Moral question, sort of...

[HirplesWithHaggis]

I live in a farmhouse surrounded by fields, and have two cats who have outdoor access pretty much 24/7/365. They are hunters with one specialising mainly in rodents and the other taking both rodents and birds. We have snow and ice atm, have had for a few days and it's not going to warm up much soon. They haven't caught much lately, but have killed three birds in as many days, two of them robins. (I had no idea we had more than one, but a third has appeared today.)

I do feel guilty about the birds, less so the rodents. I'm concerned that with this cold weather the birds are taking risks because they're hungry, and less alert for the same reason, and I'd like to feed them. But would a feeding station put them at more risk from the cats? And what kind of feeding station wouldn't attract rodents?

Feeding station the cats can't possibly reach (far from their territory) might be ok. Not near your home unless you want to reward the cats.

I have a bird feeder that hangs off a tall metal pole. It is in the garden by a bush that is good cover for birds but too weak to support our cats. They feed there fine. Cats have never caught one.

I couldn't service a feeding station that far away. They've been seen in fields a mile and more away. But thanks for the response.

It was a pole type thing I was thinking of, so that's hopeful!

It should work. Mine is like a shepherd hook and you hang a wild bird feeder tube off it. It’s best to put close by a bush that can support birds but not cats or squirrels. That way birds can quickly hop back and forth from feeder to bush as needed. I chose this one too as a larger bird feeder would result in feeding the large number of rooks that roost opposite in the big trees. I wanted to feed the smaller wild birds without the cats or rooks getting them, and without squirrels eating the food too.

You can get feeders that fit to windows with suction cups - could you have one of them on an upstairs window?

DPs have a normal feeder on a hanging basket bracket outside a second floor window (they're in a flat) but appreciate you might not want to be drilling holes in walls!

My Whippets wear bear bells to warn prey that they are incoming at 90mph and so far have not killed anything since wearing them.

Bear bells would be too big for cats but you could try these -

I too live in farmhouse and do not bell my cats because I want them to keep killing the various rodents that constantly try home invasion.

Wouldn't a feeding station just encourage them to be within easy reach of the cats? I am not on a farm so different situation but I have no bird feeders as I don't want them hanging out here, my cat is a skilled huntress.

Interesting suggestions, thanks. I have a tiny garden (despite living rurally!) which is mostly grass and patio but also has one tree (a plane) and an extensive bramble bush. We leave the brambles and honeysuckle seeds for the birds but they're pretty much all gone now. We also have a large jackdaw population and I'm swithering as to the wisdom of feeding those smart wee buggers. I won't bell my cats, a friend's cat died horribly because she belled it, and as pp says, I'm happy for them to be keeping on top of the mouse/rat issue.

housing101, that's my "moral" issue, can I feed the birds without making them vulnerable to the cats? Seems there are ways...

Actually, WeeDangerousSpike, now I think of it I have plant hangers already affixed to the walls, perhaps I can use them!

@Housing101

Wouldn't a feeding station just encourage them to be within easy reach of the cats? I am not on a farm so different situation but I have no bird feeders as I don't want them hanging out here, my cat is a skilled huntress.

Well the one I have is 7ft tall and so the bottom of the feeder is 6ft high. No house cat can jump 6ft straight up. It’s out of their reach.

A cat collar with a bell I suggest you try first before feeding birds. When mum had a second cat and it would accept a collar and bell, no more dead birds ended up on the doorstep.

At least one of my cats - the bird catcher - can indeed leap six feet, I've seen him do it indoors. He couldn't get much higher, though, so I think using the flowerbasket hooks already attached to the house (over six feet from the ground) and a tall spike in the back garden should work. Thanks for the input, everyone. :)