Accessory before the fact

[rolanni]

We feed the birds off our deck. It's one of those pleasant, harmless things that one does, and while there are hunting cats on the gore -- and sometimes on our deck -- they don't seem very able birders, though Scruffy has a very deft touch with a chipmunk.

This evening -- mere moments ago -- Scruffy nailed the upside-down bird (this would a "nuthatch" to the wider universe). I like most of the birds who come to the feeder (with the sort of general benevolence one feels for the gentle creatures of air and wood when they're not actually doing something destructive), but the nuthatch was my favorite. He would hang upside down from the wooden bird feeder and pull seeds out one at a time; he would stroll the deck stakes, unconcernedly perpendicular. He had a perpetual air of unassailable and faintly ridiculous dignity. He made me laugh.

And if we didn't make a habit of feeding the birds off the deck, he wouldn't have been in harm's way today.

I feel like a murderer.

Comments

Oh....hugs offered.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Much sympathy.

My cats are all indoor cats, so I don't feel quite such an immediate response--but I do run cats off from the feeder, knowing that they undoubtedly think of it as the best hangout in the neighborhood for a varied diet.

It doesn't matter that it's instinct, and that it's silly to blame them for doing what they are designed to do...I still love the chickadees and nuthatches and cardinals best, and I, too, would feel like a murderer.

Perhaps you must acquire still another feeder, one that is harder for the cats to reach, to feed more birds. This logic is that if you are helping more birds out, it atones for the one who has been lost?

But then I am a Cancer, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Scotch--guilt is my middle name.

A friend has a small pond, and she has a Super Soaker next to her back door, to nail cats fishing for her frogs. She didn't put frogs in the small, artificial pond and waterfall--but she created it, and the frogs came.

Perhaps a Super Soaker? Or would that be too involved? Or does the skulking and hunting take place when you are gone?

Re: Oh....hugs offered.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

kinzel has a new bird feeder on a tall pole, and the equipment necessary to install it. Apparently installation is on the to-do list for today.

All of our cats are house-dwellers, too. Our land backs on the Straight Route from the village to Waterville, and is kept moderately busy (for Maine's definition of "busy") by lots of pickup trucks being driven waaaay too fast. Even if that weren't the case, I wouldn't want one of our guys to tangle with a 'coon or a fisher or a coyote. Nature may be red in tooth and nail, but our four signed the Housecat Contract...

Scruffy, the murderess, lives next house over, and wanders over to our place to hunt when the mice in her field get word out that The Cat is on the prowl. Usually, she stays down in the tall grass, but I have found her on the deck from time to time. Yesterday, I had no idea she was within a mile of the place until I saw her on the railing with the bird in her mouth.

Re: Oh....hugs offered.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I have this suddenly tempting vision of your putting grocery store crunchies out for Said Cat during her daytime prowl.... Is that cheating?

[christymarx.livejournal.com]

I always have the same worry because I love having birdfeeders out. I love the nuthatches, too. Sympathies.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I'll second the squirtgun suggestion. "Mittens" took a house finch off our feeder, 4 or 5 feet off the ground, quite a performance. Mittens hasn't camped out in that area since "showing the instruments" with an accurate squirtgun. I like cats, but am prepared to offend catdom if necessary.