I do. I only have one cat that was bad to try and catch birds. If I see him near the feeder, I would yell at him, throw something at him or spray him with the water hose. I guess it worked, because he doesn't go over there any more.

I don't have outside cats, but we had a problem with racoons. The wild bird store set us up with a 4 foot tall deck railing extension with a raccoon baffle (not cheap) but it seems to have foiled the coons.. and I imagine the same type setup would keep the cats at bay too. I also had to buy a long hook which helps me to hang and rehang the birdfeeders. It's all very well made and I imagine it will last me a long time.

I wouldn't feed the birds if I had outdoor cats. Simple as that.

Here's a funny story. I had a cockatiel for several years, during which I had a short term roommate who had a darling indoor/outdoor cat, Missy. The bird spent much of her time in a big cage in front of the big picture window...whenever she was out of the cage, Missy was either outside or closed up in a back room.

When they were both inside, Missy would jump up and lay across Homer's cage, dozing and looking out the window. Homer would climb up to her and pull her hair, grab her toes through the cage. So funny! Missy would squeek sometimes but never once tried to snag at Homer through the wires.

I have pictures of Missy napping on top of the cage with Homer sleeping on her perch beneath her....head tucked under her wing.

Outside, the cat killed birds at my feeders.

I'll see what our stores have to offer--thanks, Lydia.

I would hate to cut the birds off. This is a sparsely populated area, and I don't know anyone else nearby who feeds. Many generations of birds have relied on me in winter. I had to stop feeding in summer after a bear killed one of my dogs. The need for food isn't so critical in summer, but it is in winter.

Marilyn, maybe I can get a squirt bottle with a long reach.

There are a couple of approaches you could try. First, cat/squirrel proof your feeder.

Method 1.

Mount the feeder on a pole that is at least 5 ft high. Slip a 4" diameter PVC pipe over the pole - cut to length such that the pipe is almost touches the feeder. Add a baffle on top of the pole and resting on the pipe, and then set the feeder back on. Wax the pipe ujsing automobile wax. Rewax as necessary.

If your outdoor cats can leap that high, raise the feeder.

This method does not protect ground feeding birds, but those seem to be a bit skittish and watchful. My jumcos prefer ground feeding.

Method 2:

Mount the feeder high, say maybe 10 feet or more. I'm tring that this year to get the feeder above the reach of deer. I am using a martin house pole of a design that is easily lowered. Its a little more inconvenient to lower the feeder to refill it, but I do not have to refill as often if deer, racoons, and squirrels can't get at it. The martin pole is made of steel and smaller diameter than the aluminum bird feeder pole and out of the box is oiled. I telescope only 2 sections of the 3 section martin house pole. I may find that I'll need to add a baffle, but I'll wait and see on this. I've had it up only a few days, but it it seems to be working.

I do not rigidly attach the feeder to the pole. I attach a pipe flange to the bottom of the feeder and screw on a short length of pipe. The pipe size is chosen to just fit inside the feeder pole. The pipe extension is about 10 inches long and that has proven over several years to be adequate. You merely set the feeder on the pole and it stays there.

I used to have trouble with the neighbors cats (2) killing doves at my feeders. I solved the problem by purchasing a toy water gun and filling it with amonia. I sprayed them one time and they won't even come in the yard anymore. Works on dogs to.

Could you hang it from one of the limbs on your apple trees? As long as the limb is too high for the cats to jump. Maybe Joe could use a ladder and attach a small pulley to the limb. Then you could lower it whenever you needed to fill it.

We tried that at our place in the mountains but the bears climbed the tree and ripped the feeder off. I'm hoping you won't have that problem.

I think the problem would be ground-feeding birds. They are easy prey. If you're home a lot, yes, you could try the spray bottle (although ammonia sounds a little extreme to me; cats hate plain water, too).

But if you're not home a lot, it seems that it would be too intermittent for them to learn their lesson. I wonder if there's anything you could put on the ground around the feeder that the cats would hate but wouldn't bother the birds. I'll put my thinking cap on.

I have several outside cats and I always feed the birds in the winter. The cats can not get to them as I have what is called a squirrel baffle on the pole under the feeder, the pole is slender and the baffle is like a metal upside down big bowl. It would wobble if anything gets on it and they fall off. No problems with cats now.

Sue

We don't feed the birds. It results in more rodents, and subsequently more coyotes, in our area. We still SEE birds throughout the seasons; they seem to be doing fine in this wooded area without our help. Robins and cardinals overwinter in our bushes and down along the creek area.

Sounds like I need to get poles, and possibly some added device. I've always hung the feeders in the apple trees, but cats climb trees with ease.

I also think the water pistol is my best bet for "squirt bottle with a long range." But with water (I agree, Suzieque), not ammonia. I don't want Rocky and Scruffy to abandon the property! ;-)

Thanks so much for all the tips, everyone.

I gave up on the squirt bottle - it didn't hold enough water nor did it reach far enough - plus my hand would get tired from squirting.

My kids gave me a Super Soaker to use on the rabbits and squirrels. They come in all shapes and sizes from hand held squirt guns to long rifles with pump action and even evil looking Bazookas. They hold more water so there's less refilling and they can shoot much further.

Plus just think of all the fun Joey will have watching you do your Annie Oakley impression.

LOL....I predict he'll snatch it out of my hands, Maire. But great idea! I do love a new toy....

It's a no win situation. I would never let my four cats outside, and I feel an obligation to feed the birds and squirrels suet and birdseed as they are all dependent on it. I feed year round and don't think a spray gun or super soaker would work unless you plan to be there all day guarding the feeders. Obsessionally I chase the squirrels if titmouse and chickadees and cardinals are trying eat and they are plunked there. As soon as I go inside they are back. I have no cats in my yard because we have an ordinance in our town and I have two dogs who are in and out all day and would chase them.

As I was reading this I had a very opposite situation happen outside my window!
We had just put out the food for the feral kitties, they always come running from out of the woods and brush when we shake the food and call them. They were happily chowing down when this big blue Jay bird decided to terrorize them. It swooped down and nearly touched one of the kitties, kitty ran and jumped up on the table the bbq cooker is on and was hiding under it. The other kitty ran under the John Deere. The Jay was squawking and making quite the scene. So it is not always the cats messing with the birds!

Birds and cats are out in nature together nothing can prevent that it happens all the time. Laws of nature and all that. I would not stop feeding the birds if you have fed them that long. They get accustomed to knowing where easy fast food sources are. They can find other sources of course but not as easily.
Putting up baffles and extended poles would probably help. After the birds are alerted to the danger of the cats they will become more attentive and careful of the surroundings.
Of all the feral cats we have out here I have never seen one kill any birds and never seen bird remnants so these birds that are used to seeing cats around know how to be alert and watchful. I have seen them kill mice and even leave dead ones at the door for us as a thank you. Oh JOY

The only cat I ever left outside many years ago was my first ,a Siamese, Simon, the love of my life. Once he was continually dive bombed by a mocking bird as he walked across the yard minding his own business.

I'm saddened anytime I see a cat outdoors. Cats that are kept indoors live more than twice as long and lead healthier lives when kept away from the dangers that lurk outside (including the real danger of fights with other cats, just to name an obvious one).

A so-called indoor/outdoor pet kitty can catch diseases from feral cats wandering through the area. If you love your kitty, keep it indoors. Feeding feral cats only makes the feral cat problem in your area worse.

Blue Jays and Crows are rare in our area ever since the avian flu several years ago. A favorite memory is of my grandmother dashing for the kitchen door from the back yard with a jay dive-bombing her. I had no idea Gram could still run that fast!

Another thing I do....forgot to mention it....I hung the feeder from a pulley and tied the rope off to the side. The cat I am talking about that was the one who was always after the birds, would jump straight up and could catch one that way if it wasn't high enough. But by putting the rope (like sash cord, actually) through a pulley, I could raise and lower it to fill it and when it was full, hoist it way up there. Here is the culprit....laying in an old bird bath. He was a rescue from death row at the shelter. He was given to me because they said he wouldn't tolerate being a house cat. But, he has learned to love to stay inside and I let him stay in most of the time now. I have a lot of cats but all have been spayed or neutered and they sleep most of the time.

Pluto

He reminds me of my Rocky, Marilyn. Beautiful cat. The pulley might be the best plan for me. I looked up poles, etc., and realized that my feeders are designed to hang and they load from the bottom, not the top. So in order to implement the pole idea I'd have to start from scratch with new feeders, etc. That won't happen this year!

So....I'm thinking a pulley and a Super Soaker. ;-)

Do they still make the "break-away" safety collars for cats that have bells on them?

Our cats are strictly house cats but the neighbor's cats come over into our yard. We feed a lot of birds (and squirrels) all year long. The neighbor's cats rarely catch a bird. I have seen the one catch a chipmunk. If a bluejay or a crow is around and sees a cat, they squawk to warn all other birds.

Pluto is a beauty. When I owned cats they were all strictly indoor kitties.
The organization's that work with the feral population trap, spay and neuter, clip the ears, and release. Feeding them helps to keep them healthier and prevents as much disease. We can add vitamins and supplements to the food.
If there's a feral population, and there is, it is to the advantage of everything around for them to be healthy.

Will you stop being so cruel by spraying with annomonia, etc.? Would you love to be sprayed with that stuff?

You can damage their eyes by doingthings l;ike that

Cruel, cruel,.

use water and only water

I agree, Kathleen. Wish I'd said that.

The pole I am talking about has hooks so your feeders would still work. These can be set up from the ground and as high as you like or can be attached to the top of a deck railing. I bought a 4 ft hook so I can reach my feeders to refill.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pole System

We have a whole bunch of ferals here. We've given up trying to keep them away. I think they only manage to get the weak birds like the whole "survival of the fittest" thing. My husband used to use an air soft gun but they just watch the ball go by...HAHAHA! Those things are useless.

Probably the best bet would be to have a feeder that doesn't let all the seeds fall on the ground. I guess those long tubular shaped ones. I just have a platform type and the birds actually knock the seeds to the ground. On the ground is where the cats get them. I think they only manage to get a bird about once a week anyway.

If the neighbors were taking care of their cats i wouldn't have had the problem to begin with. And i politely told the neighbors in the future i will live trap them and take them to the animal shelter. No law that i am aware of says i have to put up with other people's animals. And we do have a fenced yard.
Have never had anymore problems.

We feed two TNR cats outside - they are fell fed and we even had a house built for them. We also have a bird feeder in the back yard but the cats don't mess with the birds. I have seen both cats terrorized by mockingbirds though. A few times I had to stand outside with them just so they could eat without getting dive-bombed. Occasionally they will leave a dead mole for us by the door as a thank you but never a bird. =^^= =^^=

But nod702, you say that if the neighbors were taking care of their cats you wouldn't have the problem to begin with. How does that translate to you feeling justified in spraying them with ammonia?

It doesn't. Spraying them with water would've accomplished the same thing and much less cruelly.

It is much easier to spray with water. I keep a spray nozzle on the hose and I can pick it up and spray a stream a good distance. Farther than you could spray with a water gun. I yell at them at the same time. It really does work. I have always fed the birds and I have more cats than you can count because the shelter asks me sometimes to take cats that have been neutered but there for so long and no one adopted them. They help out with my cat food and vet bills for them. They also vaccinate them for me. I know a lot of people are convinced that all outside cats catch birds. They don't. But, the ones that do....are very determined.

There used to be a snake here that hid in the sunflower seed hulls under the feeder and caught birds that came down to the ground to eat them. I saw him eat a cardinal and a dove. I didn't kill the snake....because I don't do that...but even though I hated that he did it, I understand that is nature and what snakes do. Still, I wouldn't want my cats to kill birds, because they are well fed. Almost every morning I find a little dead mouse that "someone" killed. They don't eat them. I don't put out poison, and I have no near neighbors so I give it to one of the possums. It's a treat for them. What I hate more than anything is the cats killing lizards. They will just about all do that. Still, there are lots of lizards here and lots of geckos, which must have come from some other place because they aren't native to this area. I guess the eggs came in on plants or something. They lay the cutest little eggs. White, and look like tiny little chicken eggs.

Snidely, I didn't see your post earlier for some reason. I don't disagree with you; I've been an animal advocate since the 1970s, and am well aware of the dangers of keeping a cat outdoors. For decades, all my cats were inside, and in an ideal world that would still be the case. But sometimes we have to accept situations that are less than ideal.

Reading through this thread (and others), it's clear that many KTers are giving food and comfort to cats--outside--that would otherwise have neither. I believe that's well worth doing.