Cats and birds

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This summer a small kitten found us! We were up back working and kept hearing a crying sound under our barn. It took 2 days for the kids to coax this small bundle of black and white fur out from under the barn. She was promptly named Carly Anne Norris and was fed, held and babied constantly. Then my sister was going on vacation. She had a small kitten she needed us to watch as well. Well after a week, the kids were bawling their eyes out when she cane to pick it up, so they got to keep it too. He is a gorgeous gray striped cat, with a beautiful face. His name is Tigger.

I really never cared for cats much before, but I love these two little animals. They are a great joy to have around and have even caught some mice which is great.

My question though is this: I have always had several bird feeders out in the winter. What are the chances the cats will try to get the birds? Can I prevent this in any way? My feeders are about 5 feet off the ground and seem to attract finches, blue-jays, cardinals, and small wrens.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 10, 2001

Answers

Melissa, I don't know what will happen at your place, but here, our cats never seem to bother the birds too much. We have a lot of cardinals and wrens. Occaisonally, a cat will jump at a bird, but not too often, but they never seem to catch them. Of course, ours are usually occupied with catching mice in the barn, so that might have something to do with it!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), December 10, 2001.

Melissa, we have 8 outside cats and 4 birdfeeders, and yes, occasionally the better hunters get a bird, I remind myself that in Nature, the predators will get their prey, hopefully the cats weed out the less smart and clever birds that would not survive the cold winter months anyway.

You can bell collar the cats to up the bird's chances, use the ones with elastic on the collar so they don't get hung up on anything.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 10, 2001.


Keep a water pistol or spray bottle of water - set to stream, near the feeder, and let him have it if he goes after the birds.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), December 10, 2001.

Thanks for the idea, I will probably try the bells, and if I see them close to the feeders I will squirt them!! I just felt bad to feed the birds so the cats could try to catch them. Didn't seem fair to the birds!!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 10, 2001.

Be very careful if you put any collar on a cat! They are notorious for crawling in the strangest places. If the collar gets caught on something, they can hang themselves and/or strangle. I've had a feeder for years and very few birds get taken by our cats. Maybe the cats are stupid or too fat, I don't know. They sit for hours staring at the birds at the feeder. Once in awhile they make a mad leap but they don't catch anything.

-- Ardie/Wi (ardie54965@hotmail.com), December 11, 2001.


We have not usually had any trouble with cats and birds in winter. The problem (if/when there is any) is in the spring when fledglings are out. Usually the children keep their eyes open and chase/scold the "naughty" cats.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), December 11, 2001.

A friend of mine has several cats and several bird feeders. He has had some problems with the cats and the birds but found a solution. He bought a pump-action beebee gun which he pumps once and shoots at the cats if they are stalking the birds at the feeders. At one pump, there is not enough energy in the shot to actually harm the cat, but the sting will convince it to entertain itself elsewhere. He has used this solution for awhile and it seems to work well for him. I do not have this problem as my cat is ancient, has no teeth and won't go outside in the wintertime any way!!!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), December 14, 2001.

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