Tips for Bird Safety when Your Cat Goes Outdoors

We've assembled a list of tips for bird safety. These can help protect your local songbirds if your cat goes outdoors. Spread the word, and save the birds!

• Find out when fledglings are common in your area and keep your cat indoors as much as you can. Young birds "fledged" from the nest often spend a day or two hopping on the ground, learning to fly, and yet not able to fly away from your cat. Local birdwatchers and others will know when the most common fledglings are likely to be in your yard. Help give them a chance and keep kitty indoors A LOT during that time.
• Please let your cat in and out through your own door, not a cat door. Although cat doors are convenient, with them, you can't control the timing of your cat's rambles... see below.
• Please keep your cat indoors at dawn and at dusk if at all possible. The cat might really like dawn hunting hours, but you will protect all kinds of wildlife, not just birds, if you keep your cat indoors at dawn. And you will be protecting your cat from car traffic and wild animals, possibly, that might hunt your cat.
• Please don't keep birdfeeders that result in your cat being able to hunt birds feeding on the ground. If seed drops on the ground a lot and attracts birds, your cat is going to find it "easy-pickings." Sometimes a Birdsbesafe cat collar cover can warn birds to fly away from such a site, but other times, the cat can hide too close by and pounce on birds too suddenly. Keep your bird seed off the ground or your cat indoors.
• For complete control of your cat's hunting outdoors, consider walking the cat on a leash with a harness, containing your cat in an outdoor pen, or using a Birdsbesafe cat collar cover.

Remember, your cat has a cozy home with you, good food that you buy, and access to veterinary care. Buy your cat plenty of cat toys, play with your cat, and limit their outdoor time as much as you can.