A cat catches a bird: unfortunately a common sight in our gardens. But what options are there to protect birds from cats in the garden? Can you train cats to stop catching birds? And what to do with birds rescued from cats?
Free-roaming house cats are often not welcomed by bird lovers. Although the popular cuddly tigers are not necessarily more dangerous than any other predator, their large numbers in domestic gardens pose a real problem. Around 13 million cats live in Germany, of which around 8 million are free-roaming cats and a significant number of songbirds every year capture. But of course we don't want to demonize house cats, because many cat lovers are also bird lovers and wish to protect their garden birds as well as to offer their house cats enough exercise. To that end, we've put together some tips for a cat-safe garden, how to get cats out of the habit of bird catching, and what to do with a bird rescued from cats.
Protect aviary and Co. from cats
It doesn't matter whether it's your own cat or the neighbour's cat - if a small robber regularly sneaks around in the garden, it means a lot of stress and insecurity for our native garden birds. This is particularly true during the breeding season, since young birds are particularly easy prey and parent birds are disturbed by predators when caring for the brood because they have to fly detours to the nest and the search for food is made more difficult.
The following tips can help make life easier for wild birds in a cat-rich environment:
- Secure Feeders and Nesting Boxes: Avoid placing food on the ground and instead offer it in suspended feeders or on high feeders that cats cannot reach. The same applies to nesting boxes; these are in good hands, for example, on a smooth facade at a height of at least 2 m.
- Counter with scents: Unpleasant smells can also keep cats away from the garden or certain places. For this there are both specialSpreading powder as well as helpful plants, such as the so-called 'piss off plant' (Plectranthus caninus), which is said to keep cats several meters away, but seems odorless to us.
- Provide shelter: Dense or even thorn-reinforced bushes provide quick protection for birds from predators and free-breeding species even secure nesting sites.
- Secure your trees: To deter cats from climbing around trees, there are special wire belts that you can attach to the trunk. Alternatively, you can also plant thorny bushes here or, for example, wrap blackberries around the trees.
- Owners of outdoor cats should also ensure that their cats are neutered and tagged to avoid uncontrolled breeding and release into the wild. In addition, if possible, at least during the breeding season from March to June, one could limit the outdoor movement a little or supervise it better.
Can you train cats to stop catching birds?
A cat's hunting instinct is a primal instinct that cannot be easily broken. Although domestic cats do not depend on wild animals for food, hunting satisfies their need for movement and their play instinct, which is extremely important for the psychological well-being of the big cats. Anyone who tries to actively prevent cats from hunting will not do them any good in the long run. Instead, however, you can try to satisfy the play instinct in other ways by playing with them yourself and keeping them busy. This can reduce the hunting instinct.
Cat brings live bird: What to do?
If you manage to save a wild bird from the claws of a domestic cat, the first thing you should do is get an idea of its condition. If the bird doesn't fly away right away and seems apathetic but has no external injuries, you should put it in a box with air holes in a dark, quiet place. Often the birds are then in shock and need rest to recover. If the animal starts to stir and tries to fly away, you can release it again. However, if the animal has not recovered even after several hours, or if you notice external injuries or broken limbs right from the start, you should contact a veterinarian, a bird sanctuary or a suitable foster home, such as one of the NABU wild bird sanctuaries. Because the care of injured birds requires experience and expertise and usually goes wrong in the hands of laypeople - even if itis well intentioned. Since even small injuries to the bird can cause bacteria from the cat's saliva to penetrate, it is very important to go to an avian veterinarian. This can give the bird antibiotics and prevent worse.
Read our special article for more practical tips and what to do if you find an injured bird.
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