OK, so my first reaction is to say "just move the dead bodies somewhere else". But yes they do get into anything, much the same as sea gulls. And since they are bigger than the cats they pretty much take over. I have had magpies steal the cat food right out of the dish while the cats were eating. They would do a tag team thing, one on each side. One would distract the cat while the one on the other side grabbed a mouthful of food. One of the cats got one of the magpie fledglings and killed it. The parents went after that poor cat everytime it set foot outside.Does anybody have experience with getting Vultures away from a dumpster? They won't let my colony there eat their food.
Problem is, vinegar is a cat repellent, too, and you don't want vinegar all over an area where you are trying to feed the cats.Try squirting them with vinegar. Vultures are one of the only birds with a good sense of smell, so the acridity of the vinegar might be enough to send them flying.
Thanks, I looked at that, but didn't see anything that I could use. They are not on my property, they are behind a strip mall. The loud noise thing is good, but I don't have a lot of money to spend and the loud noises will scare the feral cats away too.
... There is not a safe place for me to try to move them. I wish I could, it is such a nasty place. Down towards the carwash somebody is killing cats.
I wish cats were a protected species. Vultures seem to have it easier than cats.Yeah, all birds of prey (almost all birds, actually) are protected and if the wildlife guys get really cranky they could make a big deal about "harrassing" the vultures even with mild methods :/. But they usually have better things to do. ...
Yes, I could move the food back into the tree's. I had decided to quit going back into that wooded area. I got covered head to toe with bug bites and they are making me miserable. I also think I caught something hanging out behind the dumpster the druggies use as a toilet, hopefully nothing serious. It's hard to get back there too because you have to lift up this really heavy fence which is quite an ordeal. I could probably slip the food underneath the fence. I am going to try and catch a kitten tonight. I am worried about the vultures hurting it. I had been thinking about making a feeder out of totes. I'm kind of afraid they will just get tossed when the people who work there get around to cleaning up the area. I really like the umbrella idea. I am going to try that. I can get some at the dollar store and I can also use them to try and scare them away, flapping them open and closed. I was also thinking I could spray some kind of aerosol spray around them (not at them), my cats really fear the sound of spray starch. I don't really want to hurt the vultures, just make they obey my commands!Yeah, all birds of prey (almost all birds, actually) are protected and if the wildlife guys get really cranky they could make a big deal about "harrassing" the vultures even with mild methods :/. But they usually have better things to do.
Any way to move the food farther back into the trees? The vultures might find it harder to get to that way. You could also try large storage tubs with smallish holes cut in them, but some cats are (understandably) suspicious of small spaces and you wouldn't want to be hauling those things back and forth anyway. Maybe a few umbrellas put up while the cats are eating? If you remove them when the cats are done they should retain the element of surprise for the birds, for a while anyway.
Certain times of the year, I lose a few pounds of kibble to starlings (which are NOT protected but I could never kill anything anyway), and that's super annoying. I'm not paying money to help raise healthy starlings, thanks! Maybe Purina would like to make a commercial about that---"Cat Chow Strong, even for starlings" .
You don't need it to be loud. The bird in distress played through your phone is more than enough to scare away nearby birds and will likely attract the cats who will think it's an easy mealThanks, I looked at that, but didn't see anything that I could use. They are not on my property, they are behind a strip mall. The loud noise thing is good, but I don't have a lot of money to spend and the loud noises will scare the feral cats away too.
I don't have one of those fancy smart phones that can play stuff.You don't need it to be loud. The bird in distress played through your phone is more than enough to scare away nearby birds and will likely attract the cats who will think it's an easy meal
Maybe I can watch some youtube video's of those sounds and practice imitating them. The people around there must think I'm so crazy, feeding stray cats, running around screaming at vultures, and now making strange bird noises.You don't need it to be loud. The bird in distress played through your phone is more than enough to scare away nearby birds and will likely attract the cats who will think it's an easy meal
Edit: Some background... birds are very sensitive to new sounds. Birders (bird watchers) will use a technique known as "pishing" - just a normal volume pish will draw birds from up to half a kilometre away. Annoying sounds/vibrations/etc can scare them away if they're sensitive to that particular noise - which is part of the reason why a lot of species don't adapt well to city life.
An excuse to get one? An older smart phone can be picked up second hand for $15-30 or cheaper at a garage sale. You don't need a phone plan to use the "fancy" parts. Imitating distress sounds would be pretty difficultI don't have one of those fancy smart phones that can play stuff.