Cats generally are predators to many species, and have contributed to the extinction of a whopping 63 bird, mammal and reptile species in the wild, according to this study. They are known to relentlessly and tirelessly hunt their prey for food and even for fun, not to mention the king of the jungle and the top predator in the food chain is quite literally a big cat.
But then again, sometimes, our cute little pet cats who wouldn’t hurt a mouse could get bullied by birds due to a myriad of reasons. The millions and millions of species in existence have a common trait: the urge to survive. When birds bully or attack cats, they are for very good survival reasons and anyone shouldn’t take it personally. They are very unlike humans and do not have the same level of “intelligence” to do things out of spite (except maybe crows or dolphins, but that’s another article for another day!).
Birds and cats are always the worst combination, and we’ve always known that cats have the upper hand. Little did we know, some birds, especially when they have just laid eggs, could be brave enough to attack cats that they deem as a threat, and those little pecks hurt! In this article, we lay out some solutions that you can do to help keep both your cat and the birds safe from each other.
Invest in a scarecrow or a bird statue
If your cat loves to wander your yard and keeps getting bullied by birds wandering about, a scarecrow or a bird statue is a good and harmless idea.
Birds are territorial creatures, much like cats, so if they spot a bigger, scary looking bird that is already hanging out in your yard, they will think the territory is unsafe for them and will move on. They will not have a chance to think about your cat even, and will decide for their own safety.
Additionally, it’s nice to do some landscaping in your garden from time to time! Not only will these bird statues keep birds away, they will also add a little personality and flair to your garden. Win-win!
Get a bird laser repeller
A bird laser repeller, on the other hand, is a device you can install in your garden. Most are solar powered and use power saving technology. It can detect motion and lights up the lasers in colors red and green. These colors are known to annoy birds very much, and make them think that this garden is unsafe for them to land on, since red and green are quite bright and loud colors and translate to DANGER in bird language, maybe.
As a nifty side effect, cats love lasers! If you get a lot of bird visitors in your garden, and this laser keeps switching on and off, your cat is going to have the time of their lives. It could be a fun cardio activity for your cat to keep them happy and healthy, left alone by birds!
On the downside, you must always supervise your cat when playing with this laser repeller, and ensure they do not stare into the laser. This could damage their retinas. Supervision is key!
Tend to your backyard and rid it of insects and pests
As mentioned in one of our previous articles about birds, birds hangout in areas that are jam-packed with insects and pests. If your garden is littered with them that you couldn’t even hang about without getting stung or startled by something, then it is a paradise buffet to birds.
Insect and pest-riddled gardens are harmful to everyone, especially if you live in an area where they can carry diseases that could be fatal to both your pets and yourself. Do yourself and your cat a favour by tending to your backyard and ensure that they are dealt with. Call pest control and find solutions online yourself, either way be safe.
If a bird recognizes your garden to be empty and nutrition less, it’s gonna turn it down and it won’t even think of building a nest anywhere near you, hence less chance of your cat being attacked!
Get a cat house for your garden
We have heard of dog houses, but have you heard of cat houses?
Cat houses function almost the same as dog houses, in that they both give shelter to your pet if they want to chill outside. It’s like putting up a teepee in your garden and chilling in it with a book. It is a nice change of scenery and it is quite relaxing.
Your cat might not even use it (as much as dogs use dog houses) if you ever build a cat house in the garden for them, but on the off chance that the birds come again to bully them, they will have a safe space to hide and will most likely have the upper hand and the opportunity to defend themselves.
Keep an eye on your cat when they are outside
If the above solutions are currently not possible for you to do at the moment due to any reason, then the easiest would be to just keep an eye on your cat when they are outside.
Sometimes cats would keep a routine for weeks at a time, so you would be able to tell when they want to be outside or when they want to stay in. Try to keep a log or a mental note of their routine and make some time in your schedule to keep an eye on them. It doesn’t matter if you’re inside the house or chilling in the garden with them, the important thing is you can see them and could easily shoo away any attacking birds if need be.
It is another story if your cat likes to wander the neighborhood. No one would expect you to trail your cat 24/7. In this case, you could get a cat collar with bells for your cat. This is to help alert anyone around them that there is a cat nearby, and in case they get attacked, the bells would go mad and—fingers crossed—someone would hear and shoo away the birds. While this solely depends on strangers’ goodwill towards your cat, it is still better to do something than nothing!
However, if your cat keeps coming home with wounds that are clearly from birds and it is clearly affecting their quality of life, it’s evidence that the collars might not be working. Try out the next solution!
Train them to be indoor cats
While this doesn’t sound much fun to your outgoing outdoor cat on the surface, sometimes you have to make decisions for them to keep them safe from harm.
If your cat gets constantly bullied and attacked by birds in your area, it might be time to slowly introduce your cat to indoor living. You can’t teach an old cat new tricks, but you can gradually train them to appreciate indoor living. You might want to do this very gradually though, as doing it overnight might cause unnecessary stress and do more harm than bird pecks.
Get them fun and interactive toys, a water fountain, a nice tower, or a tunnel. Anything that could make indoor living bearable and similar to their outdoor life. Maybe get another indoor cat or any other indoor pet that they could play with inside the house. It’s always best to meet your pet’s needs, including their social needs. You never know, maybe one of the reasons your cat wants to go outside is to play with other neighborhood cats!
If a pet bird is attacking your cat, separate them
Your cat may already be an indoor cat and is being bullied by your pet bird. The easy solution to this is either keep your birds in their cages (if space is limited), or separate them. You could allocate one room for your birds to wander where your cat can’t go, or vice versa.
However, it’s always healthier for your pets to have their own freedom to explore the house or the environment they live in, so we recommend that you try this solution in conjunction with the rest of the solutions mentioned above!
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