Cats and garden birds: feeding and nesting with a pet cat

Plenty of people who feed birds also own a cat, and plenty of gardens are visited by a neighbour’s cat whatever you do. This page is not an argument about whether cats should be outdoors. It is the practical part: how to keep feeding and nesting birds safer in a garden that a cat uses.

The advice comes from pages opened on 14 November 2026: International Cat Care’s Should my cat wear a collar?, Cats Protection’s outdoor cats page, and the BTO’s putting up a nest box page. We have not quoted any figure for how many birds cats catch. The numbers in circulation vary, and we did not open a source we were willing to stand behind.

A collar and a bell

International Cat Care says research by the RSPB found that attaching a bell to a cat’s collar can reduce the number of birds caught. They are careful about it: a bell may not entirely stop a cat catching wildlife, but it can help.

The collar matters as much as the bell. Their safety points are:

• Snap-open. Choose a collar with a snap-open, quick-release buckle that comes apart if the cat is caught, and one that does not need excessive force to open.
• No elastic. They say they would never recommend a collar with an elastic section.
• Fit. Firm enough that you can only get one or two fingers underneath, rechecked a few minutes after fitting.
• A sealed bell. The bell should be completely sealed, with no slits that claws can catch in.

They also warn that collars and attachments can cause injuries, and that microchipping is the more permanent form of identification. A collar is a choice to make for your own cat, and your vet can advise.

Keeping a cat in at the riskier times

Cats Protection’s outdoor page suggests keeping your cat inside at night, when small mammals are most active, particularly during dawn and dusk. They also suggest keeping your cat indoors if a fledgling is in the garden, until its parents lead it away.

That second point is the one most garden-bird owners can act on. Young birds that have just left the nest can spend time on the ground and in low cover before they fly well. A few days of keeping the cat in while that happens is a small cost. We have not opened a page that sets a number of hours or a list of months, so we do not give one.

Cats Protection also recommends regular play sessions that mimic hunting, with toys such as a fishing-rod toy, swapped regularly to keep play interesting. A cat that has hunted a toy is not guaranteed to leave the birds alone, but it is a kinder option than any deterrent.

Where the feeder goes

Cats hunt by getting close without being seen. A feeder sited without thinking about that is an ambush point.

• Cover, but not too close. The where to hang a feeder guide sets out the RSPB’s balance: close enough to cover that birds can dash to it, not so close that a predator can hide in it.
• High and away from launch points. Cats Protection says keep bird tables and feeders high and away from platforms a cat could leap from, such as a fence top, a wall or a shed roof.
• On a thin pole. They suggest hanging feeders from tall, thin shepherd’s hooks, because cats cannot climb them.
• Not on the ground. They say avoid feeding wildlife on the ground. That fits the RSPB’s separate advice against flat feeding surfaces.
• Prickly planting. They suggest prickly plants near feeders, which makes the approach harder for a cat.

Where the nest box goes

The BTO says make sure cats cannot get into the box, and keep boxes out of easy reach of predators such as cats and squirrels. Cats Protection says position nest boxes where cats cannot reach them.

Look at the box from a cat’s point of view: what can it climb, jump from, or walk along? A box beside a shed roof or above a fence rail is within reach even if it looks high. Hole sizes and heights are in the nest box guide. Open-fronted boxes for robins need special care, because they rely on being hidden in climbers that a cat can also use; see sparrow terraces and open-fronted boxes.

Dense cover is still good

It might seem logical to clear shrubs so a cat has nowhere to hide. That would take away the cover birds need too. Dense, thorny hedges give birds somewhere to escape into and somewhere to nest that a cat finds hard to reach. The trick is placement: dense cover near the feeder, but not under it, and a nest box in or above cover, not beside an easy climb.

Other animals in the same garden

A garden that is good for birds is often used by hedgehogs too, and anything put out for them can be eaten by a cat; Hedgehog Street says as much. Hedgehog Street’s idea of a feeding station a cat cannot get into is in the hedgehog houses guide, and the gaps in your fence that let hedgehogs move between gardens are in hedgehog highways.

If your cat brings in a bird

If it is alive, keep it somewhere quiet and contact a wildlife rescue or a vet; the RSPB’s injured bird page lists who to call. Ask them before releasing it; a bird that looks unhurt may still need checking.

Does a bell on a collar actually help?

International Cat Care says RSPB research found a bell can reduce the number of birds a cat catches, but may not stop it entirely. Use a snap-open collar with a sealed bell, fitted so only one or two fingers fit underneath.

When should I keep my cat in?

Cats Protection suggests keeping a cat inside at night, particularly at dawn and dusk, and whenever a fledgling is in the garden until its parents lead it away.

Should I stop feeding birds because I have a cat?

The pages we opened do not say that. They describe safer placement instead: feeders high and away from launch points, not on the ground, and nest boxes out of a cat’s reach.