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Grandma with curly grey hair and glasses offers seed near a bird feeder full of sparrows as a fluffy orange cat sits below. 13 / 27

A Feeder Full of Sparrows, a Handful of Seed, and One Very Still Cat

AI imageorange longhair catbird feederbackyard

Dusk is settling over the backyard, the lamps are glowing in the house windows, and the wooden bird feeder is busy with a crowd of small brown sparrows. Opal stands beside it in her grey cardigan, holding out a palm full of seed with a gentle, patient expression. Sitting right at her feet is Butterscotch, the big orange longhair, his paws tucked neatly together and his tail curled around his body. He's absolutely motionless, staring up at the birds with an intensity that suggests he's being very, very good, for now. Potted succulents, a blue watering can, and scattered leaves fill the patio around them.

Cats and bird feeders are a tricky combination. Even well-fed cats have a strong instinct to hunt, and birds at a feeder can be easy targets. If you love feeding birds and have a cat, a few steps help protect wildlife. Keep cats indoors or supervised, place feeders high and away from shrubs where a cat could hide, and consider letting your cat enjoy the bird show through a window instead. For indoor cats, a feeder outside the window can be wonderful entertainment, giving them hours of bird-watching without any risk to the birds or to themselves.

Butterscotch is showing remarkable self-control tonight, and Opal is surely proud of him. The sparrows, for their part, seem to trust that he's on his best behavior.

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