If you’re like me, not only do you love birds, but you are, also, a cat lover. However, according to the rules of nature, these creatures are natural enemies. So, how do you keep the birds that you are trying to lure into your backyard safe from your kitty cat?

Unfortunately, of the 73 million pet cats in the United States, an estimated 40 million of them are permitted to roam outdoors freely, without any supervision. If one throws in feral cats—wild cats born of unsocialized offspring of lost or discarded pets that number jumps up to an astounding 100 million cats roaming freely. It is conceivable that these cats are killing up to 100 million songbirds a year.

One can come to a conclusion that keeping domesticated cats at home can, easily, cut this bird slaughter by a great percentage. This is not only a good solution for birds, it is a great life saver for cats. Millions of cats are killed by motor vehicles annually and, still, more are killed or injured in fights with other wild animals. Still others curl up in car engines, ingest poison or come into contact with wild cats that carry fatal diseases. One can come to the, obvious, conclusion that a cat’s life expectancy that is kept indoors is much greater than the life of an outdoor cat.

But, how does one provide one’s domesticated cat with the entertainment that cats, so, enjoy? A cat’s interest in birds can be, easily, satisfied by setting up a bird-friendly environment outside a window easily accessible for your indoor cat. What you would need to do is provide food, water and shelter for the birds outside the cat’s favorite viewing area.

Food, water and cover for the birds is all that one needs. Natural cover can be provided by planting some shrubs or trees or placing potted plants outside the cat’s viewing area. Several bird feeders that contain a variety of bird food such as suet, seeds and sugar water with a bird bath or a water fountain will complete the cat’s bird watching station. In no time, this will become a favorite stop for a large variety of birds, the cat will love watching through the window and you have created a safe and happy environment for your feathered and furry friends.