BOULDER, Colo. -- Bruce Bland says domestic house cats are wreaking havoc on native birds and mice and wants a law that would require homeowners to keep their feline friends indoors.

Bland is a member of Boulder's Open Space Board of Trustees and told the Daily Camera he's been pushing for the idea for several years.

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Some members of the City Council say they're interested in exploring the idea.

Most cats are allowed to roam outdoors while their owners are at work. Experts say cats kill hundreds of millions of birds and billions of rabbits, squirrels and other small mammals every year, the Camera reported.

Bland said most of those animals wouldn't otherwise be dying and "many of them are undoubtedly suffering."

If Bland's idea gains momentum, Boulder would not be the first place to impose a kitty confinement law.

Aurora has a "cat-at-large" ordinance that requires owners to keep their cats within their property. But officials there say the point of the ordinance is not to protect birds but to ensure the safety of the cats.