Dutch radio show Vroege Vogels (early birds) and nature monitoring website Waarneming.nl are appealing for Dutch cats and their owners to help determine the make-up of the Netherlands’ mouse population.

Cat owners are being asked to send in photographs of mice caught by their pets along with details of where the animal was caught. Mice experts will then assess the type of mouse in an effort to build up a detailed picture of the spread of different types of mice.

‘Most cat owners don’t really appreciate it if Tiger or Minoes bring in a dead mouse, but the catch can be of great value to researchers,’ a spokesman for the project told RTL news. ‘So please take a couple of pictures of the victim and send them to us.’

There are at least 11 different species of mouse in the Netherlands, RTL said.