Badgers & Cats, Friends Or Foes?

With its distinctive black and white-striped face, grey fur, and short furry tail, the badger is one of the UK’s most recognisable and popular mammals. They’re also one of the UK’s largest land predators, so should you be concerned that they will harm your household pets, particularly cats?

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Do badgers attack cats? 

If you’ve seen evidence that badgers have been in your garden, should you be concerned for your cats?

In short, not really. Badgerland, an organisation helping badgers and people live in harmony in the UK, have said that out of more than 5,000 emails, only three have been regarding instances of cats or dogs being injured by badgers. 

“Although badgers would be a very good attack animal – they’ve got a very powerful jaw which is self-locking, have non-retractable claws and are very strong – they’ve evolved this way primarily for digging,” badger expert Tris Pearce, managing director for Pearce Environment, an ecological and wildlife consultancy, tells Kinship.

Badgers use their strong bodies to break through roots and move stones to dig complex, underground tunnel systems, called setts. 

“They are very shy and often actively avoid contact with other mammals,” Pearce says.

In fact, in his decades of experience working with badgers, he has watched cats and badgers interact with each other with curiosity rather than animosity.

“Cats are quite inquisitive,” he says. “I’ve been using cameras in badgers setts and there are loads of occasions where I have seen cats popping up and walking past. Badgers, nocturnal mammals, are regular nightly visitors to gardens in a lot of scenarios and cats are regularly accepting of the nocturnal visitors.”

Are badgers dangerous to cats?

Tris says badgers are “no risk” or danger to cats. 

“If in fear or disturbed, badgers tend to leave and never attack unless cornered or provoked, and can’t escape,” Tris says. “Any noise or action they emit is just to distract so their escape can be made.”

The badger may give a growl and show their teeth, but there would be no intention to attack a domestic animal. Tris says that if their intention was to attack, “it would be happening all the time”.

“A lot of our badger population now is in urban environments,” he says. “They are coming across cats, dogs, and other pets on a nightly basis.” If attacks were commonplace, Tris is sure he’d be hearing about them often. 

Not only are badgers inclined to escape when they feel threatened – so are cats. Both animals are inclined to retreat. 

“Cats aren’t stupid,” he says. “They’ll get out of the way – running away or climbing a tree. This isn’t a lion with a gazelle situation.” In his 20 years of watching badgers, Tris has never seen a badger attack a cat. 

“They are completely non-threatening,” he says. “There is a lot of misinformation about badgers being aggressive, but they’re the opposite.” 

Badger behaviours explained

Being nocturnal omnivorous, badgers will feast on anything from flesh and fruit to bulbs and birds’ eggs, but the majority of their diet – 80 percent of it – is made up of earthworms. Also on the menu might be slugs, insects, apples, plums, pears, nuts, seeds and elderberries. 

They also may eat small animals such as mice, rates, rabbits, frogs, toads, and hedgehogs. 

“It’s small prey they may actively kill,” Tris says. If a badger feels threatened, they may growl or show its teeth. 

What to do if a badger is in your garden

If there are signs badgers are in your garden, you need not worry for your cats or dogs, but you should consider making sure that other small pets such as rabbits or guinea pigs in outside hutches are protected.

“There is a minor risk that if a badger is very hungry or is unwell or injured, it may decide to break into a hutch,” Tris says. “That’s not the badger’s fault. I would advise people to make sure that any pets living outside are fully secured.”

If a pet parent is still nervous to let a dog or cat in the garden at night, Pearce suggests flicking a light on or making a noise before leaving their pet outside. 

“If there is a badger in there, you’re not going to startle it then,” he says. “But again, badgers are always going to be more scared of a dog or cat, rather than the other way around.”

If a badger is digging up your garden, Tris warns not to try and sort on your own. “Seek professional advice,” he says. 

Bottom line: do badgers attack cats?

According to Tris, badgers do not pose a threat to cats. 

Frequently asked questions

What animals do badgers attack?

A badger might attack to eat mice, rats, rabbits, frogs, toads and hedgehogs. 

They also feed on earthworms, beetles, and slugs. 

Do badgers attack cats in the winter?

In the winter, badgers do not hibernate, but they do reduce their activity in the cold weather. They are no more likely to attack cats in the winter as they are any other time of the year, as they aren’t a risk to cats.