Cats Observe Birds From the Safety of the Great Indoors

 

Spring Backyard Bird Observation is in Full Swing

Now that Spring is really here, after a couple of warm days, then back to snow, then below freezing temperatures,  it seems that we might be able to finally say warmer days are here to stay.  For Annie, Eddie and Mercy, this means the sun room is now open everyday, all day.  Paul and I even cleaned all the windows, screens and persuaded the spiders to relocate.

We rearranged the furniture, including the favorite Cat Power Tower. We moved the Cat Power Tower over into the corner of the sun room so that the cats could see both sides of the back yard from the comfort of their tower.  We also moved the Cat Power Tower over where when the windows are opened, there is glass and not just screen beside the observation platforms, in case a certain cat to remain unnamed  (Annie) decides to leap onto the screen in pursuit of a flying bird.

Three Cats, Three Observation Styles

Mercy prefers to observe from a distance until he assesses the entire yard.  There are a lot of points of interest to observe and Mercy doesn’t want to miss anything so choosing his location is important. With the recent addition of two new bird feeders, there is a lot of activity for the cats to observe.

Annie is definitely like a leopard.  She loves being up high and observing.  She races to the top of the tower and then down again until she settles on a location. Annie is not a look before you leap kind of cat.  She is a bit wild.

Eddie, on the other hand, is far more laid back.  He likes to watch from the comfort of the Thinking Circle.  Eddie is more like a bobcat, in fact, he has staked his claim to not only the Thinking Circle, but the Kat Kabin and the Pink Pei Pod.

The Safety of the Great  Indoors

We keep our cats protected in the safety of the great indoors. Here are a few reasons why:

• Indoor cats have a longer life expectancy.  An outdoor cat faces many more risks to their health and safety than an indoor cat.

• Indoor cats can be protected from toxic plants, chemicals and other dangerous substances.  An outdoor cat is at risk from lawn pesticides, antifreeze, rodent poisons, rotten food in garbage cans and poisoning from people.

• Indoor cats are safe from predators.  In our area, outdoor cats are at risk from big dogs, fox, coyote, bobcat and even hawks and owls.

• Indoor cats are more likely to be flea free.  Outdoor cats can become infested with fleas, ticks or internal worms.

• Indoor cats don’t bother the neighbors   Outdoor cats might pee in the neighbors garden, hunt birds, tease the neighbors indoor cats or walk on the neighbors clean car.

• Indoor cats are safe from vehicles   Outdoor cats are at risk for being hit and killed by vehicles.  If your cat is in pursuit of prey, they might be distracted and run right out in front of a vehicle.  Better for cats to bee indoors.

• We know where they are.  Outdoor cats might wander far from safety and we just don’t have the stomach to worry about them.

Keeping the Great Indoors Interesting for Cats

To keep the cats from getting bored, we arranged the bird feeders all around our yard so that everywhere they look, they can see and follow activity.  Not only from the birds but from rabbits, and raccoons, and even a fox.  The cats can observe the backyard activity from several levels, the floor, the furniture, and the three platforms on their tower.   Mercy is fascinated with the Goldfinch on the side feeder.

On nice days, like today, when there is a nice breeze blowing, we like to open the windows and let the fresh air into the sun room.  This also turns up the volume on the bird chirps and songs as well as other  outdoor sounds.  Annie is obsessed with a chipmunk that runs in and out of his burrow just outside of the sun room windows.

Eddie decides to catch up on his sleep after keeping track of a squirrel for the better part of the morning.