How to protect birds from cat attacks

At Wildlife Rescue, we love cats! But it’s essential to recognize that they are a significant problem for wild birds.

Cat attacks remain one of the top reasons patients are admitted to Wildlife Rescue, especially during migrations and nesting season.

Even minor puncture wounds inflicted by a cat can lead to severe infections in wild birds. Any bird handled by a cat needs to be brought to your local rehabilitator for their best chance at survival. 

How to Prevent Cat Attacks

• Keep your cat indoors. In addition to protecting wildlife, this has the added benefit of keeping your cat safe from cars, predators, and contagious feline diseases
• Create a “catio” or enclosure that allows your cat to spend time outdoors without posing a danger to wildlife
• During spring and summer, when vulnerable young birds are on the ground learning how to fly, limiting your cat’s outdoor time is especially important
• If keeping your cat indoors is not an option, purchase a cat bib/scrunchie to put around their neck. This will warn birds of your cat’s presence AND give your cat a cool accessory. You can get yours here
• Kindly educate your friends and neighbours about the benefits of having an indoor cat! Be sure to send them our way if they would like more information

Despite being easily preventable, cat attacks are one of the most common reasons birds get injured. Give today and help injured wild birds recover and return to the wild.