Cats and Birds

I originally wanted to write a screed about cats and urban wildlife and about owners allowing domesticated cats to act feral, but I’ve had a hard time untangling my thoughts.

A neighborhood cat has been successfully stalking my feeder and has killed one or more birds, forcing me to remove the feeder until I can ensure their safety. Last Friday, I was in the front yard weeding when I heard the metallic clink of the feeder as it swung wildly. I assumed a squirrel had tried to find yet another way to knock seed loose when I saw a bolt of orange and white streaking down the sidewalk. Almost immediately, my neighbor Al looked over my fence and said, “You know, why don’t you just take the feeder down?” He had seen the cat leap up and catch a bird in mid-air, in what he called a “wild kingdom moment.” Earlier, the same cat had jumped Al’s fence and killed a pretty blue bird foraging for worms. I took the feeder down.

Keeping cats inside is the only solution guaranteed to protect birds. But, when your neighbor won’t co-operate, what can you do? The Audubon Society offers ideas, and rates each one’s practicality: they include creating cover with brush piles and vegetation; squirting cats with water; humane traps; ultrasound deterrents; and communicating with your neighbors. Some of these are more practical than others. A British birding site has creative suggestions, including greasing the pole on which you hang the feeder, planting brambles under it, and planting cat-repelling plants such as Coleus canina. A friend has seen squirrel baffles used as deterrents. Now I just have to figure out which combination will foil this cat that is the scourge of our local wildlife.