How to Protect Bird Nests from Cats (10 Tips & Tricks)
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Cats are popular pets in the United States. The American Veterinary Medical Association states that the total number of owned cats in the United States is over 58 million, which is a huge number. It’s estimated that 2.4 billion birds are killed by cats every year. This can be a nightmare for owners and birdwatchers alike, and protecting nests of eggs and baby birds in your garden is a duty all cat owners should undertake. This article will discuss 10 tips and tricks on protecting bird nests from cats.
How to Protect Bird Nests from Cats
1. Keep them indoors
Keeping your cat indoors is the number one method of protecting bird nests safe from cats. Outdoor cats contribute to billions of small animal deaths a year, and keeping your cat indoors is the only surefire way to stop this from happening. If your cat is an outdoor cat, there will be a journey to transition them into an indoor-only cat, which may take some time. Providing several enrichment opportunities can help the process. Unfortunately, some cats used to being outdoors will not take well to this, and it can cause high amounts of anxiety and illnesses related to stress, such as urinary tract infections and overgrooming.
2. Try a fancy collar
While collars with bells have moderate success in reducing the number of animals that cats catch when outside, new, more effective collars are available. Birdsbesafe collars have been developed to work with the birds themselves. Birds can’t hear bells on collars as well as we hope they could, but the Birdsbesafe collar is vibrantly patterned.
Birds spot the color almost immediately and can safely get out of range, meaning that any parent birds in nests can escape and take away the temptation for your cat to reach the eggs. A study published in 20151 concluded that these collars reduced total bird fatalities by 87%.
3. Protect Nests Using Bird Boxes
Bird boxes for nest boxes are specifically designed to enclose nests and keep them safe from predators. They are often constructed of wood to blend into the environment and feature four walls, a lid, and an opening in the front for birds to enter and exit.
These offer shelter from the elements and protection from cats and other predators. Make sure your cat can’t still reach a curious paw into the entrance hole. To stop this from happening, you can try placing repellents onto the tree itself, which we will explore below.
4. Use Tree Guards
Using a tree protector can help prevent your cat from climbing trees and getting to bird’s nests. These often consist of panels of soft but uncomfortable plastic spikes or knobs that can be placed onto a tree trunk. These are quite effective and a cheap way to ensure that your cat doesn’t get to a bird’s nest, but they’re also not as secure as some other cat anti-climbing products.
5. Try Fencing the Tree Off
If you have a particular tree that birds like to nest in and your cat is still trying to reach them, try fencing the tree area off. Any sturdy and strong fencing that doesn’t allow a cat to gain footing, such as very tightly meshed chicken wire, is a good option. However, some cats may be agile enough to jump over the fence onto the trunk.
6. Tree Deterrent
There are commercial cat deterrents that fit around the trunk of a tree that almost look like a metal skirt. These are more expensive than the other options. However, if the skirt is placed high enough, the cat won’t reach the boxes or nests in the branches.
7. Make a Catio
If you wish to keep your outdoor cats indoors but you’re struggling to find ways to entertain them, consider building a catio. Catios are small enclosures usually constructed from wood and chicken wire that allow your cats to roam outside of a home without full access to outdoor spaces. Catios promote good enrichment, as they allow your cat to get fresh air and see all the sights and smells of the yard without being able to cause any damage.
8. Try a nail trim
A cat’s claws are used primarily for hunting but can also be effective climbing tools. Cats naturally sharpen their claws by scratching, particularly on tree trunks. Filing them can keep them short and stop your cat from climbing the trees and reaching bird nests. This may not be entirely effective on its own, but if used with one of the other deterrents above, it can be effective in stopping cats from disturbing bird nests.
9. Ultrasonic emitters
An ultrasonic emitter may be a good choice if you have a persistent cat. These devices give off a high-frequency noise that most cats1 find very irritating. They are effective at keeping cats off lawns and away from trees, as most cats will not tolerate the discomfort this may cause them. They’re not dangerous, but keeping them on when your cat is outside can be a good way to keep them out of trouble.
10. Try citrus peels
Cats are very fussy when it comes to their senses, particularly their sense of smell. They notoriously hate citrus, so using citrus peels such as lemon, orange, or grapefruit is an excellent way of deterring them from climbing trees. You can rub the peels on the bark and place the peels around the bottom of the tree or even hang them in trees adjacent to the bird nest.
This will be repulsive enough to cats that it’ll keep them away from the nest, and it’s a natural and non-invasive way of protecting baby birds. Be sure not to use essential oils containing citrus, as essential oils are dangerous for pets, particularly cats, and can also harm the local wildlife.
Why do cats go after bird nests?
Cats are natural-born hunters with an arsenal of tools at their disposal. Hunting is how they get all their food in the wild, and they regularly hunt throughout the day using short bursts of energy followed by rests to facilitate maximum energy efficiency.
This behavior has continued even though most cats are domesticated; feral cat colonies get nearly all of their food from hunting. Bird nests present an easy target for cats, and they will eat baby birds, the adults, and even eggs for protein.
Conclusion
A cat will want to hunt whether they’re indoors or outdoors. Particularly during the fledgling season, when baby birds are learning how to fly, this can present a risk to wildlife. Knowing how to prevent your cat from reaching the nests is key to protecting the wild bird populations. The easiest way to do this is to keep your cat indoors and provide lots of stimulation like scratchers, toys, and other entertaining activities. However, this isn’t always possible, so using repellents or physically stopping a cat from reaching the nests is a good alternative. Some of these methods even work for the stray cat population.
- See Also: 10 Best Cat Repellents
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