Do you reckon this is fairly cat proof?

I dunno i cant remember what link i gave her, i sent it her back in october after doing research. Will research again in may, my bday isnt till june so no point thinking about it now i will have forgotten by then.

 

Ok I only asked because I have contacts, and know a little about lenses
I am selling one myself at the moment, and possibly a camera too, once I get to the lock up across town to get pics of it with my phone

 

Dips, my neighbourhood is over run with cats but it doesn't stop the birds coming down to feed. My neighbour opposite puts all feeders and water on the ground and puts crates over them. The birds have got used to them and don't seem to fear the cats as long as they are placed in a fairly open area, so they can see any coming.

Also if the crates are used, thorny rose cuttings can be placed on top to keep the cats off. My mum used to cover the tops of her aviaries with rose prunings for the same reason.

 

@Sheal you are lucky

Sadly i wish i could say the same my old next door neighbour always fed the birds and had a stand feeder and hanging feeders and baths etc and my cats would at least get a kill every month minimum, it was constant. After that neighbour died the new neighbours don't do that and this year they only killed two birds i think and it was about three the year before so a huge drop in the death toll.

Thats why im so keen to make sure no more die.

At least i don't have to worry about the one cat he cant even seem to catch a leaf being blown by the wind. Didn't even kill a spider the other day played with it and let it run off lol

 

My Blackpuss was a master spider catcher
She once spotted one in the lounge from about 2 metres away (in the dark! ).
I knew she was onto something by the sudden upright alertness. She and her sister Tig were the best

 

I found this info for you
http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomefor...ning/unwantedvisitors/cats/catdeterrents.aspx

 

I cant deter my own cats from their own garden that wouldn't be fair

 

I thought certain bits may help though, as it lists the thorn thing as Sheal suggested, plus upside down cones under feeders on poles for example. Remember that I am a cat lover too

 

I train my cats with water. Which is why i now just have to say take it out when they bring in a kill and they do so i guess if they are eyeing up the feeder i can squirt them. They are very responsive to it and know the commands that go with it. Haven't had to use the spray bottle in years because they are so well trained/scared of it

 

The bird feeder arrived today. It was nicely packaged and really easy to put together. Altho the instruction booklet was in german and after i put it together i found the english instructions printed in lime green on the back of the brown box. Which were very hard to read.

It also comes with different feeding options. So the bottom of it has a recessed bit that acts like a bowl but you also get this stand thing that stands in the recess for fat balls and a bendy bit of plastic that u make into a tube for seed to be piled up in.

But...

It turns out i cant reach where i was originally going to hang it.



Even standing on a stool and bending the branch down i still couldn't reach the sticky out bit on the end. Got a few scrapes on my arm now from the big spines on the quince. No wonder the tits congregate on that tree no cat would dare go up it.

So i have hung it from the only other place and that is the garden arch





The cats kindly "helped" by running up and down the path.

They have never tried to climb the arches because they wobble slightly so hopefully they wont. At least at this height i can reach it to put food in. My only concern is them jumping up at the birds now. The cat in the picture (missy) can jump straight to the top of the fence so thats 6ft. The other two arnt as good so not concerned about them. Missy is a hunter tho so i guess i will just have to monitor and see what happens.





Overall i like it tho and if it is not safe for me to have as a bird feeder it also can be used as a tea light holder according to the box so wont go to waste.

 

It looks like a good place to hang it Dips. Is it plastic? Birds might struggle to grip it with their claws when they land.

 

It is plastic @Sheal but i dont think that will be a problem.

I watched this vid on youtube before i bought it so i think they will be fine.

 

It looks like the perches have been shaped all the way round so the birds are unlikely to slip.

 

Altho it would be like something out a cartoon if a bird did slip straight itnto the cats mouth sitting below.

 

That would defeat the object of the bird feeder and where it's hung Dips. Let's hope it doesn't happen.