Cat Control
Fortunately, though, natural predators are relatively scarce in the garden and it is also likely that we will see very little of their comings and goings. Cats, however, are another matter. They are not natural predators since they occur in unnaturally high numbers, at a much greater density than would be possible for a wild predator. Nor are they in any way limited by a natural food supply since they are domesticated and fed by us.
It is exceptionally difficult to keep cats out of gardens without resorting to the erection of close-mesh fencing oral sorts of anti-cat devices such as wires and broken glass along the tops of walls, which are not only unsightly but also tend to upset the neighbors! Commercial cat-repellents are often quite effective in the short term, but of course are expensive since they have to be used more or less continuously. All sorts of ingenious methods have been used to keep cats away from bird tables and feeders, including wire skirts below the table and projecting wires around about; feeders should certainly be situated as far away as possible from likely jumping-off points in trees, on walls and so on. Probably the best and simplest way to lessen the numbers of deaths caused by cats is to fit them with collars and bells.