How can I stop cat catching bireds?

We've turned into bird bodyguards, especially at nesting times when the blackbirds have an alarm call if a cat is nearby, and we often rush out to chase the cats off when hearing this.

Unfortunately we can't do this all the time and it's upsetting when we find dead birds in our garden.

Not even our cats either! We don't have or want any.

I am sorry to say that both my current cats have swiped and killed our lovely little fantails. I discourage it and lock the cat flap so they may not bring the bodies into the house for a jolly game. Previous cats – well, one was a serious hunter and caught rats and squirrels, one tried to take credit for the first cat's rat collection, one caught the very occasional worm and no-one else was remotely interested.

Cats are what they are and they are not all the same.

Get one of these or similar.
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I think it would be quite easy to cover the pond with cheap wire mesh.

Can a bird table be fitted with an umbrella sized concave on the downward facing surface (like an umbrella) around the pole of the bird table.

I understand ships' hawsers are fitted with similar to stop rats boarding the ship.

fit

May be if you put the bird table close to tree branches or thick bush the cat can't easily access. Also, could you make a cage to fir the bird table with apertures the birds get through but not the cat?
Can you possibly make a cat run so it can exercise without harming the living creatures outside the cat run? I imagine something as low as a rabbit run for economy, but as long as your garden is long, and including a high section for the cat to climb and have fun with.

Might the cat be taught to enjoy electronically remote controlled birds and frogs? Or even balls of dead fur and feathers if these contained food treats?

Baggs ?Sadly, he is no longer with us but, if I ever get a cat with similar hunting habits, I’ll bear that in mind. I do have a cowbell, brought back as a souvenir from a school holiday in Switzerland in the late 50s — never thought it could have such a useful function.

Don't encourage birds into your garden. Maybe you could not replace three of the cats when they die. Do you really have to have four?

Falconry bells from Amazon. Stopped my cat killing anything that moved!

Try a cow bell next time, tweedle. Might slow that cat down too ??

It’s their instinct to hunt, unless you keep your cats indoors, nothing you can do to stop it, you could stop feeding the birds though,

Baggs Sorry to say that does not work. All my cats have, and have had belled collars. It makes no difference.

As I said in my previous post, I tried with five bells on one cat but, it made no difference to his hunting habits. I always knew where he was though,

I do keep them in at night.

As you must know Craftycat it's a cat's instinct to hunt. You won't change this to a great degree so the answer must be to get rid of the bird table and pond.
I agree with MaizieD

Put collars on them and put a bell on each collar.

Davida1968

When we had cats, we placed various items (e.g. planted-up garden tubs, little garden ornaments) at points around our pond, in a strategic manner, so that out cats couldn't access the edges and dip their paws in. Also made we sure that the cats stayed inside the house at dusk and all night. It depends on how far you are willing to go, to keep the felines in check!

We did the same! We no longer have a cat, but do have visits from a neighbour's cat, who is quite keen to catch the birds. I watched him/her one day to see if there was a strategy that s/he used in the hopes that I could thwart the cat.

There were a couple of hiding places in particular flowerbeds, so I put various obstacles (tubs, filled watering cans etc) in the way, so the cat had to take a longer way round to reach the bird bath. It delayed it enough for the birds to see the cat and have time to escape. So far!!!

I have two cats and agree with previous posters. Short of keeping the cat indoors or wiring her jaw, not a lot you can do. I stopped feeding the birds years ago. My husband said I was providing ‘ground bait’ and he was quite right.One cat we had wore five bells on his collar and had lost an eye, fractured his jaw, and lost most of his teeth in an accident. He still caught birds, slow worms, mice, voles, glis glis — the list goes on.

I am afraid that being brought things you would rather not have are one of the disadvantages of being owned by a cat

You can't stop a cat hunting unless you are prepared to force her to live as an indoor cat, which I hope and trust you won't consider.

Certainly, get rid of the bird table and feeders. It is far too tempting for a cat if you feed the birds.

Try sounding really disappointed if she brings you a bird or anything else and tell her the frog is yours and she is NOT to catch it. Make access to the pond hard.

First of all, I'd get rid of the bird table. The cat can easily jump onto it and so can rats and squirrels (though you might actually like it if your cat catches rats...)

Either don't encourage birds into your garden by feeding them, or use (squirrelproof) bird feeders and hang them in trees or from a frame. (Though birds such as thrush and blackbirds are ground feeders anyway..)

Or, get rid of the cat if it causes you so much distress...

When we had cats, we placed various items (e.g. planted-up garden tubs, little garden ornaments) at points around our pond, in a strategic manner, so that out cats couldn't access the edges and dip their paws in. Also made we sure that the cats stayed inside the house at dusk and all night. It depends on how far you are willing to go, to keep the felines in check!

As you say it’s her instincts to hunt, you’ve done all you can I’m afraid it’s just nature and a downside of owning cats.