It really bothers me that my cat Winston kills birds sometimes when he's outside. It's not because he's hungry. He doesn't eat them, but just leaves them on the porch for me to find. I put a bell on his collar and I have raised the bird feeder so he can't get to it, but that hasn't stopped the killing. What else can I do?
Years ago, I had a couple of bird feeders in my backyard. They made for entertaining bird-watching, but it wasn't long before I noticed that a neighbor's cat had made itself at home in the yard. The cat would hide under a bush and stare at the birds as they ate.
Before long, I began finding headless birds in the yard. But while I was distressed about the birds, I couldn't be angry with the cat -- he was simply following his instincts. Cats are predators and we can't change that. But we can change the way we do things and make sure we aren't creating all-you-can-catch bird buffets for our feline friends.
I noticed the birds were most vulnerable when they would peck around on the ground to get the seeds that had fallen from the feeder. One solution, I learned from bird-loving friends, would have been to build a cat-proof bird table or install a feeder with a tray that would catch dropped seeds and keep them off the ground. My solution was to remove the bird feeders altogether. I still see plenty of birds, but no longer find headless ones in the yard.
However, you may not want to get rid of your bird feeder. If that's the case, you need to find a way to cat-proof it. To that end, the Humane Society of the United States (hsus.org) suggests positioning bird feeders at least 12 feet away from grass and shrubs or anything else that could provide cover for a cat on the hunt. The organization also advises making the ground beneath the feeder unappealing by putting down sharp gravel.
You might also try using Cat Scat Mats beneath the feeder. Available from garden supply retailers, Cat Scat Mats (approximately $30 for five) are square mats with plastic spikes. They're typically used to keep cats out of planters and gardens, but they could deter a cat from stalking birds beneath a feeder.
Another deterrent is a motion-activated device such as the Scarecrow ($60), a battery operated sprinkler you hook to a water hose and stake in the yard.
When the Scarecrow detects motion, it sprays water on a 1,000-square-foot area, which should send any cats within range scurrying.
Attaching a bell to a cat's collar is the traditional way to alert birds that a cat is near. The Hi-Craft Liberator cat collar puts a high-tech spin on the old bell-on-the-collar tactic.
The Liberator collar has a small audio and visual alarm that is activated when a cat leaps; the device emits a series of beeps while a light flashes. The two alarms startle the bird so it flies away to safety. Powered by a watch battery, the collar is elasticized so a cat can free itself if the collar catches on something. Prices range from $13 to $23.
Family on 03/25/2015