
The problem is, that if they do catch the virus, they will excrete large amounts and pass it on to their friends. We have to do as much as possible to try to prevent this happening.
Being vigilant about your cat's health is more important than ever - consult the vet if you notice any symptoms that are unusual - off his food, runny eyes, sneezing. Don't take chances, get it checked out.
None of us want our cats to kill birds, but it's what they do, part of their genetic make-up, a survival strategy. So how can we deal with this? The only way to stop them is to make sure the birds can hear them coming. A tinkling brass bell on their collar will put a stop to most hunting trips. Make sure the collar has an elastic inset so your cat doesn't get hooked up on the branches of a tree if he gets carried away with the excitement of the chase.
What do we do about the cats who can get their belled collars off in a twinkling of an amber eye? We don't know the answer to that one!
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