Outdoor cats can be a huge threat to most bird species. It is estimated that cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds a year, though the exact number is difficult to estimate. A single domestic feline may kill somewhere between one and 34 birds a year.1
As you might expect, bird feeders can attract more than just birds. Most cats will figure out that staking out a bird feeder is an easy way to hunt since the prey is basically coming to them. Of course, your goal is to feed your backyard birds, not the neighborhood cats!
If you’ve noticed cats stalking around your bird feeder, there are several things that you can do to keep them away. Often, it’s best to implement multiple methods at once.
The 7 Ways to Keep Cats Away From Bird Feeders
1. Perfect the Feeder’s Placement
The placement of the bird feeder matters, especially when you’re trying to protect the guests from your furry friend. Placing the feeders in an open area reduces the cover for your cat, making it difficult for them to stalk the birds without detection.
When they know that the cats are there, the birds often do a good job of taking care of themselves. It’s the hidden cats that they have to worry about.
Also, placing the feeder up high and away from other high objects reduces the chance that your cat will be able to reach the birds while they eat.
2. Use Citrus
Cats tend to hate the smell of citrus.Therefore, citrus can be employed to keep a cat away from a feeder. You can either place citrus peels on the ground or use citrus oil on the underside of the feeder itself. You don’t want to place it where the seeds are, as it could keep the birds away as well and it often isn’t good for birds (or felines) to ingest.
Vinegar is another option as it is widely disliked by cats and is a staple in most households. It will kill grass and other vegetation, though, so you should be careful about pouring pure vinegar onto your yard.
You can also purchase pre-made deterrents. However, these often simply contain citrus oil mixed with a few other things. They can also be expensive, while your homebrew will likely be just as effective.
3. Strategic Spikes
You likely don’t want to install metal spikes around your bird feeder. However, cactuses and other plants are a different story.
Just like us, cats often don’t like prickly things. These aren’t something that they enjoy walking on. If your climate enables you to plant cactuses or similar spiky plants, they’re an easy way to keep a cat out of an area. The birds aren’t going to care that the ground is spiky. After all, they don’t need to touch the ground to get to the feeder.
You can also utilize rose bushes and similar plants. However, these may actually provide cover for cats, so you’ll have to judge the use of roses by your particular feeder situation.
4. Use Pepper
Cats have a sensitivity to capsaicin, which is the “spicy” chemical in peppers. It won’t typically cause lasting harm if sniffed but it will cause a burning sensation that will make most cats turn up their nose and run. You can make a pepper spray by diluting a cayenne-based sauce with water and spraying it around the bird feeder. Aim to saturate areas that the cat likes to hide, like in the shrubbery and on the ground around the bird feeder. Avoid spraying the feeder itself as this won’t help much and may keep birds away.
If you don’t want to make a spray, you can simply sprinkle cayenne pepper flakes on the ground around the bird feeder.
5. Install Motion-Detecting Sprinklers
Motion-detecting sprinklers can be a great way of keeping cats out of certain areas. Many cats dislike water, and at the very least don’t like the sudden surprise of getting sprayed.
The main downside is that these devices can be expensive. They may also alert and turn on when the birds are around. Being sprayed with water is not a great experience for a bird either.
6. Keep Your Cat Indoors
If it’s your own cats stalking the bird feeder, you should keep them indoors. Not only will this protect the birds that come to use your feeder but will also help protect the bird population in general.
Of course, if someone else’s cat is stalking your bird feeder, you’ll need to employ one of the above methods. Feral cats are also out of your control for the most part, even though they pose a significant risk to the local bird population.
7. Use Anti-Bird Collars
There are a few collars advertised to be anti-bird. The idea behind these collars is that they help alert birds to the presence of a cat nearby. Some have bells on them to make noise when your cat moves and others are brightly colored to make them more visible. If you choose to try an anti-bird collar, make sure it has safety measures in place to prevent your cat from getting tangled up.
Conclusion
Keeping your cat away from your bird feeder can be difficult. After all, there isn’t much that you can do to convince your cat to leave the birds alone—it’s in their nature!
However, there are a few different methods to deter your cat from the area. You can use scents and automatic sprayers to keep your feline away. You can also get bird-deterrent collars, which come in many different shapes and designs.
That said, the best way to keep your own cat from stalking the bird feeder is to keep them inside. If you care about your feathered visitors, keeping pet cats indoors is the only sure way to protect them. Of course, you can’t do this with neighborhood cats or feral ones, so you’ll have to try some of these other methods.
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Featured Image Credit: rihaij, Pixabay
