Most animal lovers love all animals. We may have dogs and cats, hamsters and cats, horses and cats and we want to feed the birds and have our cats, too. But what if your cat is a hunter who goes out behind your back and plucks those cute birds from the bird feeder perch for a yummy snack or just to play with?
It’s a sad day when you go out to feed the wild birds and discover feathers scattered around the yard. But some birders with cats have found solutions. Here’s one. This kitty used to bring his people a couple of 
birds a day. Now he can’t get close enough to grab an unsuspecting bird. He wears a bell and colorful ribbon tags that the owner says work really well to alert birds of his presence.
I have a keen bird feeder cage where the birds can go inside and eat safely without fear of being caught—as long as the bird is inside the cage. Here are a few other methods that work for some people. Have you tried sprinkling orange peels around your feeder? Experts say cats hate the smell of oranges. Who knew?
You can move your feeder away from trees and bushes where cats typically hide. Yeah, but birds use those same trees and bushes to hide from predators. I’m not sure I like that idea. There are also motion activated sprinklers designed to spray a cat that gets too close to a feeder. I wonder what happens when you go out to fill the feeder or water tray?
