You can purchase the fax owls or hawks in many garden centers. However can you keep your cat inside for most of the time for a couple of weeks. The reason that the birds at ragging your cat is that their babies are being fledged at this time. In a very short time the baby birds will be able to fly out of danger. Even though one of my cats can lay below the bird feeder and the birds continue to eat when the babies are learning to fly the birds drive the cat to shelter.

Thanks for your reply. I would try keeping the cat in (I will try) but he's so used to getting out now and meows for hours on end until I let him out. Also, today he was lying at the window and they were still diving at the window for him even though he was inside so I had to end up closing the blinds. I've never seen this before in the 4 years I've lived here! I've read these birds also go for people. I'm now wary taking my 2 year old daughter into the garden during the days. I will try looking for one of those owls you mention, thanks.

The birds will not harm you or your Daughter. Your cat should be inside for the safety of the wildlife and your cat. They do NOT belong outdoors un attended as any pet should not be left out un attended.

Lisa11310,
Are you for real? Of course I'll let my cat out when he wants out, it's not even an option. I got him when he was 1 so he is used to it. I personally find it cruel to keep a cat indoors. They have a natural instinct to be outside. My cat mainly stays in my yard and I've never had any complaints from any neighbour, nor dead animals in the yard that he's killed. Anyway, I still have the problem of the birds swooping down at the window when he's INSIDE. They make noise all day and I'm getting extremely annoyed. Do I keep him away from the sun at the window too?
I have respect for the wildlife here and don't want to hurt any of the birds but I will not start keeping my cat in when he's been out from a young age.

The jays have a nest or fledglings they are protecting. This insanity lasts a week or two, then they get less aggressive.

Whatever you try now will appear to work, because that phase of jay life will end.

In the history of the world, a Blue jay has neither maimed nor killed a cat.

Outdoor cats, on the other hand, routinely kill and maim Bluejays, especially fledglings.

You asked for advice.
You choices here are to keep the cat inside, or let it out to kill the Bluejays until there are none. Either way, problem solved.

{{gwi:1346724}}

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Nicola...for real as a heart attack! Cats don't belong outside. Elly was very gentle on you . Maybe she should post some of the horrid pictures she has from birds she tried to save after cats "played" with them. Wanna see some mutilated frogs my neighbors cat did to my pond? Want to see what a Cyoete did to a wandering cat or one that the snowplow hit? How about one that licked some antifreeze the neglectful neighbors left on the driveway? It's dead too. Please keep your cat inside where it belongs. Cats deserve a warm loving lap and to be kept safe.

Just think if the Coyote did not attack the cat what would it have attacked. The cats are both prey and preyed upon. Please do a check about areas that do keep their cats inside by ordinance. Most will have an increased problem of various creatures increasing in the areas because of increase in rodents of all kinds.

Not to dismiss your concerns but if the creatures that eat the rodents, rats, mice, rabbits etc. are removed some other creature will move in to eat the oversupply of food. In this area it is coyotes and cougars. Personally I would rather have the smaller sized cats eating the rodents even if they kill an occasional bird than the bigger creatures.

I think the old adage of 'beware of what you want because if you get it things could become worse" applies to cats.

Nicola any time there is a mention of outside cats the "save the birds at all costs" group comes out in force. These are also part of the group that destroyes nests of birds that they don't like to protect the ones they do, normally bluebirds.

Many do not realize that everything should be taken individually rather than a blanket "Thou shall do". Try to ignore the under educated and enjoy being outside with your cat.

I appreciate the replies, thanks. Even yours Lisa, though you always come off sounding blunt and rude.
Nice pictures Elly, they are cute birds but their parents are pretty aggressive aren't they? I am not from this part of the world and I'm still getting used to the wildlife here. I hadn't seen Bluejays before.
Well, it's been hell here for a couple of weeks but it has finally calmed down I'm happy to say! Hopefully those little birds are happy and well on their way.
Seems the nest wasn't even in my yard but they persisted coming in all the time and even swooping at the windows when the cat lay sleeping there.
I took Maifleur's advice and tried keeping my cat in more than he wanted but I couldn't keep him in all day or no-one would get any sleep for meowing all night. No sign of anything dead lying around and no complaints from any neighbours. The only comment I have ever had about my cat is that he likes to sit under my neighbour's sprinkler. There's no law here for keeping your cat inside, if so, then that's what I'd be doing but I believe it is up to the individual owner to decide, unless the cat is seriously upsetting the neighbours.

I do not mean to be " blunt and rude" However if that gets the point across so be it. malifeur is also corect. I have taken out non Native invasive species. I do this in my garden and I do this with 1 species of birds right now.But it makes me sick to do this. (if you want to know www.sialis.org)You will have a better understanding if you look at House Sparrows.I just dont think NON native species should kill our Native song birds. I love Cats (why I have 4) indoor only cats that were all brought in from roaming and killing stuff in my yard. They are loved and happy and no longer have to endure the dangers outdoor cats have to face. Mine should live 12-15 yrs. Outdoor cats are lucky to make it 2-5 years. How much do you love your cat?

Blue jays are more fearless than, say, robins, when it comes to protecting their babies. So yes, under those very conditions, to protect their babies, they are what you might consider "aggressive."

Last time I posted those pictures, Lisa, the thread was removed. Honestly, cat owners that allow their pets outdoors that kill birds always have a reason not to keep them indoors. I have visited this forum for 12 years, and have found it futile to change people's minds on the subject. So basically, they make a choice: it's OK for their cats to kill and maim wildlife.

I did an informal study a few years ago, following the outcome of cat-caught birds at a wild bird hospital. I am sorry I could not find a way to convert the second page to an image! But if anyone wants the pdf, email me.

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Lisa, I can think of other ways to get my point across without being rude. Actually I love my cat very much and have always had cats. My last cat lived till she was 17 (outdoor cat)so I'm not sure where you get your 2-5 years life term from. The cat I have now is very content and healthy. He has all his shots up to date and has been fixed. He also has regular flea/worm treatment. I'm not seeing anything dead lying around that's he's killed but that's not to say he hasn't because he probably has at some time, all cats do, it's in their nature. Anyway, the decision stays the same.
Elly, I don't think it's ok for cats to be bothering neighbours next to their yard and killing wildlife they are trying to attract. If I had any complaints, I would seriously rethink my decision. Still no-one has any suggestions for birds swooping at the windows, does the cat get locked in a windowless room for a couple of weeks?

This is what I was talking about.

Honestly, cat owners that allow their pets outdoors that kill birds always have a reason not to keep them indoors. I have visited this forum for 12 years, and have found it futile to change people's minds on the subject. So basically, they make a choice: it's OK for their cats to kill and maim wildlife.

My last cat contracted feline leukemia and died an agonizing death with a stomach full of tumors. She didn't get it from inside of the house. I haven't let any cat outside since.

If you do let the cat out, keep an eye on it. Cats can become a menace to the local wildlife and vice versa. You may want to fence off your yard and try to keep the cat within your yard. Use common sense, if you see coyotes outside, you probably don't want to have your cat outside. If you live near water, cats can be killed by snapping turtles, too.

As for bluejay, they are easily spooked. Just looking at them will make them go away. I am thinking that they are aggressive because they have nest nearby. Once their babies leave, the problem will go away.

Paul
Paul

Not on topic

My vet explained that some kittens are born with feline luekemia after a neighborhood cat died and left kittens. At that time there was no clear test but I passed on one of the kittens. Since luekemia is a blood disease the tumors could have been caused by another problem.

Most of my animals dogs and cats have lived to be in their late teens early twenties and died of kidney problems. Since one of the vets I have had told me that when a dog or cat starts having bad teeth they will develope heart of kidney problems I watch their teeth. By the time the teeth are bad the infection has advanced to far to prevent problems so you only can treat them as they come up.

Currently no teeth problems except for my Cav which following genetics has an enlarged heart. They have started having cat food that seems to be more balance than before.

Having been there the hardest but kindest thing is to let them go. It hurts but they don't.

Nicols, one last point. Not meant to sound rude ...but here goes. This is "the WILDLIFE GARDEN FORUM"! We are people that try to plant native species to help native wildlife. We don't pull native "weeds" like milkweed that the Monarchs use just to make our neighbors happy. We don't use pesticides and dangerous chemicals to make our lawns green. We are people that try to not bother toads when trimming grass. We check for nesters before we start cutting back hedges. We don't care if there is a little mud or bird poop on our porches during nesting season. I was just out trimming around my timber steps to my trail, I was careful to not slice any caterpillars. I understand you came here for suggestions because you wished no harm to the birds, but native wildlife is what this forum is about. Your cat is not native nor wildlife. What did you expect? Native species have the right a way before spoiled cats and lazy owners. This is what Elly is trying to tell you in a very nice way. There are always excuses why you cant keep your cat in. Rubbish, I have 4 that were strays out there killing my wildlife and now more than content to live inside, yes it took some work but my cats and my wildlife are all much safer now.. Yup, sounds rude and agin not meant to be an attack but it's the gosh darned truth! Nuff said.

Sorry although some are trying to plant only natives even if those natives are not native to their area I would hope the people posting on here would be planting for the birds and other wildlife.

Depending on where anyone is at if you list your "native" plants a good third to one half will not be native to your area. Just because a plant if from North America does not mean it is native to your area. You do realize that some of the milkweeds in commerce as native are not native to all of North America.

There is a native plant group if anyone wants to talk about native plants rather than providing food and shelter to birds and other wildlife.

What about hawks? They nested in my yard last year and killed at least 4 birds that I personally witnessed.

I allow my cats in my fenced in back yard. They've never caught a bird, a few chipmunks yes, but no birds.

Right now I've got a mockingbird that will not allow any other bird around the yard, even the nesting robins and wrens are being harassed.

Nature is cruel. Things hunt and get hunted. It's just the way it is. Birds are cruel to other birds and kill other birds.

I'd just like to speak up in support of keeping cats indoors. The blue jays are clearly defending a nest or fledglings. Isn't this a wildlife garden forum? I don't understand how someone could post here being more concerned about their outdoor(!) cat having peace and quiet, than about the wildlife that is living out there and trying to survive.

I grew up with outdoor cats all my life, before I knew better. Now I have two cats who stay inside. I evict invasive species in my yard, both plant and animal, and plant native species grown by local nurseries which specialize in natives. Isn't this is what wildlife gardening is all about- benefiting wildlife, not just doing what's easy and convenient for us?

As for us "save the birds" people being under-educated, what have YOU done lately to educate yourself about wildlife?

--
Liz in MN

What better place to educate yourself about the birds than here? If you do a search about deterring the birds elsewhere youÂll see a lot of people say to shoot them. I didnÂt want to go down that path. IÂm not trying to attract anything in my yard, itÂs a play place for my daughter so thereÂs no native plants or bird feeders. I donÂt even have trees, so the birds are coming in from elsewhere.
IÂm not making excuses keeping my cat in as some have said. If you read my original posts I have said "I personally find it cruel to keep a cat indoors. They have a natural instinct to be outside". That is MY opinion, itÂs nothing to do with being a lazy cat owner. If I was a lazy cat owner the cat wouldnÂt have good health care like he gets and heÂd be left out at all hours of the night.

If you want to get technical, people aren't native and they are very invasive. Maybe we should all leave.

The decision to keep your cat inside is a personal one, and very dependent on where you live. I allow my cats in the back yard, so I don't have feeders there. But birds still come in the back and nest there. My cats watch them but leave them alone.

Native American..Cherokee. 5th generation, card carying.

Thank you for illustrating my point.

Honestly, cat owners that allow their pets outdoors that kill birds always have a reason not to keep them indoors. I have visited this forum for 12 years, and have found it futile to change people's minds on the subject. So basically, they make a choice: it's OK for their cats to kill and maim wildlife.

That'll be the 3rd time you've said that Elly...

can we turn away for a moment from this outdoor cat debate. Please pray for the wildlife suffering right now from the oil spill.

I have 5 cats. They all go outside at night because that is what they want. Two of them will spray in my house if they come in, so there is absolutely no way I am going to allow them inside. The other ones come in for most of the morning and sleep. They are very good at keeping the mice population down. I personally do not see how any animal was meant to be strictly kept inside, but it is all in what we prefer I suppose. I also do not see any dead birds, but do find dead mice on my front door step.
Take care.

If you fix your cats they will be less likely to "spray". We have too many strays around here; people feed them even though it's illegal. Because of all the cat food we have problems with skunks, raccoons, opossums and foxes. Not to mention an abundance of kittens, very loud cat fights and lots of dead wildlife. Please, if you have cats KEEP THEM INDOORS!!!

Fixing does not stop spraying. I have watched cats too long to not to know that. Some fixed cats can spray urine up to 5+ feet. Some cats prefer spraying to lowering their rear's to go to the bathroom. Only supposition but perhaps the surgery caused pain when going to the bathroom.

I just had a thought: Cat owners that think their cat is not killing birds are like people thinking that because they don't see dead oiled birds the oil spill is not killing them.

I live in NJ. I have not personally seen oiled wildlife from the Gulf spill. Therefore, oils spills don't kill birds.

But I don't kill any birds myself so that probably makes up for any the neighborhood cats kill. Anyone that knowingly kills and does not eat what they kill has a problem with their priorities. Mine is to attract things to kill pests that would destroy the plants I plant. Can be anything from the random hawk to the raccoons and opposums that eat the grubs in my yard. The cats catch the voles and few mice that we get and keept the larger preditors from finding this area too attractive.

I knew this thread was going to degenerate to the normal cat bashing. But those that are cat bashing are also likely to bash the squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and sparrows that bother them rather than thanking creatures that help keep them in check.

Nobody is bashing Cats. I love cats. I feed the Rabbits Chipmunks and Squirrels. I have fed Racoons and a family of Opposums in very harsh winter weather along with the Deer and Turkeys. I do have to say I stop at the English House Sparrow! I will dispose of them though it makes me sick to have to do so.

A plastic owl is very unlikely to chase the bluejays away, since bluejays will mob an owl. So save your money.

Birds make noise. Live with it. Get ear plugs, of move into a high rise apartment in the middle of the city. (oh wait, there are birds in the middle of big cities).

If you live in a neighborhood where there are houses and the houses have yards and plants, there are going to be birds. You can't change that.

Your kid makes noise. Your cat makes noise. Your neighbors have to live with that.

You are not going to find a place where you have quiet. If you are near people, people make all sorts of noise. If you are out in the wilderness, animals make all sorts of noise. if you are out in the country, farm animals and tractors and dirt bikes make lots of noise.

You don't have many options other than to live with noise.

GO ellie and candie!
a large predator is hanging around our neighborhood and killing pet cats so i figure that nature is taking care of business as always, since so many people won't take care of their pets.
min

I'd like to add that people who insist on turning their domestic cats outdoors are sending the cats out to deal with cars, disease, dogs, coyotes, sicko people, parasites, etc, as best the cats can.

If the cat is being turned outside to deal with dangers on it's own, it can darn well deal with the blue jays on it's own. The blue jays are the least of the dangers an outdoor cat will face and deal with.

Give the cat some sort of shelter that it can get into to escape the jays and go about your business not worrying about how the cat is doing out there in the world.

All the discussion aside, I think oregon's first post above addresses the OP's issue the best. Your wee one will get used to the noise and sleep right through it given the chance. Millenia ago, when my son was small, the pediatrician said we absolutely shouldn't go out of our way to be quiet when the baby/child was sleeping. Never did, never had sleeping issues with him.