There’s not too much that can wreck the backyard birding on your property, than the arrival of a cat looking to kill your feathered visitors. What are your options for keeping cats away, without hurting them? These 5 backyard birding tips can help to keep cats away from your feeder.
This blog is all about backyard birding tips to keep cats away from your bird feeder.
Backyard Birding Tips for keeping cats away from your Bird Feeder
1. Don’t Let your Cat Outside
This is the most obvious way to keep cats away from your bird feeder. Lots of birdwatchers are also cat owners. If you weren’t aware already, house cats are one of the top things getting birds killed. It’s estimated that billions of birds are killed annually in the United States alone.
Not only is it safer for visiting birds, it’s safer for your cat as well to keep them inside. Outdoor cats have a much lower lifespan on average than indoor cats. Letting your cat outside can put them at risk of being run over by a car, attacked by wildlife or attacked by dogs.
Keep the birds and your cat safe by not letting them outside.
2. Keep Your Feeder out of a Cat’s Reach
Place your bird feeder out of reach of cats. There are a few things to keep in mind when trying to do this.
First, place your feeder high off the ground. You can do this by buying a tall feeder. Cats can jump up to 5.9 feet high (1.8 meters). Don’t underestimate their jumping abilities!
You will want to make sure that your feeding station isn’t easy to climb to. Get a bird feeding station made of a thin metal pole. This material isn’t easy for cats to climb.
Make sure that the feeder isn’t too close to trees or bushes, where cats can hide or jump from. If your feeder is in the open, birds will have an easier time spotting them.
Put your feeders high and out in the open
3. Get a Cat-Proof Fence
Even if you get your bird feeder out of reach of cats, birds will still eat off the ground. Birds can be messy eaters and food will naturally fall to the ground. Keeping cats out of your property completely is the real way to ensure that your backyard birding won’t be ruined by cats. Other methods can have mixed results, as cats are clever and can find ways around your set-up.
Cat-proof fences will either have the top part of the fence facing outward, making it difficult for cats to climb in, or they can come in the form of forcing the cats to step on a tube that spins when stepped on.
Getting a proper cat-proof fence can be expensive. This is especially true if you have a large property. However, it will be the one and only thing you need to do to keep your backyard birding cat-free.
If you can keep cats out of your yard completely with the right fence, you can spread seed and other food all over your yard to encourage ground-feeding.
Manufacturers that have cat-proof fencing include ‘Purrfect Fence,’ ‘ProtectaPet’ and the ‘Oscillot Cat Containment System.’
4. Install a Cat-Deterrent Device
If you don’t want to invest in a cat-proof fence, there are still other things you can buy to keep the cats away.
One option for deterring cats is getting a motion-activated sprinkler. Cats hate being sprayed with water. These sprinklers will also activate with bird activity as well, so make sure not to place them directly below the feeder, where seeds can still fall on the ground.
For something more effective, there are also sound devices that will emit a noise that cats find unpleasant when activated. If you buy one, make sure it’s one that won’t scare away birds as well.
5. Use Material that Cats Don’t Like
-One thing cats dislike is the smell of citrus. You can place orange or lemon peels around parts of your yard or garden that can deter them.
-Another option is using cat repellent pellets, granular mixes or balls. A good product will only be made from green substances that don’t hurt animals or the environment.
Conclusion
House and stray cats are a big danger to the birds that visit your backyard. Follow these 5 backyard birding tips for making sure visiting birds aren’t attacked by cats. What is most effective may likely be dependent on your unique situation, so try different options to keep birds safe.
