As the cat thread continues, I've noticed no one else has picked up on my
suggestion of a well-trained dog in the back yard. I know many birders
are fed up with irresponsible dogs (especially on trails), but many other
of the "solutions" to cat predation probably are much less effective.
Who's going to stand a 24 hour watch with a water canon? An electric or
chicken wire fence everywhere--I doubt it. Our old, arthritic dog, Sonny,
is too fat and slow to be a threat to any birds. He does, however, assert
himself with cats, and they stay away from him. In the three years we've
had a backyard sanctuary, we haven't lost one bird to cats. Yes a dog is
a responsibility, but so is protecting our back yard habitats.

wjansen