Cat alert: safeguarding your bird visitors
Cats are natural predators, and while we love our feline friends, their instinctive behaviors pose a significant threat to birds visiting our feeders. Make sure you foster a safe environment where both can coexist harmoniously with these four tips:
1. Place your Bird Buddy at a safe height
Cats are skilled climbers and jumpers, often using nearby objects as launchpads to pounce on unsuspecting birds at feeders. By placing feeders at least 6 feet off the ground and away from trees or structures, we limit their ability to leap directly onto feeding birds.
2. Provide natural shelter
Birds require quick escape routes when threatened, and dense foliage or trees near your feeder offer excellent refuge. Without these safe havens, birds are more vulnerable to cats, who can easily isolate and prey upon them in open spaces. By providing immediate shelter options, birds can evade cats with ease.
Good placement
3. Add a water feature
Cats usually steer clear of water and tend to avoid areas with noticeable water movement. Adding a bird bath or a small fountain near the feeding area serves two purposes: it offers birds a vital water source while deterring cats due to the sound and presence of water.
4. Consider a bell collar
If you own an outdoor cat, consider getting a bell collar. Cats are stealthy hunters, using silence to sneak up on prey. When a cat wears a bell collar, birds get a heads-up, making it harder for the cat to catch them.
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