Frank - cats do not belong outside, especially in the yard of a birder I am afraid. The bird, once wounded by the cat has virtually no chance of survival - things caught by dogs have a much better outlook, due to the variety of organisms found in the mouth of a cat. A bell does no goo, as Liz says. Cats belong indoors. I have done wildlife work for over 16 years, so I know of what I speak...sorry! Sue on Melody Lake, Edina
On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 4:55 PM, Liz Stanley <l...@lizstanley.com> wrote: > The cat isn't ungrateful, it's just following its predatory instincts which > unfortunately means that if let outside to roam freely, then it will be > hunting, regardless of how well fed it already is. The bird would have bee > helped much more by not having been put in danger in the first place. > > Bells really don't work, as a cat with a bell can still sneak up on a bird. > A solution I've found that works is to have an outdoor cat enclosure. I'm > sure with some creativity it's possible to DIY one, but I purchased mine > and it has been a great investment. My 2 cats can sit out on the patio and > enjoy the stimulation of the garden without any danger to them or to the > wildlife that I've attracted to the yard. They are otherwise exclusively > indoor cats. > > For anyone who is curious, this is where I purchased mine: > > https://www.cdpets.com/Products_Detail.php?ProductID=5. > > There are many other options and manufacturers available that can be > found, this is just one example that I found was sufficient for my needs. > Here's an action photo from my patio (including a 3rd cat who is no longer > with us.) It's the 4' height economy enclosure from the link above. > > http://www.pbase.com/gymell/image/148564406 > > > On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 2:47 PM, Frank Gosiak <fgos...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> I woke to a nice day Saturday and sat down outside, on my patio, with my > >> ipad and was writing a friend about the birds I saw and heard. I had > >> Chickadee, Tennessee Warbler, Red Start, White and Red Breasted > >> Nuthatch, > >> Red Bellied-Downy-Hairy Woodpecker, Goldfinch, House Finch, Robin, House > >> Sparrow, Crow, Blue Jay, Red Shouldered Hawk, Bald Eagle, Canada Geese, > >> Mallard, Starling, Chipping Sparrow, Blue Jay, Blue Bird, Catbird, Ruby > >> Throated Hummingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and a few unidentified Warblers. I > >> was > >> kinda romanticizing, telling my friend how so few of us notice all that > >> goes > >> on around us and how we get caught up in other things. I wrote about the > >> insects, trees, and even the grass and the weeds and how they all > >> interact. > >> About the time I was getting lost in the moment I heard a nasty screech > >> sound. I looked down and there was the Catbird in my cat Molly's mouth. > >> The > >> bird was struggling, to no avail, and the cat was trying to set its > >> claws > >> in > >> for a better hold. I jumped up, yelled at the cat and stepped on its > >> tail. > >> The cat let out a scream, thus, releasing the bird which flew to a near > >> by > >> bush and chattered. I watched the cat move to a spot on the patio then > >> laid > >> down swishing its tail showing anger. The cat had a few feathers in its > >> mouth and a couple fell to the ground. I ended my letter to my friend > >> saying > >> the bird probably doesn't realize I helped it and that ungrateful, well > >> fed, > >> fur bearing cat will be getting a bell on its collar. I like my cat but > >> I > >> need to take every precaution to keep it from killing the birds. > >> > > > > > > -- > Liz Stanley > Bloomington, MN > l...@lizstanley.com > Backyard weather and feedercam: http://www.overlookcircle.org/ > Photo gallery: http://www.pbase.com/gymell/liz_favorites > Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lizmstanley > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
