I would really like to put an aviary up at my new house. I have a great spot down between the town-houses where I could build the aviary up against my dining room window so I can open up the windows and have the birds up against the flywire - like having them inside. The spot itself will have a rainforest type garden and it gets sun in the morning, cool in summer etc...

 

My neighbours have cats however and they tend to roam around this area during the day. I have seen them keeping a close eye on the wild birds and I am wondering whether they would torment the birds in an aviary? In particular I remember as a kid the neighbours cat threw itself against the wire of my aviary and literally scared my finches to death!!

 

Do you think this would be a problem? Are some birds better than others? I can build the aviary so it extends quite high up the wall so they can fly upwards to an enclosed area for shelter if the cats are around...

This is a problem everywhere. All you can do is to keep an eye on the cats and hope they don't come close.

This is a problem everywhere. All you can do is to keep an eye on the cats and hope they don't come close.

 

I gave up with the finches eventually - you would find a big dent in the wire and dead birds on the ground... How do budgies go with fright? Are the likely to have the same problem as I imagine the cats would only try once or twice then get the idea that the wire won't give...

Nope just like finches they too will die of fright.. Dam Cats.

Night time marauding cats give budgies night frights. I have lost budgies by them flying hard into walls and mesh when cats are on the aviary. A neighbours cat took great delight in sleeping on top of one of the aviaires during the day and scaring the birds all the time.....until we got the dog. No more cats in the yard except ours. Its not just cats...crows and magpies like to "visit".

Hi Karen

It might be worth investing in an electric fence all the way around your aviaries. Once the cats get zapped a few times they wont come back. I think they cost a few hundred dollars but they are well worth it. I have been thinking about getting one for my aviaries as well. I have seen them advertised in the Bird Keeper magazine.

Hi Karen

It might be worth investing in an electric fence all the way around your aviaries. Once the cats get zapped a few times they wont come back. I think they cost a few hundred dollars but they are well worth it. I have been thinking about getting one for my aviaries as well. I have seen them advertised in the Bird Keeper magazine.

Yes....Ken was being advised by a bird club member on how to set one up. It's on the "to-do" list ...cheers karen

 

PS a zapping of our own cats on occasion might make them think twice too

Edited October 3, 200618 yr by Bubbles

In my plans for my aviary - for this exact problem, I am planning on using 2 layers of wire, one strong but wide gage wire to keep beasties out, then the inner layer the aviary mesh - about a foot apart. That way, the cats wont get even close to the birds in the avairy...

I have two small dogs (a Pom and a Cavalier) - great company for each while we are gone during the day. And great budgie bodyguards during the night. I don't think a cat ever comes into our back garden any more and if it does it gets short shifted quick smart! :0

Just another suggestion to solve the cat problem!

i have my own personel ways of dealing with cats :devil:

i have my own personel ways of dealing with cats :devil:

Do i want to know what?

depends if your a cat lover or not

No, i'm not! :(Laughing out loud): Cats are awful, make me all itchy. My cat repellant is Mickey, if i spot a cat in the yard i carefully and quietly let Migs out the backdoor and watch out the window as he spots the cat then chases it out of the yard.

:(Laughing out loud): okay dogs are good but cat chaser is not the best basis on getting one.

 

Motion light could help with night time cat, giving the bird light to see if scared by them, also you could pop lettering int he neigbours box about their night roaming cats. Not sure how that would work just an idea, I know some get touch about their pets and their right to let them out or not.

 

Also you could start to chase or scare them away from that site now with a simply spray of water, if they don't go there before the birds they will be around there less often afterwards.

Since I set up my aviary I haven't had too much problems with cats.......Touch wood..

Hi! I'm new to this forum, I have four budgies (3 babies and 1 adult), 2 cats and a dog. Cats hate mint or peppermint - they hate sticky stuff - especially on their feet maybe you could hang some slightly crushed sprigs of peppermint or mint around the aviery and/or coat the main support bars with some water and honey mix (just to make it tacky). Make sure you don't have any catmint in your yard as cats are drawn to it.

 

If all that fails I would follow the cat home if you could and complain to its owners. It's really not the cats fault as it is doing what is natural to it. I think the crueler options should be used as a last resort, that cat is someones pet remember and they probably love it just as much as you love your cute little budgies

that cat is someones pet remember and they probably love it just as much as you love your cute little budgies

i love my dog the same as i love my budgies but if it got into next doors garden and killed their rabbit i dont think the excuse of its only doing whats natural to it would wash somehow even though she is a border terrier and that is natural for her the only doing natural argument is over used

i have my own personel ways of dealing with cats :devil:

 

tsk tsk cat we love cats here we have 3. Either way no debate here on this end - we don't have aviaries but if I did I would probably use Nerwen's method as it is true that cat we HOPE is someone's pet and not a stray. People really just need to keep their cats indoors or on a leash - personally (ours are indoors so much safer for the cat) but I am sure that is ANOTHER debate in the making and this is NOT a cat forum.

 

Leashes Maxx does

 

We are kept out as the birds fly

 

We even share millett

 

In the end we are humbled by the bird!! as mom holds paws down so birdie can give orders

Edited October 7, 200618 yr by lovey