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Those poor birds
Apr. 20th, 2024 06:45 am Our cats are indoor cats, but they have a cat door in the bedroom window that leads to an outdoor enclosed wire mesh catio with a metal roof. One day last week I went into the bedroom to find both cats on the bed standing up, trying to reach the top of the banner. On the banner pole sat a small bird, which didn't look at all happy with the situation.
The bird flew to the other room and landed on a shelf in the corner. I plucked up the cats (who had followed the bird), locked them in the bedroom, and opened the window in the room with the bird. When it didn't fly out directly I carefully walked over to to the wall near the bird, then gradually approached its corner, and it promptly flew out the window. I hope it surrived its ordeal.
When I let the cats out they spent quite a while searching for the bird, and seemed most dissapointed that the delightful play thing was gone. Judging by the blood I found later that day, high up on the living room window, the bird did not agree with the cats. (Note, I never saw the bird in the living room, so the cats must have been tormenting it for some time before I saw them at it.)
I guess the poor thing must have flown through the wire into the catio, whereupon one of them managed to catch it and carry it into the house (unless a tiny bird is strong enough to open a cat door on its own), before it got free to seek refuge in up.
Edited 2024-04-22 to add: yesterday morning I woke early and when to the computer to writea job application. Some time later Keldor was abruptly woken by a high speed cat leaping onto his leg and ricocheting towardsge cat door in the window, and then bouncing off the other leg on a return trip shortly thereafter. This surprised him, as it is usually the middle of the night they do their chasing games.
After I fiinished with the computer I joined him in the living room, where he was drinking tea and sitting on the sofa. As I went to sit down I saw three small feathers on the sofa next to him, and wondered if they had come from the bird the other day, and if so, why hadn't we noticed them sooner. At this point he noticed both cats, in stalking mode, staring up at the curtain rod behind us.
At this point a small bird, seeing the cats trying to get to it, flew frantically across the room, hit the wall above the aquarium, and fell into the water. It managed to get itself up out of the water and perched on the back of the aquarium as the cats rushed across the room after it. Closely followed by to people. I managed to scoop up Kali and carry her out and lock her in the bedroom. Keldor stood gaurd by the aquarium, and hadn't yet managed to catch Skaði.
I caught Skaði, and stupidly opened the door to the bedroom, to lock her in, too. Of course as, soon as I opened the door, Kalika shot out of the room at high speed. So I locked Skaði in the bedroom, and went after Kali, who, when she realised we were after her, went under the couch. After failing to reach her under the couch, I went and got the jar of cat treats. I placed one on the floor, and a single paw reached out to try to grab the treat. So I moved the treat a little further out, and a head followed the outstretched paw, and then I could grab her. This time Keldor suggested the bathroom, so I locked her (with the cat treat) in the bathroom, and came out to see Keldor taking a photo of the bird, which was still sitting on the back rim of the aquarium.
We opened the window. The bird sat there. I placed myself in the doorway to the music room, and Keldor approached the aquarium with hand out, offering the bird a ride. The bird flew to the office. So we opened the office window, and shut the door, and the bird took the offered escape and flew out the window. I hope it surrives.
The cats spent a fair bit of time looking for the bird after we let them out, and we cleaned small feathers off of the living room ceiling and carpet.
Then Keldor went out and moved the bird feeding station from near the catio to a tree much further away, in hopes that this will stop the birds from hopping into the catio and then panicking and not being able to fly out as their wing span is wider than the gap between the wires.
When I let the cats out they spent quite a while searching for the bird, and seemed most dissapointed that the delightful play thing was gone. Judging by the blood I found later that day, high up on the living room window, the bird did not agree with the cats. (Note, I never saw the bird in the living room, so the cats must have been tormenting it for some time before I saw them at it.)
I guess the poor thing must have flown through the wire into the catio, whereupon one of them managed to catch it and carry it into the house (unless a tiny bird is strong enough to open a cat door on its own), before it got free to seek refuge in up.
Edited 2024-04-22 to add: yesterday morning I woke early and when to the computer to writea job application. Some time later Keldor was abruptly woken by a high speed cat leaping onto his leg and ricocheting towardsge cat door in the window, and then bouncing off the other leg on a return trip shortly thereafter. This surprised him, as it is usually the middle of the night they do their chasing games.
After I fiinished with the computer I joined him in the living room, where he was drinking tea and sitting on the sofa. As I went to sit down I saw three small feathers on the sofa next to him, and wondered if they had come from the bird the other day, and if so, why hadn't we noticed them sooner. At this point he noticed both cats, in stalking mode, staring up at the curtain rod behind us.
At this point a small bird, seeing the cats trying to get to it, flew frantically across the room, hit the wall above the aquarium, and fell into the water. It managed to get itself up out of the water and perched on the back of the aquarium as the cats rushed across the room after it. Closely followed by to people. I managed to scoop up Kali and carry her out and lock her in the bedroom. Keldor stood gaurd by the aquarium, and hadn't yet managed to catch Skaði.
I caught Skaði, and stupidly opened the door to the bedroom, to lock her in, too. Of course as, soon as I opened the door, Kalika shot out of the room at high speed. So I locked Skaði in the bedroom, and went after Kali, who, when she realised we were after her, went under the couch. After failing to reach her under the couch, I went and got the jar of cat treats. I placed one on the floor, and a single paw reached out to try to grab the treat. So I moved the treat a little further out, and a head followed the outstretched paw, and then I could grab her. This time Keldor suggested the bathroom, so I locked her (with the cat treat) in the bathroom, and came out to see Keldor taking a photo of the bird, which was still sitting on the back rim of the aquarium.
We opened the window. The bird sat there. I placed myself in the doorway to the music room, and Keldor approached the aquarium with hand out, offering the bird a ride. The bird flew to the office. So we opened the office window, and shut the door, and the bird took the offered escape and flew out the window. I hope it surrives.
The cats spent a fair bit of time looking for the bird after we let them out, and we cleaned small feathers off of the living room ceiling and carpet.
Then Keldor went out and moved the bird feeding station from near the catio to a tree much further away, in hopes that this will stop the birds from hopping into the catio and then panicking and not being able to fly out as their wing span is wider than the gap between the wires.