I want a cat but there are lots of birds in my garden.

[Frizzbonce]

I've recently moved to a ground floor flat with a lovely big terrace - away from the road and lots of shrubbery which gets plenty of birdy visitors. I really want to get a cat but I'm worried about the cat killing most of them.

Are there any decent collars and bells on the market that make enough noise to give the birds fair warning? Before my lovely ex cat died she was very wily and always managed to get her collar off anyway (it had one of those snap devices so she couldn't choke herself if she got stuck).

Any advice would be appreciated.

Would an indoor cat be an option? Shelters usually have indoor cats to adopt.

It seems unfair to keep a cat indoors if I have a nice big terrace. Maybe I could ask for an elderly cat whose happy to lie around sunning himself.

If you get an indoor cat from a shelter it wouldn't be cruel, as they wouldn't be used to going outside - many would be terrified to leave the house.

It does seem a shame to get an indoor cat in the circumstances. Hunting is something cats tend to grow out of. If you were to adopt a middle aged cat (over 7) I think you're unlikely to have problems with birds. And although I'm very against collars in general you could always get an easy snap off one with a bell.

Someone needs to tell my 16-yr-old moggy that she should have grown out of birding. Sorry, OP.

I once knew a couple, though, who had a 'cat cage' covering half their garden, complete with small tree, and fed the birds in the other half of the garden, so it's possible if you are truly demented determined enough to have a cat.

Thank you for your advice.

Lancelottie when my lovely old cat Sydney was about 17 he would lie in the garden staring rheumily at the birds on the fence. I swear they were hopping back and forth to tease him! He was a bit arthritic then and like elderly men in general preferred to look.

thecatneuterer out of interest are you against ALL collars or just the ones that don't have safety snap offs?

Pootles - I see what you're saying - I've never had a wholly indoor cat so it would be a new experience. Do you put a pot of grass out for them to nibble?

Frizzbonce. I'm generally against all collars. Even the snap off ones can do some damage before they snap off. The cat of a friend of mine was dragged down the road after his snap off collar got caught by a car (a bit of a freak occurence I do realise). It did snap, but not before the cat had been really hurt (although he did survive, which he wouldn't have done had it not been a snap-off). Also if cats get lost then if they're wearing a collar people often don't realise they're lost/stray and so don't try to help them. Also of course if a collar is on a young cat, which gets lost, as it grows the collar will become tighter and tighter. Of course a snap off one will probably snap before it embeds into the neck, before not before causing considerable pain. However I do understand that sometimes collars are necessary - such as for operating some cat flaps and saving wildlife - in which case they must be snap-off ones.

We have a cat. I got one of these for the birdy visitors.

She has brought back mice and grass-snakes instead though.

There's a robin in our garden eating scraps from inside the rabbit run -- watched by the frustrated cat.

What I can't work out is whether s/he knows the cat can't get inside the run, or is just very, very dim?

catneuterer - Thank you for that. Sparkling - it looks like a penthouse restaurant for birds - very frustrating for the cat though! Lancelottie - I know it's a bit mean but a cat watching a bird or a fish it can't get at can be highly amusing. Does yours make that throaty 'let me at 'em' noise?

Sparkling Cat likes to watch them on it but she knows she can't get at them.

Does any of the neighbours have a cat Frizz?

I'm not sure about the grass tbh, I don't have an indoor cat personally but have a friend that does. I'm sure you could ask at the shelter, they'd be more than happy to discuss.

Re the bells on collars - my dads cats have learnt to hunt with their chins down to keep the bells still & quiet sneaky beggars.

Pootles -- Well, yes, bells on collars probably just train the cat to be even sneakier. However, mine now have reflective, jingly collars which give me a chance of avoiding tripping over the little buggers.

Frizz -- just looking longingly with a spot of tail-lashing, when last seen!