Should i stop feeding the birds in this situation ?

[emma4857]

Hi all,

I have a problem with the cats too, I have a bird feeding station in my garden and the birds they love it, but we have a big dog kennel on the back garden and leave the kennel door open for the dog to roam free in the garden this helps keep the cats away but they are very crafty as when the dog is due to go on his walks the cats come once they know the dog isn't there. I did buy some cat repllent and used vinegar it works till the rain washed it way. I tried the idea with the water pistol but had the same problem by the time I got to the door they saw me and had gone before I could get outside, never mind squirt it. My advise would be to keep the bird feed away from anywhere where cats can climb on to it like walls fences trees etc. My bird station feeder is great cos it's on a pole in the middle of the garden and the cats can't get near, only if the birds feed from the ground.

Also I have taken a picture of what i belive to be some kind of Hawk that came to my garden for the first time today and tried attacking all the birds, it looked like it was wanting a small bird for a meal. Does anyone know what kind of bird it is or where it could have come from? I've tried to attach pic if anyone knows how please let me know help much appreciated.

Thanks

[rossy]

emma it would have been a sparrowhawk . rossy

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

Originally Posted by emma4857

Also I have taken a picture of what i belive to be some kind of Hawk that came to my garden for the first time today and tried attacking all the birds, it looked like it was wanting a small bird for a meal. Does anyone know what kind of bird it is or where it could have come from? I've tried to attach pic if anyone knows how please let me know help much appreciated.

Thanks

That sounds like a sparrowhawk, does it look battleship grey in colour with a white front ?

Have a look at the thread i did on the forum with sparrowhawk in the tile, i posted some pics of our sparrowhawk.

Putting the feed and bird table in the middle of the lawn is a big no no when you have a sparrowhwak around lol, its like giving it a free invite to lunch.

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by Steve_In_Cheshire

I know how you feel, i feel the same.

What narks me a dog can be put down or the owner heavily fined for their dog attacking a cat or other animals yet a cat can get away with murder, literally! .... At what point do the owners of cats have to take some sort of responsibilty for their cats actions ?

not if the cat is on your property it can't. the cat has then ivaded the dogs territory and has no protection in law if the dog eats it

alternatively register with defra as a breeder of birds and shoot the fekker for worrying your livestock.

[Kleftiwallah]

Have you asked Santa for a high powered water pistol ! ! ! ? If so, cancel it and buy one now! Cheers, Tony.

[NJP87]

I know how you feel steve, i have a couple of cats comming into my garden and tried everything to get rid of them, water pistol, pepper, thorns and nothing worked, they got me so annoyed that i considered using my rifle but thankfully i reconcidered.

Still come in the garden but luckily they don't take any birds.

[Picidae]

Steve,

I have exactly the same problem, one very determined cat, every day, every night constantly in the garden going after the birds. You need to remove all ground feeders for starters. In the situation where your birds are also vulnerable to Sprawk attacks, I'd consider moving some of the hanging feeders too. I've had to cut back lots of vegetation, including all border plants to remove any hiding places.

Unfortunately the cat I've got seems to be a feral cat and I've never had such a problem as recently. Managed to save a Wood Pigeon the other day as the cat pounced on it but if I hadn't have been there it would be dead! This cat is a killing machine and probably stone deaf since I keep finding it sitting in front of the cat sonar monitors!

You could try getting one of the covered feeders and setting it up in the middle of the garden away from any shrubs/trees/fences or you could try window feeders/hanging feeders from hanging plant brackets on a wall of the house.

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Either way, the Sparrowhawk is likely to take far less birds than the cat, so siting feeders in safe positions from the point of view of cats should be your priority - ie nearer the house (so you can reach cat with bucket of water before it can run off!) and well away from any fences or shrubs where a cat can pounce from - or don't you have any trees you can hang the feeders from? - I've found these to be the safest providing there's clear fly away space all round them and the birds have sight of terrain all round.

[stigofthedump]

These irresponsible pet owners make my blood boil. Just pure anger would make me suggest getting a catapult and use some frozen peas, but its not the cats fault, its just doing what cats do.
I really hope you can find a solution.

Vince

[Elean0r]

We've got a cat, so have lots of people around us and there are feral cats too, but we still feed birds.

We put our bird table in the middle of the lawn, with absolutely no cover anywhere near it, so nothing could creep up to it without birds noticing. We also put it on top of a very tall post so the table part was about 5ft 6 above the ground. The tables you buy as kits are so low that any feeders hanging from them are an open invitation to any mammal that happens to pass by.

We put a tree guard round the post, one of the vertical ones rather than the spiral type, so nothing can climb up it.

We fixed a plant tray onto the table, and put loose seed in that, and only ever put sunflower seeds, peanuts or sometimes fat balls, into hanging feeders. This means less stuff lands on the ground.

Then we bought a motion activated hose, at the time it was about £15, and angled it towards the base of the bird table. Our own cat soon got the message and, to be honest, we rarely see any other cats in the garden during the day now, so maybe they decided it wasn't worth a drenching.

But, we do get sparrowhawks sometimes. They probably get more luck because the birds have further to fly to hide, so we can't win really. But at least we know that any birds that are taken are eaten out of necessity.

[wizzo]

Steve and Madie. I took the step of buying some bells and just knocking on the doors of my neighbors and asking them politely, if they wouldn't mind putting one on their cats collars. When I explained the reasons, nobody had any objections, least ways not to my face, and together, with the same kind of perimitter fencing used by Maddie, the birds are gradually coming back. I used a number of those green metalic sticks that B&Q sell for about £1.20 each. I 'planted' them about six feet apart and tied green twine to them, starting at a couple of inches off ground level. and going to about three feet with six inch gaps. I've also put bells on the twine and this is working very well. It blends into the background, and the twine can be easily moved up and down to enable me to cut the grass etc. Personally, I wouldn't use a high pressure hose on a cat. They are just cats being cats and don't know any better. Try the above Steve, and as others have said, get the feeders away from overhanging tree branches. Think like a cat, and see how difficult you can make it for yourself, (as a cat of course!)