My cat kills the birds in the garden, what should I do?

If your cat has retained its predatory instincts, it may be more or less inclined to stalk other animals, such as birds.

To discover

• DOSSIER - Christmas tree: when to buy it?

  Which one to choose ?

  All our answers

Why does my cat hunt and kill birds?

The cat tends to hunt, mainly rodents and mice.

Wild cats do this out of necessity to survive.

A domestic cat can reproduce this behavior to "play" or simply because its mother instilled it in its education.

Above all, keep in mind that your pet remains a natural predator.

Moreover, there are no pre-established rules.

An indoor cat is likely to develop excellent hunting instincts through play, never stalking prey.

Conversely, a cat that goes out daily may lose interest in birds.

It all depends on his temperament, his upbringing.

Good to know :

A cat that kills garden birds is a common problem, but not irremediable.

Read alsoWhy does my cat sleep all the time?

What impact on bird populations?

Taken in isolation and individually, the fact that a cat kills the birds in the garden does not seem to have a noticeable impact on the environment.

However, at the scale of a country or the world, there are real consequences.

Some sources suggest that the cat would be responsible for the death of 1 to 4 billion birds per year in the world.

Others suggest that birds constitute only a quarter of the prey hunted and killed by felines.

These are estimates that are likely to vary from one institute to the next.

Similarly, we are talking about raw data that is not interpreted or put into context.

For example, with the total population of a particular bird species or the impact of other hazards to birds such as human activities.

Read also5 birds that tolerate the cold well

How do I stop my cat from killing birds?

In the event that your cat kills the birds in the garden, there are simple tips to apply to prevent it, at the very least reduce the risk.

If he has no hearing problems, you can hang a bell on his collar.

In most cases, the sound of the bell is enough to scare the birds away.

For these, you can set up nesting boxes or feeders in height.

This gives them a good vantage point of the surrounding area while staying out of the cat's reach.

Darkness helps your pet hide.

If it is difficult to bring in a cat that does not decide on its own, you can encourage it by setting a regular time for its meals.

Thus, he returns before dusk.

Apply the same technique in the morning so that it does not come out too early.

Good to know :

Also remember to play with your cat so that he tires more easily and is not inclined to run or chase birds for "fun".