Cats + birds = unhappy face

[Ph34r]

Hi all,
In the last week or so, my kittens have been bringing in a dead bird a day. Today they decide that we needed a new feather mat in the kitchen, which took quite some time to clean up. I have been thinking up until recently that it's just cats vs birds, but 4 in a week is a bit much. I was considering putting cat repellent down near the trees which have birds nests in, but do not want to upset the birds, or stop the cats giong outside. At the end of the day, i guess it is just the time of year for birds, but it would be nice if i could do something to prevent the local wildlife from being scared off.

Has anybody got any suggestions, any help is appreciated,
Ph34r

 

[Toddy]

Cats are dawn and dusk hunters normally.
How are yours getting to the birds ?
I deliberately put pots and canes in the way to stop my cat from getting to nests, and the bird feeders have open ground around them and trees nearby to give the birds a chance to get out of the way or spot the cat.

Usually, thankfully, mine seems to get mice and voles rather than the feathery things.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[FerlasDave]

Mine did this for a while. He bought back mice, rats, birds, frogs. My dad gave me the idea of cutting back his meals so now he will eat what he hunts instead of bringing it back for me. Its like how wild cats take food back to the den for the rest of the pack to feed on. But if hes hungry he will eat it and pretend he was having a bad day. lol.

 

[Ph34r]

Well we have couple of birdboxes in our trees, and they sit in top waiting for birds to come out.

 

[Toddy]

If your cats are eating wild meat, they will get worms. They will need dewormed especially if there are children or pregnant women around your home.
Feral cats are lucky if they live three years, our domesticated ones get at least four times that lifetime.
Kittens full of worms don't thrive, they can be a major issue in cat mortality.
Tom cats don't generally take food back to the tabby, usually the tabby is more concerned about him near her kittens.
Most cat owners don't want their pets predating the local wildlife; the RSPB consider cats to be the major cause of the decline in some small bird species.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Has anybody got any suggestions, any help is appreciated,
Ph34r

Get rid of the cats if you want to encourage bird life.

Personally I have never understood wanting a cat, but that may be because I love wild birds and don't want to add to the largest cause of their extermination.

If you introduce a bored predator into a food source, you can try to prevent that predator living the way it wants to, but its a losing battle.

Me - I prefer nature to be natural

 

[tiger stacker]

Lucy was a killer birds learnt to avoid her, until one night lucy got into a fight with a urban fox. Lucy learned her garden as no longer her terrain after dusk. The birds slowly returned.

 

[Shewie]

Do your kittens have bells on their collars Ph34r ?

Our cat thinks he's a bit stealthy but his bell always gives him away

 

[Ph34r]

they have bells on their collars, but because we have a magnetic cat flap, the magnet sticks to the bells, and they stop ringing, but i guess i will have to remdy that

 

[wattsy]

cut some oranges in half and put them around the bottom of the places where the birds are on the tables/feeders etc. cats hate them and it'll attract butterflies as well

 

[Ph34r]

cut some oranges in half and put them around the bottom of the places where the birds are on the tables/feeders etc. cats hate them and it'll attract butterflies as well

awesome sauce

 

[nitrambur]

the RSPB consider cats to be the major cause of the decline in some small bird species.

From the RSPB website

Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.asp

 

[nuggets]

cats should be caged -an birds should be able to fly free !!

 

[jackcbr]

Well all I can say is our fella went through the same. It is a wild instinct for a cat to hunt and your kittens are honing their skills. I recall one day when he brought back 4 mice, one after another. It does seem seasonal and tends to wear off. I've heard bells on collars works, as does oranges. But to be honest we've not bothered with any of that and now it is only occasionally do we get a present. But we still get a good variety of birds in our garden, woodpeckers, tits, robins and the like.

Probably not much help, just my experience. But if they get into catching mice and you've got a shed, you're quids in. My boy loves getting in the shed just to make sure no one has "moved in".

 

[Toddy]

From the RSPB website

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.asp

That is actually both kind of a relief but at the same time a worry. Many folks won't bother to try to stop the cats now if they believe that.

I'm still going to try to outwit mine from getting to the wrens and the robins but thanks for the information.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Opal]

Get rid of the cats if you want to encourage bird life.

Personally I have never understood wanting a cat, but that may be because I love wild birds and don't want to add to the largest cause of their extermination.

If you introduce a bored predator into a food source, you can try to prevent that predator living the way it wants to, but its a losing battle.

Me - I prefer nature to be natural

My sentiments too, BR. I've thought of many reasons why anyone would want a cat, daren't put them on here for fear of upsettin' temperamental folk.

 

[Ogri the trog]

If the bell is sticking to the magnetic collar, try to move them apart, mount them on different point of the collar rather than on the same ring. I accept our cats purely on the grounds that they keep rodents out of our chicken feed - though I do get dismayed when they feel it necessary to show off their hunting skills annually, bringing back all manner of creature parts to leave at the back doorstep. You can place noise makers around, bamboo canes, tin can on sticks etc to deter them but sooner or later thay learn a new trick to bypass them and catch something.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Chainsaw]

Our cat has a bell and he still brings in a bird or mouse every couple of days. I guess we must have real thick birds up here. We still regularly get loads of tits, chaffys, blackbirds and goldfinches in the garden, even saw a goldcrest last year (unusual for us)

 

[Paul_B]

Cats = predators, end of! Live with it or get rid. Can I suggest you read the thread on best bushcraft dog!! Afterall a dog is a pet and a companion, a cat is an animal that lives with you (and most probably some of your neighbours) if it suits

 

[Jus1]

Fully sympathise PH34r .... am an animal lover myself and have two rouges ... one which will bring me mice, he used to bring birds as well but seems to have stopped - I can't be certain to why he stopped with the birds .. outside my kitchen window I saw two lesser spotted wood peckers.. fantastic! - the next day he bought me one .. DEAD - I can't tell you how upset I was with him, didn't offer him any affection for weeks after that.. and seriously thought about re-homing him/them ...

A bell (which they both wear) has "maybe" some effect - but they are hunters by nature, is instinct to them - they will lay and wait for "prey" - and really, you can't punish instinct.

IMO - the only option is to keep them in a night and early mornings - have a litter tray - cats will make the best of any environment - I used to live in a flat next to a main road and those cats never left the premises at all for their entire life and were happy and content.

Interesting enough - we often have ducks and geese on our lawn ( live next to a forest with lakes ) .. and the cats sit and watch them with no intention of attack at all ... perhaps it's a size thing!?

Have been told if you praise and thank them/him - they won't do it... I've never tried it, because it doesn't really make sense to me and the last thing I am when he brings me "presents" is happy!

I will say this - we won't have cats again - for a few reasons - but this one ranks highly in my/our decision.