I have a problem. (long post warning)

[kenny]

Several weeks ago a young feral cat moved into my backyard.
It walks up and down our driveway several times a day, which drives our parrot Bibi crazy.
Bibi's cage is right next to a window overlooking the driveway.
I've tried closing the blinds so he can't see it, but somehow Bibi must be able to hear it, even through closed windows.

I won't move his cage since it's in the perfect location.
From there he can see us in the breakfast nook, kitchen, dining room, and living room.
They are flock animals which stress out if they are alone and can't see where their flock-mates are.
If Bibi can't see anyone he must think he's lost, and in mortal danger without the other 200 eyes of the flock looking out for danger.
So I can't just move the cage.

Bibi has been extremely agitated and preoccupied; I assume he feels threatened by being a couple feet away from the hunting wild cat stalking our driveway.
We often walk outside with birdie on a shoulder.
DH was outside recently and said when the cat saw Bibi on his shoulder (instead of immediately running away) he stared at and studied Bibi a long time as he licked his lips.

Fear of predation would explain why most of Bibi's day is spent screaming, and pacing rapidly back and forth on his perch, straining his neck to see out the window.

My next door neighbor, on our driveway side, is a cat-lover with several cats that never leave her house.
She told me she's keeps a plate of dry cat food out for the feral.
I said, "Don't do that, you are feeding the problem instead of solving it."
She said, "But the food is on my property, not yours."
I said that makes no difference, the cat will stay here as long as someone's feeding it.
She curtly replied, "I don't want to get into a debate about this."

When the food is gone the cat cries continuously right outside our living room, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, or back bedroom.
She says she has someone come over to feed it when she's out of town, but that person is not reliable.
Plus all kinds of other critters probably eat the food, possums, rats, mice, coyotes, skunks and glob know what else.
Last time she left the cat cried continuously for 3 days.
And no, I'm not going to feed it.
Sorry missy.

When I asked my neighbor to not feed it, she said, "But I feel sorry for it."
I sort of lost it right then, telling her she's contributing to our city's large feral cat problem.
If not for her I'd catch it, pay to have it fixed, and release it in a semi-wild-park location nearby known for feral cats.

It's so bad that I'm honestly considering finding my parrot a new home, which would tear my guts out; I love that little guy.
Another reason I don't want to re-home him is he's getting superior and very rare care here in our flock.
Few people can or are willing to learn and meet the many many needs of a parrot.
For a few months now he's been miserable and is suffering greatly.
And I do not exactly enjoy near-constant crying cat and screaming parrot all day.

What would you do?
I hate to go there ---> but what are my rights?
Who's cat, if anyone's, is it?
I consider it a wild animal.

My name is Kenny, and I have a problem.

 

[pearlsngems]

...
If not for her I'd catch it, pay to have it fixed, and release it in a semi-wild-park location nearby known for feral cats.
...

Can you call anyone to do this on your behalf, (you footing the bill for it)?

I'm a cat lover but this situation does not seem good for anyone, including the cat.

 

[kenny]

Can you call anyone to do this on your behalf, (you footing the bill for it)?

I'm a cat lover but this situation does not seem good for anyone, including the cat.

Thank you, but I have no problem doing it.
I have a trap I can bait with canned tuna.
If I go ahead I'm going to research this extensively and talk to vets and our shelter (which does fix cats) so the cat has the least-traumatic experience possible.

My conundrum is not how to do the deed itself, I just don't want to ruin my relationship with my neighbor.
She's wonderful and we get alone well.

 

[pearlsngems]

She loves her cats that she owns, and you love your birds that you own.
You have this in common. You both love your pets.

Neither of you owns the feral cat but it is harming your pet.
If a feral animal were harming her pets, I think she would take action.

Perhaps you can point this out to her?
Surely she doesn't expect you to allow your pet to experience harm?
Is she even aware of the deleterious effect the feral cat is having on your bird?

 

[kenny]

Thanks Pearlsngems.
I'm sure she has heard Bibi's noise level increase dramatically of late.

Over the years she's volunteered several times that she actually loves hearing Bibi.
It makes her feel like she's out in a wild tropical place.

Also she told me to never go to her house with Bibi on my shoulder.
One of her cats can jump that high and is obsessed with birds.
He got out once and returned with a dead, but still warm, 'gift' for her.

 

[pearlsngems]

Then she would not want you to have to re-home Bibi.

I just read the edit in your first post-- that she replied curtly that she didn't want to get into a debate about feeding the feral cat.

I think you should go ahead and remove the feral cat. If she objects you can say that you have to prioritize the well being of Bibi-- and don't want to get into a debate about it.

 

[dk168]

Install a motion detecting sprinkler or other cat deterrent devices?

DK

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Oh poor Bibi
I feed a wild/stray/ ferrel
Its taken more than 3 years
He now comes to the backdoor or even inside
And im finally allowed to touch him
i hope over the winter he will continue to get friendly so i can take him to the vet
its not his fault he is a stray/ wild/ ferrel
when i look into his eyes a little furry soul looks back at me

Im no help Kenny
but as someone with terrible neighbours i urge you to tread carefully

Edited to say if i took him to the SPCA before he is friendly he would be euthanized and thats not fare on him
we will probably just keep him

 

[seafarm]

Do you have the RSPCA or similar where you live?

A friend had a problem with a feral cat in her yard a few years ago and the RSPCA came to her home and set a trap. It was a cage with food and water that had a spring loaded catch that closed when the cat entered the cage.

The day the cat was caught she notified the RSPCA and they came to collect it.

I’m unsure what happened after that but the cat would have been dealt with humanely if it could not be tamed and rehomed.

We have two cats but they are house cats and never go outside. We have too many birds and wildlife that visit us…..plus the condition of adoption was that they would remain indoors.

I would hate to see you give up your Bibi, and I agree he should be your priority. Your neighbour should understand. If the feral cat was creating problems with her cats, wouldn’t she want to do something to protect them?

 

[Brigid]

Oh @kenny you are in a pickle, good luck!
I have a rescue kitten turning into cat, he is 10 months old now and he is an indoor cat only as we live very close to a nature reserve.
We have the prettiest birds come into our backyard I love birds, I’m a bit of a ‘twitcher’.
Our pet rescue organisations don’t put animals down & if they do it’s only due to the animal’s quality of life. Their mission is to re-home as a pet!

 

[Bron357]

You need to tell your neighbour that feral cats haven’t had their shots so her cats are at risk of illness / death if the feral cat bites or scratches them.
If she loves the feral cat so much she needs to take over ownership. She needs to trap the cat, have it desexed, give it all its shots / medical attention, give it a name, a collar with a bell and then keep it inside at night so it isn’t causing trouble to itself or the local wildlife / native animals aren’t killed or injured.
Feral cats don’t have a great life, they are prone to injury and illness, don’t have regular food and nowhere safe to rest.
Feral cats are a problem for people with other pets. Someone’s dog might injure it, it might kill or injury someone else’s pet bunny or Guinea pig or ferret or in your case your pet bird.
How would you neighbour feel if you “befriended” a homeless roaming PitBull ? She would feel extremely uncomfortable and threatened and fear for her cats. Well, that exactly how you feel about this feral cat in relation to your pet bird.
It’s not about not loving cats or dogs or birds it’s about owning and caring for them responsibly and if no one is doing that then the roaming animal needs to be caught and rehomed or dealt with humanely.

 

[foxinsox]

Contact a rescue to trap, neuter and rehome the cat. Your neighbour putting food out out but not doing the rest of what should be done isn’t helping it however much she thinks she is if the cat is crying so much.
I don’t think you need to tell her - from her limited care of it, she’s unlikely to know if it got predated on or just vanished. Maybe time it for when she’s out of town if you really don’t want to upset her.

 

[missy]

Hi Kenny I am sorry Bibi is going through this.

Is there only one feral cat? Generally they travel in groups.
If it is only one and she/he doesnt have a group they travel with I would ask your neighbor to do TNR and vaccinations (this is what we do for our ferals) and then relocate the cat.

Or better yet find a home for the feral on a farm with horses. This is what we did with one of our ferals years ago. Feral cats love horses and vice versa and farms generally love to have feral cats to keep away the mice. It's a symbiotic relationship. Yes it will take energy and time on your part but it could be a good solution for Bibi.

Please don't call animal control. They most likely will eventually put the cat down. Yes feral cats are wild but they are living beings. There is a solution here but it will take energy, time and work. Wishing you success and a happy ending for all.

 

[missy]

Feral cats don’t have a great life, they are prone to injury and illness, don’t have regular food and nowhere safe to rest.

This is true if no one steps in but for example our ferals have as good a life as they can. They are truly wild so we cannot take them inside and domesticate them but we do TNR, vaccinations and release them on our property and feed them and take care of them as much as possible. They have a good life here. But if humans just ignore the problems (which is what humans usually do) you are right. Their life can be hell and they die young. Very sad.

Here are three of our ferals. Fresca, Pepsi and Dr Pepper.




Fresca closer up.

 

[missy]

If not for her I'd catch it, pay to have it fixed, and release it in a semi-wild-park location nearby known for feral cats.

This might be the best option and I would think your neighbor should be fine with this option. The cat will be safe and Bibi can be content again. Win win for all.

 

[missy]

When the food is gone the cat cries continuously right outside our living room, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, or back bedroom.
She says she has someone come over to feed it when she's out of town, but that person is not reliable.
Plus all kinds of other critters probably eat the food, possums, rats, mice, coyotes, skunks and glob know what else.
Last time she left the cat cried continuously for 3 days.

That is awful. She is not taking good care of the feral IMO. To feed it and then not feed it at times is making life more challenging for the cat. I know you don't want her to set up a feral feeding station on her property but this is our set up for anyone who might be interested in taking care of their ferals properly. It is an automated food station and we remote control it and shut it at night so the raccoons don't destroy it. Which they have done countless times lol. But anyway here it is. Our ferals get fed whether or not we are home.

Greg built this and it's on our side porch. Away from the street and away from neighbors.







As an aside, our friend made these for the Purple Martins. It's an amazing set up.
Not located anywhere near our cats fyi. Everyone remains safe.

 

[rainydaze]

Thanks Pearlsngems.
I'm sure she has heard Bibi's noise level increase dramatically of late.

You say 'I'm sure...' which suggests that you may be assuming she knows how this is affecting Bibi, and you? If you haven't already, I would recommended talking with her in detail about *how and why* you have been asking her not to feed the cat. I think we all get our panties in a bunch at times when someone else appears to be imposing on us... however once we truly understand what is at stake for them, it softens our point of view. Adding in that this is coming from a place of loving Bibi... but also a place of caring about your relationship with her might go a long way towards bringing her around to understanding your point of view and wanting to help you out.

Otherwise, I might suggest urine pellets that can be sprinkled around a property. I use coyote urine pellets (brand: ShakeAway) to deter deer from eating my hostas (it works!!) .... I wonder if there is something similar to deter cats? Doesn't harm the cats, and your neighbor wouldn't necessarily know you took any action.

 

[Jambalaya]

Can you put orange peel down where the cat roams? Cats hate orange peel. Maybe you could Pavlov the cat into not going there.

 

[MamaBee]

I feel for you Kenny. I don’t know if you remember my son had to rehome his Cockatoo. It broke his heart. It was a different situation though. He was working too much and Einstein was so lonely he was losing feathers.
I would first try inviting your neighbor to your house to visit with Bibi. She may understand more how it’s affecting him. You may have to do more work but ask her if you can find an alternative homing situation for the cat so it will also be happy.
I hope you are able to keep Bibi.
Edited to say I just thought of something. How about having a mirror cut to block that window from him seeing outside. It would also block the sound from the cat. If the cat can’t see Bibi he will lose interest and stop visiting. Also Bibi will enjoy seeing himself and possibly think he has a friend which will
be him..lol In time maybe the cat will move on and you can take away the mirror.

 

[rainydaze]

Busy day.... jumping back in to say that I think it was you who posted some links to videos here about a young woman and her feathered friend(s). It took me down a bit of a rabbit hole whereby I learned so much about them! I had absolutely no idea of their intelligence, or their true needs. I learned they are often like toddlers and require a lot of attention, companionship, opportunities to learn, and supervision. It was eye-opening and fascinating!!

My previous post took this into account but did not clarify: maybe if your neighbor were to have this understanding it would make a difference. She may be seeing it only from her pov which might be that she loves cats, and she is a kindhearted person doing a good thing for this stray. She may feel like her good-heartedness is being tossed aside or unnoticed for someone else's comfort or opinion (on strays).... when it's much more than that. If she were to understand how pressing and personal this truly is to you, she may be able to have a change of mind.

 

[Matata]

I'm going to be the outlier here. Trap the cat and take it to an animal shelter. Your responsibility is only to Bibi. You spoke with your neighbor and that is, imo, sufficient. Again, imo, you have zero responsibility for trapping, neutering, vaccinating problems caused by others. That's enabling bad behavior. There's a chance the cat is a pet. If it's microchipped, the shelter may succeed in contacting its owners. If not, it will either be adopted or euthanized.

The touchy feel good all cats' lives matter mindset fails to acknowledge that neutered/spayed feral cats still engage in wildlife predation, spread disease, and cause property damage.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
First check with your village about the rules on Feral cats. Our village makes it a violation to feed a feral cat. Next our village will come out after a cat is trapped, and neuter it and either re-home or let it back into the community.

My feeling is that action on your part is required, but tell your neighbor that you had to rehome the cat. If she thinks you have been kind to the cat, she will forgive you and understand. After all its not her cat, and she feels sorry for the cat. So do you. It needs to be re-homed. Keep your birdie. Be a good parent, Kenny. Stop the bully.(kidding) from frightening your baby.
Poor thing.

Annette

 

[HollyS]

Several weeks ago a young feral cat moved into my backyard.
It walks up and down our driveway several times a day, which drives our parrot Bibi crazy.
Bibi's cage is right next to a window overlooking the driveway.
I've tried closing the blinds so he can't see it, but somehow Bibi must be able to hear it, even through closed windows.

I won't move his cage since it's in the perfect location.
From there he can see us in the breakfast nook, kitchen, dining room, and living room.
They are flock animals which stress out if they are alone and can't see where their flock-mates are.
If Bibi can't see anyone he must think he's lost, and in mortal danger without the other 200 eyes of the flock looking out for danger.
So I can't just move the cage.

Bibi has been extremely agitated and preoccupied; I assume he feels threatened by being a couple feet away from the hunting wild cat stalking our driveway.
We often walk outside with birdie on a shoulder.
DH was outside recently and said when the cat saw Bibi on his shoulder (instead of immediately running away) he stared at and studied Bibi a long time as he licked his lips.

Fear of predation would explain why most of Bibi's day is spent screaming, and pacing rapidly back and forth on his perch, straining his neck to see out the window.

My next door neighbor, on our driveway side, is a cat-lover with several cats that never leave her house.
She told me she's keeps a plate of dry cat food out for the feral.
I said, "Don't do that, you are feeding the problem instead of solving it."
She said, "But the food is on my property, not yours."
I said that makes no difference, the cat will stay here as long as someone's feeding it.
She curtly replied, "I don't want to get into a debate about this."

When the food is gone the cat cries continuously right outside our living room, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, or back bedroom.
She says she has someone come over to feed it when she's out of town, but that person is not reliable.
Plus all kinds of other critters probably eat the food, possums, rats, mice, coyotes, skunks and glob know what else.
Last time she left the cat cried continuously for 3 days.
And no, I'm not going to feed it.
Sorry missy.

When I asked my neighbor to not feed it, she said, "But I feel sorry for it."
I sort of lost it right then, telling her she's contributing to our city's large feral cat problem.
If not for her I'd catch it, pay to have it fixed, and release it in a semi-wild-park location nearby known for feral cats.

It's so bad that I'm honestly considering finding my parrot a new home, which would tear my guts out; I love that little guy.
Another reason I don't want to re-home him is he's getting superior and very rare care here in our flock.
Few people can or are willing to learn and meet the many many needs of a parrot.
For a few months now he's been miserable and is suffering greatly.
And I do not exactly enjoy near-constant crying cat and screaming parrot all day.

What would you do?
I hate to go there ---> but what are my rights?
Who's cat, if anyone's, is it?
I consider it a wild animal.

My name is Kenny, and I have a problem.

Call your local animal control; surely there is one?? If they can't easily pick up the cat, they'll set a trap for it and get it that way. You've already tried reasoning with the neighbor to no avail. What will likely happen is that it will be taken to a shelter, fed and medically examined, perhaps neutered and put up for adoption. A much better option for the cat than crying for food and attention. Your parrot should not be found a new home because birds bond very strongly with their humans. It would break his heart and yours.

 

[seaurchin]

If not for her I'd catch it, pay to have it fixed, and release it in a semi-wild-park location nearby known for feral cats.

Imo you already gave her a fair chance to be involved but she did not respond reasonably so I wouldn't involve her any further. It would likely only cause an unnecessary rift with her and cause you to spend more time going around and around with it. Just because she puts food out for it sometimes doesn't make it her cat anyway so you don't need her okay on however you decide to handle it.

What you posted above sounds like the best solution to me, all around. For best neighbor harmony just do it when she's not home and don't mention it to her. After all, she already made it clear she didn't want to discuss the issue with you. Good luck!

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

Unlurking myself for this thread. Awwww Kenny I'm sorry this is happening and causing everyone in your house to be stressed. Bibi is part of your family and everyone here knows how much you love your birdies. You can't give up Bibi It makes me sad to read your original post.

Trying to word this in the nicest way possible but I think the cat needs to be rehomed elsewhere. Its very kind of your neighbour to feed the cat but this cat roams around the neighbourhood and isn'tliving a great cat life at the moment. I wouldn't mention anything to your neighbour and organise for the cat to be taken away.

I'd be keeping Bibi inside until the cat is gone.

Good luck Kenny and I hope to read a happy bird post soon

 

[doberman]

Can you contact a shelter to do a TNR? The cat may also be adoptable once he's been neutered. Many feral cats have been able to adjust very well to living in a home. I have one myself.

The cat and the bird are the only ones who count here. Your neighbor's wishes are immaterial.

 

[kenny]

I'm very grateful for everyone's replies.

I'm researching details and will update y'allz when I take action.

 

[LightBright]

You need to tell your neighbour that feral cats haven’t had their shots so her cats are at risk of illness / death if the feral cat bites or scratches them.
If she loves the feral cat so much she needs to take over ownership. She needs to trap the cat, have it desexed, give it all its shots / medical attention, give it a name, a collar with a bell and then keep it inside at night so it isn’t causing trouble to itself or the local wildlife / native animals aren’t killed or injured.
Feral cats don’t have a great life, they are prone to injury and illness, don’t have regular food and nowhere safe to rest.
Feral cats are a problem for people with other pets. Someone’s dog might injure it, it might kill or injury someone else’s pet bunny or Guinea pig or ferret or in your case your pet bird.
How would you neighbour feel if you “befriended” a homeless roaming PitBull ? She would feel extremely uncomfortable and threatened and fear for her cats. Well, that exactly how you feel about this feral cat in relation to your pet bird.
It’s not about not loving cats or dogs or birds it’s about owning and caring for them responsibly and if no one is doing that then the roaming animal needs to be caught and rehomed or dealt with humanely.

Exactly this. Many feral cats have a feline HIV, which is transmissable. My sister lost a stray she adopted who had feline HIV (I’m forgetting what it’s called). And feral cats have other diseases INCLUDING they are animal reservoirs of Covid19. I would call a humane society dealing in feral cats and have a professional trap and deal humanely with that cat. You can make a donation to the organization. Your neighbor is not helping and is actually harming your own pet, by encouraging that cat to be in your yard. Your bird cannot rest while it knows it is at risk. The cat is stalking your bird. Just get the feral cat professionally trapped and rehabilitated. Don’t tell your neighbor a thing, she has proven herself to not care about your needs. (Sorry if I sound harsh here. I’m a wild bird and domesticated bird lover and roaming cats in general are stressful and deadly to birds.)

 

[Arcadian]

Cats that come on my property are in peril because I have 2 dogs that do not like cats. One of which has a mega prey drive and give chase.

I don't ask my neighbors for permission on what to do with my property, and honestly I don't care what they do on theirs.

If they venture onto your property, you have every right to trap and remove them. Set a trap on your property, if they get caught, have them checked, neutered and release them away from your property.

 

[OneKuhlChic]

Several weeks ago a young feral cat moved into my backyard.
It walks up and down our driveway several times a day, which drives our parrot Bibi crazy.
Bibi's cage is right next to a window overlooking the driveway.
I've tried closing the blinds so he can't see it, but somehow Bibi must be able to hear it, even through closed windows.

I won't move his cage since it's in the perfect location.
From there he can see us in the breakfast nook, kitchen, dining room, and living room.
They are flock animals which stress out if they are alone and can't see where their flock-mates are.
If Bibi can't see anyone he must think he's lost, and in mortal danger without the other 200 eyes of the flock looking out for danger.
So I can't just move the cage.

Bibi has been extremely agitated and preoccupied; I assume he feels threatened by being a couple feet away from the hunting wild cat stalking our driveway.
We often walk outside with birdie on a shoulder.
DH was outside recently and said when the cat saw Bibi on his shoulder (instead of immediately running away) he stared at and studied Bibi a long time as he licked his lips.

Fear of predation would explain why most of Bibi's day is spent screaming, and pacing rapidly back and forth on his perch, straining his neck to see out the window.

My next door neighbor, on our driveway side, is a cat-lover with several cats that never leave her house.
She told me she's keeps a plate of dry cat food out for the feral.
I said, "Don't do that, you are feeding the problem instead of solving it."
She said, "But the food is on my property, not yours."
I said that makes no difference, the cat will stay here as long as someone's feeding it.
She curtly replied, "I don't want to get into a debate about this."

When the food is gone the cat cries continuously right outside our living room, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, or back bedroom.
She says she has someone come over to feed it when she's out of town, but that person is not reliable.
Plus all kinds of other critters probably eat the food, possums, rats, mice, coyotes, skunks and glob know what else.
Last time she left the cat cried continuously for 3 days.
And no, I'm not going to feed it.
Sorry missy.

When I asked my neighbor to not feed it, she said, "But I feel sorry for it."
I sort of lost it right then, telling her she's contributing to our city's large feral cat problem.
If not for her I'd catch it, pay to have it fixed, and release it in a semi-wild-park location nearby known for feral cats.

It's so bad that I'm honestly considering finding my parrot a new home, which would tear my guts out; I love that little guy.
Another reason I don't want to re-home him is he's getting superior and very rare care here in our flock.
Few people can or are willing to learn and meet the many many needs of a parrot.
For a few months now he's been miserable and is suffering greatly.
And I do not exactly enjoy near-constant crying cat and screaming parrot all day.

What would you do?
I hate to go there ---> but what are my rights?
Who's cat, if anyone's, is it?
I consider it a wild animal.

My name is Kenny, and I have a problem.

I think the catch, fix and release in a location safe and appropriate for feral cats is perfect!!!! If you look into it, there may be programs in your area that fix cats for free. My county has these programs...