Feeding birds when you have a cat?

[Yorkshire.Dave]

Just looked outside and I currently have siskin,long tailed tit,chaffinch,black cap,robin,sparrow,starling,coal tit in the garden but I have quite a few feeders....
Even had a Lesser Redpoll and 2 goldfinch this morning

[eirish]

See study by Mammal Society - includes suggestions for how to reduce the slaughter

The Mammal Society: Mammal Fact Sheets

There's a very interesting finding from the linked study: "The mean number of birds and herpetofauna brought home per cat was significantly lower in households that provided food for birds but no significant effect of providing bird food was observed for mammals. In contrast, the number of bird species brought home was significantly greater in households that provided food for birds than in those that did not." (emphasis mine)

My cat is fond of bird-watching (he tries to chirp at them!) but has never brought one home. We have a feeder next to the window of our first-floor flat.

[Veggielot]

I put a feeding station up in the corner of the garden (next to a small tree so they had cover and the cat couldnt reach them, but no birds used it).

Should I just give up?

Might be that your bird table is to near the tree, could cats be using the tree to get to the table?

[Veggielot]

"I put a feeding station up in the corner of the garden (next to a small tree so they had cover and the cat couldnt reach them, but no birds used it).

Should I just give up?"

Might be that your bird table is to near the tree, could cats be using the tree to get to the table?

[porterlizz]

I guess it totally depends on your cat. We have three cats - who are predominantly house cats, although they do go out into our back yard.. they don't seem to try to catch birds, but they do like to watch them.

I have quite a large bird feeding station - the only problem i have had with the cats is that one of them likes to eat the bird bread. Other than that, they've not shown any attempts to catch them.

I have had some blue tits nesting in a box for the second year. The box is sited close to a fence, so i have folded some chicken wire over the top of the fence to discourage over-interested cats. Last year, everyone fledged successfully.

I would say, put out a feeder in an area that the cat can't sit on a fence / wall nearby... and see if your cat shows too much interest.

[hellybore]

I moved our bird table when my next door neighbour told me she saw their cat sitting on it, squashed in under its roof! The bird table is now hanging from the top of a free-standing pole, away from the fence. Thought the feathered ones would be safe there, but some seed must have dropped on the floor and I'm sad to say my dog caught and killed (and ate!) a pigeon.

[*joanne*]

I only get pigeons now feeding in the garden used to get lots of different types of birds. Not people cats that scared them off but the neighbours kids. Thinking of taking all my feeders down as they are not used anymore I miss my birds.