As a followup to yesterday’s post on making outdoor cats indoor cats here is a link to Ted Williams thoughtful and well-written explanation of why trap-neuter-return cat colonies are not a good option…disease, predation, and a false feeling of doing good: why would anyone support such an ecologically devastating practice?
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their indoor cat, B.B. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
Hi Corey,
I have a small company in Vermont that I started last spring with a mission of protecting wild birds from predation by outdoor housecats. First, I do think indoor cats are the best solution. There are so many outdoor cat owners to convert, though, that I’m happy that my invention can help reduce cat predation on birds immediately. My product is called the Birdsbesafe Cat Collar, and it uses bright colored fabric around a breakaway cat collar. The cat wearing it is super-visible to songbirds who see bright colors extremely well. The birds then have time to see the cat and fly off. My customers are finding what I did–it really works. Thanks, Corey.