Hummingbird Wars vs Cats In The Garden

My Cats In The Garden Meet The Hummingbird Wars

I recently wrote about the Hummingbird Wars in our garden. The Anna’s hummingbirds and the Rufous hummingbirds who chase each other to protect their source of nectar. Whether it’s the flowers or the hummingbird feeder they guard and watch and chase the other off.

But that’s not the whole story. There are other creatures in the garden, our cats and sometimes neighbor kitties. What we really have is Hummingbird Wars vs Cats In The Garden. They lie and wait and hope hope that hummingbird will come their way, so that they can catch it. Our little black kitty even caught one last year. Our little orange kitty can only hope. I’m going to show you a video of our hummingbirds and our cats. Our orange kitty is very vocal on the recording.

Our challenge is to find ways to protect the hummingbirds from the Cats In The Garden. The kitties lie under the flowers and try to grab a hummingbird. I can protect them on the giant crocosmia, Lucifer, in our front yard as well as some of our lower growing flowers by using barriers.

Our black kitty would like underneath the giant crocosmia and try to grab hummingbirds. We also have a black fluffy kitty from the neighborhood who comes in and has jumped up to grab a hummer. This had to stop.

At first we staked up the crocosmia, so that the kitties could not jump up as easily. However this did not work and the cats were still harassing the hummers. We have now set up a little fence around the giant crocosmia that seems to be working. The kitties are no of no longer able to get in and lie just underneath the flowers and jump in an attempt to get the hummingbirds. I’m very happy about this.

We have made barriers to protect birds on flowers, but I am sure there is more we can do.  We already place some of our garden art beneath feeders to make it impossible for kitties to hang out there. We will be working on more ways to protect the birds.

To Protect Birds From Cats, many sources suggest either removing feeders or keeping cats indoors. However there are some that give useful information on how to make living together safer and which don’t imprison kitty.  One is to hang any bird feeders away from areas where cats can hide.  One source suggests placing branches or chickenwire around which makes it harder for the kitties to navigate where you don’t want them. You can also use an electronic device that emits a high frequency sound that startles cats, or a cat bib which lets them roam, but won’t let them catch the birds.

If you want other tips on how to protect birds from cats in the garden. Take a look at these links on how birds and cats can live together and how to protect birds from cats. It will make your garden and my garden safer for the birds.

If you have some tips of your own on how you have protected birds from your kitties, feel free to write a comment and tell us what you have done.