Too many cats...

I would like to attract more wildlife in my garden and yard. I have no pets, but there are about 20 cats in the neighborhood (in the coutry). We have a couple of cardinals, and the little brown birds, but not much of anything else comes to the feeders. I don't want to attract them if it will bring them to their death. We don't even have any squirrels, chipmunks or much of anything else. What we do have is an overpopulation of cats, a few toads, and the birds mentioned above. The deer don't come this far although they are usually about 1/2 mile up the road. Any ideas you have to attract more wildlife would be greatly appreciated! Julie

First, get a big dog to chase the cats away, then install some kind of pond or water feature. Add a brush pile for them to hide in (at the edge of the property or yard) and hang feeders. I use shepherds hooks so the cats can't climb them and the birds get a clear view of what's sneaking up on them.
Cala

Julie, You didn't mention if you have many trees by your house or not ~ Bird-scaping would really help ~ I do a lot of that at my place , And the more I do, The more birds and wildlife I get ... I use plants and shrubs such as, Red Elderberry, Blue Elderberry, Viburnums, current, blueberry, blackberry, mountain ash,Dogwood, fruited Mullberry ect.. All of these produce berries that birds love! Many have cover to protect birds from the weather and preditors and provide good nesting sites .... Also, It would be a good idea to provide a source of water somewhere ~ Be it a pond or a birdbath or even a shallow bowl of water ( You can get the kind that hang from trees or off your house if your worried about the cats ) A brush pile gives them a good hiding spot too and if you made an open rock pile, You would probably get chipmuks and such visiting ~ You could also try putting a few bird-houses up .. If your hanging your feeders out in the open with no trees or shrubs by them, You won't get many birds, They like to have a close hiding area they can go into in case a hawk or other preditor are after them, They are very skiddish when out in the open. What kind of seeds do you use in your feeders? A lot of the birds like Sunflower seeds goldfinches really like thistle seed ( nijer seed )..There are some that like fruits and nuts and many like suet and there are some that like necta .. All in all the major things to attract the birds are cover, nesting areas, food, and water ... Cats being around can be a real pain in the butt!! I know how you feel, because I have the same problem here!! But, I still have a huge abundance of birds and wildlife ~ (But also alot of trees, shrubs, vines, and groudcovers that they can hide in ) Have you ever tried calling your local animal control officer to see if they could help with the cat problem? ....Well, I hope I helped ... Good Luck!

This message was edited Saturday, Oct 6th 11:41 PM

Yes Julie,definately a DOG'''Plus everything,Cala and Iris mentioned too,so important to have for nature and your enjoyment of it' Plus theirs,of course,lol'

Cats are a big problem for many of us too' We all have to remember"that nature's food chain" is sometimes,very painful,for us humans to observe'

We can plant,water,provide many natural features but in the end,nature has the "last word"

I'm a rehabber and sometimes it really gets tough on the heart strings' Good luck and keep us all posted' Sis'

thanks all! I may look into getting a dog since the kids are getting a little older (4 & almost 7). Animal control doesn't care about catching the cats. Just dogs on the loose (they won't come this far unless you tell them there is a pit bull or Rottweiller loose anyway)

Iris, I have 1 black walnut in the front yard and 4 large trees in the back, plus I have just planted 1 forsythia & willow bush out front as well, I have a bird bath also (although I have never seen a bird in it, just cats). On my neighbors side of the fence line there are wild raspberries and a fruiting mulberry as well. I hung a thing full of niger seed but a little late in the season, I also put out just plain old mixed bird food. I realize the nature of the food chain, but with 6 cats across the road, 4 from around the corner and 12 from the house to the rear, the little birds just don't hang around much.

It seems like I am heading in the right direction, just need to add the dog! I was thinking about an Irish Setter for Christmas time. (I like large lap dogs!)
Thanks again everyone!
Julie

This message was edited Monday, Oct 8th 2:28 PM

Unfortunately, housecats are domestic animals which have been introduced to nature's food chain by man. Our neighbor lets many of her cats roam freely. They've caught a few birds and a rabbit (evidenced by feathers, fluff and fur). I suppose it's only a matter of time before our dog Sarah catches up with one when its in our yard. So far they've fled successfully. Our dog loves our indoor cats, plays with the one all the time, but if she got a hold of an outside cat, it would be ugly. Food chain again, I'm afraid. BTW, I love cats and would not like it if our dog caught one -- But when they're out roaming around they're not only hunters, but hunted.

a BB gun that shoots plastic balls. I use one and they soon learn.

did you know that in the UK cats kill 53 million small birds and mammals a year. 99% of cat owners are irresponsible owners.

Mark

I agree with Mark on this one. A couple "neighborhood cats" is a good thing in my opinion to keep the mole and chipmunk population at bay but that's just too many. A BB gun or a pellet pistol works for us. (My apologies to all the cat lovers) "T" :)

Even one of those power water guns might do the trick.