What is the best way to harass free roaming cats that stalk our bird feeders?
What is the best way to harass free roaming cats that stalk our bird feeders?
In our backyard, we don't have to worry about it because our backyard is fenced, and the dogs keep a tight perimeter. However, out front I've recently been spooking cats hiding in the bushes beneath our bird feeders.
I hate putting my dog on a long lead(she gets tangled), but I'm thinking that putting her on a lead out front occasionally could help train the cats to avoid the area. Otherwise, I'm considering trapping them and dropping them off at animal control. Id rather not do this because our city's animal control is overwhelmed with stray cats and dogs, and I don't want to add to their workload.
So if anyone has an effective way they like to deter or harass cats and it's ethical, please let me know!
Thanks.
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Perhaps try raising your feeders above their jump height? Although that may be a tall order.
Birds are messy eaters, they knock the seeds to the ground and half the time there's more eating off the ground as off the feeder.
True. Natural selection it is, then. Bird side first, then cat side when the raptors show up.
Pun intended?
Didn't fall short, that's for sure
I see what you did there. LoL.
The lowest feeder is about 6', and the highest is about 8'. I might be mistaken, but I don't see these overfed felines jumping that high. I'm pretty sure they're lazy hunters and wait for the birds to come down to their level.
Hmm, yeah that's pretty high. I agree, hunted from the ground when they're after the scattered feed.
Others have suggested planting things cats don't like, and that may work. Now I'm wondering if one can plant enough catnip they would be too high to care, or perhaps just too high to hunt well. Dunno.
Either way this situation highlights an important ecological lesson: add food to a system and different niches will show up to consume it. That being said, cats are obviously a very human addition to ecosystems.
Tangential note: this reminds me of the Love, Death, Robots episode with the Scottish farmer and the rats in his barn. Was on Netflix last I saw it. 5/5, fun and quick.
PPS: When the protected birds show up to do the same as the cats, I'd advise you to leave them be. Taking one of those down is a felony, I believe.
Definitely planning on adding some plants to the garden that might help us out here.