Blackbird

Good post Louslovesstewie I agree.

Not all cats kill birds. And most grow out of it as they get older, fatter and lazier.

We had two cats. Little Tabitha went after birds but rarely caught one and died young.

But not all cats are a problem for birds. Fred (answering to Frederick) Tabs brother, an enormous black panther of a cat, never bothered with them. Too much effort. His prey was rats, mice, moles and the occasional squirrel and rabbit. I always knew when he’d caught something as he went off his food, preferring his catch. We backed on to a farm where rats abounded and he kept our house clear of them. He did his job. Blackbirds safely pecked around him as he lazed in the sun.

Also, the next cat on our road lived at least 100 yards away. If you live where cats are the favoured pet and there are lots of cats the balance is upset. The bird population can stand the occasional loss from one cat out on the hunt, but not if there’s ten cats all out hunting each night.

Well, we all pick and choose what animal to demonize don't we ? It seems that instead of accepting that all predators eat some living creature the poor feline is the devil here. In the past the humble moggy was badly treated and was not considered to be a pet. Does anyone give any thought to the worm that your garden songbird is eating? Perhaps the worm is considered to be nothing because of its looks , what about insects that form a tasty meal for so many birds? No -one gives two hoots about them , do they? We either accept the natural order of things , i.e some animals hunt and kill others or we start to get very silly indeed. I can feel sorry for the songbird when it is killed/eaten by any other being but I do accept the process to be natural .

And , please don't get me started on human beings and their propensity to destroy animals . Hunting big game just to put a trophy on a wall, we are very brave when we have a large gun in hand. The Scottish wildcat was almost hunted to extinction by the Victorians , and of course human beings have succeeded in wiping various species off the face of the earth.
For the record my two elderly female cats haven't brought in any wildlife for years. I am not going to start demonizing them because it is in their nature to hunt. And they use a litter tray so I consider them to be innocent of that charge too.
End of early morning rant!

Bluetits nest raided by magpies. Blackbird nest raided by a crow. I have seen a young woodpeckers at the feeders so I think that nest survived. Cats don't even kill for food, I detest them roaming all over wrecking areas of gardens.

Yes it's true magpies and crows are predators of song birds and all our garden birds.
But at least they are part of the natural cycle.

When I could move quicker I used to spend a lot of my time chasing cats and magpies away!
I cant do that now though [grin}

Like you Callistemon in the past I've found egg shells in and around the garden from their raiding.

I think by changing to the type of bird feeder that doesn't allow large birds to access the food, I've greatly reduced the attacks by magpies etc.
Over the last 2/3 years of using these feeders they don't nest nearby anymore. So the little birds are safer.

Maybe my garden isnt such a successful place for them to raise their young anymore?

The reason the cat caught the blackbird was I think, because it was very windy and all the plants in the garden were blowing this way and that.
Blackbird flew in and had barely even touched the ground, when the cat pounced from the cover of some waving plants.

stella14 … the info about collars with safety clasps is useful. Thanks.
Your story about the magpies is horrific though!
Red in tooth and claw.

I dislike magpies and they do seem to be on the increase.
We find blue eggshells in the garden, presumably raided eggs from the blackbirds.

Oh yes, and to those concerned about the safety of cat collars, I buy ours from Kittyboo who produces them with sensitive safety clasps that spring open when any pressure is applied.

My Siamese cats both wear collars with the loudest bells I can find. They have very occasionally killed voles and they have had a couple of birds over several years. The most distressing scenes of bird death I have seen have been caused by Magpies. On one occasion they went back and forth to a blackbirds nest, taking and eating all of the chicks. The mothers flapping around, crying out to no avail. On another occasion I had collared doves make a nest in one of my trees - a beautiful thing. One day, I heard a terrible commotion. The Magpies, a group of about 8, raided the nest and were fighting over the chicks, literally ripping them apart in the air and on the ground. A cat with a collar and a loud bell does little damage compared to omnivore birds!

My cat wont do his 'business' just anywhere either,he can be out in our garden 2hours but he always waits till he comes back in to use the litter tray. Some cats just arent that ferral.

This is one of the reasons i wont have a cat. Nothing against them but i hate the fact they kill birds. Such a sad story namsnanny, i would be crying too.

Ladybella- cats are NOT vermin! They are animals- How nasty some of you are being on here about cats! As some have pointed out,its magpies are viscious too, and foxes, we have foxes round here as its semi- rural and they get the wood pigeons, and prowl a neighbour's chicken coop at night.

O.M.G. how mean Callistemon! Im not a big dog lover,but i wouldnt say id strangle one! Or infer that they should not exist! You could be less nasty about it! I love my cat,hes one of the family to us,and im sure lots of other cat owners feel the same- my one has never killed birds,and hes a gentle soul who lets my grandkids pester him without a murmer- not all cats are killers! They might be the only company some people have had during the lockdown, and they dont need walking or fussing over all the time. I understand how the OP felt,as i have a blackbird visits my garden and nests in the hedge,and id be upset if a cat did that- but mines never bothered it and i certainly would not say such nasty things about any animal Their all Gods creatures!

It's just the natural order of things. Very sad, especially as cats do this for sport and not to eat. But how anyone can say they don't like cats because of this I just don't understand. They're just following their hunting instinct. I much prefer dogs personally, but I like cats too. In fact I like all animals. Just wanted to say about robins, everyone loves them as they're such an attractive bird, but in the wild they are extremely territorial and aggressive to other birds.

So you haven't heard of Scottish wildcats then? Native animals and not vermin.

I am sorry about your blackbird. Blackbirds do seem to make their nests quite low and visible.

Would it help if cats were kept indoors at night? or are they opportune hunters?
We used to have a cat, she was a good mouser but occasionally would chase birds or young rabbits.

There are too many pet cats, and dogs for that matter. I think one is enough apart from working animals on farms .

Cat I had years ago had multiple bells on collar. She still managed to kill birds, even a swift.
I’ve just been offered a kitten, and was tempted having lost my dear dog a while ago. But then saw a blackbird bathing in my makeshift birdbath, which always makes me smile, and decided against it.

Nature isn’t nice! I wage a war of attrition with next door’s cat who hides under our fuchsia bush in wait for unsuspecting birds at the feeder. I get an unreasonable amount of pleasure when I turn the garden hose on the bush and the cat shoots out with an agonised yowl! Worse than the cats, though, are the magpies. I know they are intelligent birds but they are horrid. Our local farmer loses lambs every year to crows and magpies pecking eyes out.

I love all animals and would like a cat but I love my garden birds and couldn't do it to them. Garden birds are so precious.

Cats are not part of British wildlife. They are vermin.

I thought cat collars were elastic so that if the collar was caught on a spike of branch or fence post the cat could easily wriggle out of it.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Defenders-Jet-Spray-Fox-Repeller-Repellent-Deterrent-Scarer-Garden-Pest-Control/283867293265?hash=item4217cf2651:g:72YAAOSwku9er5y5

A very long address, but this gadget works. It's fun for grandchildren too!

It's definitely not safe for a cat to wear a collar - I've known 2 or 3 people who put one on their cats only to lose them to strangulation - no reputable rescue centre would recommend them for that very reason. A cat isn't responsible for what comes naturally to them - unlike humans.

A few years back DH and I used to watch a robin flying into the garage through the broken window obviously building a nest somewhere in the garage but we couldn't spot where. Then when I went into the garage one day, there lying on the ground was our robin. A day or two later I caught my neighbour's cat coming out of the garage (he'd got in where the bottom of the door had rotted away). We didn't find the nest until some time afterwards when I was tidying the garage. There was the nest with 5 eggs in it. We were so sad.

If you live in an area that has cats then I do not see why you would encourage birds with feeders in the garden.

I have been a cat lover and owner all my life and whilst I accept that cats will hunt prey I find it unacceptable for them to kill any garden birds and it never happened. Easy peasy, each cat had a collar with a small metal disc and a bell each side so as they went for a bird off it flew hearing the bells. In all the cats I had I NEVER had one bird and think all cat owners should do the same it's only responsible like dog owners should pick up their dog's poo. The best things about cats they don't bark, personally give me a cat over a dog anyday. Sick of neighbours dogs barking and barking and causing such a nuisance even in lockdown. Not responsible owners at all.