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An elderly man holds birdseed beside a wooden feeder full of sparrows while a grey Sphynx cat sits on a bench, watching. 20 / 29

Grandpa Filled the Bird Feeder With Seed. His Sphynx Sat Below It Without Moving.

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A rustic wooden bird feeder is busy with little brown sparrows, and Clarence stands beside it with a handful of seed cupped in his palm, smiling down as he picks out a few more grains. His green cable-knit cardigan glows in the late afternoon light that rakes across the yard. On a bench just below the feeder sits Moonpie, perfectly upright and impossibly still, tail curled around her feet, head tipped up toward the birds with an expression of total fascination. A terracotta pot and a few fallen leaves dot the patio stones.

That frozen, laser-focused stare is classic feline hunting behavior. Even well-fed indoor cats keep a strong instinct to watch, stalk and pounce on small moving creatures, and birds are a top target. If you love both cats and backyard birds, a few precautions help protect the wildlife. Place feeders where cats cannot easily hide nearby or leap up to reach them, keep cats indoors or supervised on a harness while birds are feeding, and clean up spilled seed that draws birds down to ground level. Indoor cats can still enjoy the show safely from a window perch, which many owners call cat television. Bird watching can also be a relaxing and rewarding hobby for older adults.

The sparrows keep eating, Moonpie keeps watching, and Clarence seems happy to be the peacekeeper of this little backyard truce.

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