Any ideas how i can stop a runt of a cat killing the birds.

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

For a while now we have had this cat which has been stalking the birds in our garden, from time to time i have noticed feathers on the lawn but since i have never found a dead bird before i have just put it down to birds fighting our moulting if they do that.

Yesterday i found a greenfinch with its head missing and looking a mess at the back of the garden, ive seen this cat before lying in the flower beds close to where the birds have a drinking bowl on the ground, its jet black and it looks like the devil. Ive also seen it sat on the wall at the back where it knows quite a few birds are including our blackbirds, to be honest ive had enough of the thing. I`m not sure if anyone owns it as ive heard it at 3-30am making that baby crying noise that cats do right underneath our bottom window, i know its that cat as it tripped the security light that night and ive seen it before at around 6-0am when i put the birds food out.

Its not fair on the birds to have this thing stalking them especially when its the breeding season as chicks will rely on their parents to get them food, any suggestions as to what i can do to try and get rid of it, i`ll refrain from typing what i feel like doing to the black shabby runt.

Ive noticed that a lot of goldfinch, greenfinch and chaffinches have dissapeared from our garden over the last few weeks as they are hardly using the sunflower and nyger feeders at all which is very strange as they normally empty them quickly, i wouldn`t mind betting money that its this little black runt that has forced them away.

[Tursiops2]

Ah, that old favourite, cat deterrence it comes up every year
Dealt with extensively here: How to...Keep Cats out of the Garden
and elswhere on WAB
T2

[Gill Catton]

I wouldn't worry too much about the finches disappearing, they've probably pushed off to find breeding territories.

As for the cat - the baby crying noise is often a communication with other cats rather than indicating that its after a new home.

I have stopped feeding the birds in my garden as they best place for the feeders puts the ground feeding birds too close to where my cats could hide now the flowerbed is growing. You may want to consider moving the water or feeders so they are well clear of where any cats can hide.

My next door neighbour uses those sonic cat repellers and they seem to work, so long as they are placed clear of vegetation- Otherwise I would recommend a supersoaker water pistol kept full at all times!!

[-John]

Originally Posted by Steve_In_Cheshire

where the birds have a drinking bowl on the ground

Next door to us, they have two cats and they still feed the birds without any casualties as far as I know. They have a hanging drinking bowl which is regularly used by many birds including ground feeders like Dunnocks and Blackbirds. This could be a way to stop this pesky cat from attacking the birds when they are having a drink.

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

Thanks for the link to another thread about stopping cats attacking birds.

Ive always made it a habit to move the food and water around the garden into different places mainly for hygiene purposes plus it gives the lawn a chance to refresh itself, this morning i have brought the bird table, bird bath and 2 ground feeders virtually in front of the house, our garden is like most where the house is at one end and at the opposite end we have a boundary wall and some trees with a house on the other side.

I want to make it as safe as possible for the birds to feed in peace, the only thing about bringing the feeders and bird table to virtually in front of the house is their is now no big trees for the birds to hang out in, they like flying down from the trees to have a nibble and then back to the safety of the trees.

Will this have any adverse effect on how many daily visitirs i get now ? We have been getting 3 reed buntings, 2 male and one female that have used the ground feeding table which has sunflower hearts on which was positioned at the top end of the gardeb close to the trees and bushes, will it put them off coming if the feeder is so close to the house ?