Any new suggestions on keeping starlings from devouring feral kitty food?

msaimee

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That opening that the cat puts his head through is pretty big, so I'm guessing that the starlings could just hop in and out of it. Has anyone here had experience using it with starlings? The problem is that the starlings on my block expect to find food on my porch and will problem solve until they can get at it. I may go ahead and order it and give it a try, I just hate having to spend more money on something that I don't think will work.
 

prince meow

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I would buy some cheap bird seed, so  the birds won't eat the ferals food.

I've noticed some hungry birds in my colonies locations to. As well as raccoons and possums. 
 

poomanchu

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I supply them with high-end bird seed and all kinds of bread and pastries. :(
 

msaimee

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Providing the birds with bird seed doesn't work for starlings. I have a large feeder filled with premium bird feed for the birds in my back yard. Starlings are demons with wings--and the most greedy, persistent pest I've ever seen, even worse than raccoons. They devour EVERYTHING. And they poop all over my carpeted porch all day long. It's disgusting.  

I spoke with a guy from the outsider pet feeder company and he told me the opening has a mesh cover that the birds would have to press against to get inside. I went ahead and ordered one, it should arrive in a week or two. I'll let you guys know if it works.

You need to use "super" magnets, which only come in small sizes. I bought a few packs and stuck them together to form one long string (see my photo a few posts above). You can purchase them at Home Depot. The larger magnets are too weak. Mind you, the magnets bother the starlings but doesn't deter them from eating the cat food. They stagger around like drunken sailors but still managed to dart back and forth to eat the food morsel by morsel.  
 
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msaimee

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Prince, my bird feeding station is in the back yard and my cat food bowl is on my front porch. You must not have starlings in your area. Trust me, I've been dealing with the starling problem for almost 4 years abd have tried EVERYTHING to deter them. If the outside pet feeder I just ordered doesn't keep them away then I'm getting a air BB gun and will start clipping them and giving them a good sting-maybe that will work. I simply can't allow my porch to be filled with gobs of bird poop anymore
 
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msaimee

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The outside pet feeder arrived yesterday. Muffin would not go near it with the flap down. After I taped the flap up, he begrudgingly stuck his head inside it to eat some tuna, but I could tell he's not comfortable with the level of confinement. I put his dry food inside it yesterday evening and late this morning and so far he hasn't eaten from it (but then I haven't seen him today since I fed him at daybreak with his bowl outside the feeder. The good news is that even with the flap up, so far, the starlings haven't devoured the food inside the feeder today. There's evidence that they've tried to get at it (bird poop around the feeder and some morsels of food inside the feeder around the bowl) but they must have stopped after a bit. My question, for folks who use this feeder product or others like it, is how long did it take your ferals to feel comfortable using it? Muffin is very trap savvy and does not like confined spaces or spaces without an exit. In the very bitter cold weather he will hunker down inside his cedar pet house and allow me to cover the entire entrance and exit with a sleeping bag that he crawl in and out under, so I'm hopeful he will accept the new feeder in time.
 

msaimee

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Can I please ask for your good vibes and prayers for a young sparrow who was attacked by a starling this morning. I know this is a feral cat forum, but I'm quite distressed. The starlings are frustrated that they can't get at the cat food, which is in the new outdoor feeder. This AM, one of them viciously attacked a young sparrow by my backyard bird feeder while it was eating, and pecked it quite badly. I ran out and rescued the sparrow. I think he may be blind in one eye if he survives. I think he's been in shock all day. A neighbor gave me a bird cage with an unused nest inside of it, and he's been resting in there all day on the steps of my back porch. He doesn't look too badly injured except for the eye area. He hasn't moved around much, and hasn't eaten or drunk water since this morning. I have to work tonite so I will likely bring him inside and put him in a room by himself in the cage. I really want "Cutie" to survive. Please send him your healing vibes. I know it's only a bird, but this is very sad.   

 

shadowsrescue

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You are amazing.  Thank you so much for rescuing this sweet bird.  I hope he is doing ok and you can set him free soon.  I cannot imagine having starlings that are so vicious. 

I am sending good vibes to the little sparrow.
 

msaimee

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When I returned from work this morning, I was surprised that "Cutie" had  survived the night in my bathroom in his cage, and a few hours later even chirped a bit for the first time. He still isn't eating, flying, and appears scared to death when I put him on the grass outside. He's perkier inside, but my cats Harry and Sonny were circling the cage even though they can't reach it, so he can't stay with me. A friend of mine is driving me to the wildlife rehab center this afternoon in Western PA (I hate driving in Pittsburgh) where I hope they can help this little bird. I believe he's blind in one eye and really scared, and I'm hoping they can help him and that he'll pull through. More vibes for "Cutie," please! 
 

msaimee

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The wildlife rehab place took Cutie and said they'd give him a medical exam and see if they can rehabilitate him. If they can, they'll release him in one of their sanctuaries. I can call in 48 hours and see how he is doing. This is much better care than I could have given to him. Oh, my feral Muffin met him this AM. He stopped by Cutie's cage, which at that point was out on the steps of my back porch, and just looked at him as if to ask, "Why are you in that cage? Is she trying to trap you, too?" LOL. I hope the starlings will calm down and leave the little sparrows alone, they're such gentle creatures.  
 

msaimee

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Muffin was eating out of the outdoor pet feeder a little while ago
 He's still uncomfortable sticking his head in there, but he's getting the hang of it. He will only eat out of it with the flap taped up. So far the starlings haven't gotten into it. There is one large  pigeon who has figured out he can just stick his head right in the hole and eat, but he doesn't eat much or leave a big mess. Thanks to those of you who gave me the info about that feeder! Hopefully it will continue to work. Hopefully the aggressive starlings will leave the area soon so the sparrows can eat from their bird feeder out back without being attacked, and I won't have bird poop all over my porch from them getting into Muffin's food out front. I'm hoping that Cutie is doing okay at the wildlife rehab and am sorry he was a casualty of the starling drama.    
 

shadowsrescue

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Good news that Muffin is starting to use the feeder.  I hope the starlings stay away. 

Vibes to Cutie.  Hopefully he survived.  She did a wonderful compassionate thing for him.
 

msaimee

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Thanks for the vibes and encouragement. Cutie is in the wildlife rehab. His eye is injured and swollen shut, but it's still there (it wasn't pecked out) and he has a head injury. They've given him medication and it will take time to see if he can recover--but there's hope. I've never been fond of birds, but this little bird is quite the fighter and I'm rooting for him.
 

msaimee

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The little bird, Cutie, passed away on his own at the wildlife rehab. They said he wasn't able to recover from the massive injuries. I hope his little spirit is free and flying away now. I don't know if birds can sense love, but I hope he was able to sense that he was loved and cared for at the end.
 

shadowsrescue

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RIP Cutie.  Thank you so much for caring for him and giving him a chance.  He will be watching over you from up above. 
 

msaimee

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Thanks, I appreciate your kind thoughts towards him. I never thought I'd be crying over a bird. I guess all of God's creatures matter, no matter how small.
 
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