Birds are attacking my cat. Whats up with that?

Question

I let my cat out in the yard to play today and the birds in the tree started swooping down at her as if too warn her. The thing is, she had no intrest in the birds in the first place. She was just playing with things on the ground. The birds did this many times and even came upto my front door in there attacks. i had to come in because i was afraid they would get me if i didn't get out of there way. Whats up with this!?

Answer 1

Birds are territorial, and will defend their nests, territory and young. I've seen cats being chased by birds, birds being chased by birds, birds chasing other birds away from a third bird, and people being attacked by birds. Cats are natural predators, and so of course birds will defend against them. This is all completely natural.

Answer 2

They see your cat as a threat so they're defending their territory.

What kind of bird is it? Some are just more aggresive than others. We have grackles that will swoop over our heads to warn us away.

If there are young birds still in the nest (although it seems too late in the year for that) then they are just making sure that the cat doesn't get any ideas about climbing up and attacking the nest.

The birds will be aggresive in this same way to other birds too.

Unless you have a teeny little suit of armor, you should probably keep the cat indoors for a while!

Answer 3

My guess is that the birds that are dive bombing your cat are a Jay of some sort. Jays will scream at and divebomb even peck a cat or dog that passes under a tree where they might have a nest. Even if the baby has gone, the parents will still protect the nest for a while. It's just now that time of year when Jay chicks are starting to really feather and trying out flying lessons. They are only protecting their nest. They won't hurt the cat.

Answer 4

The birds probably have a nest nearby. There are some birds that have nests on the ground...the killdeer comes to mind. Do you know what type of birds they are? I'm hoping your cat is strong enough and smart enough to start fighting back. Birds can do damage with their beaks. You might want to send your cat to Karate school or buy him some brass knuckles.

I had a friend who had a cat that would sit there and let the birds pull out his hair so they could use it in their nest. Figure that one out.

Answer 5

Sounds like the birds are warning your cat away from the tree, maybe they have baby birds in the nest; maybe they just don't like cats. is funny is watching small birds chase off bigger birds like hawks and crows. We have wild canaries of some kind that chase off out cats, dogs and have even dive bombed the horses. Enjoy and don't laugh too hard.

Answer 6

Lots of birds and some parrots will attack a cat that is infringing on their territory. I've been dive bombed by a blue jay so I have sympathy for your cat. You will have to get the birds to move on or keep your cat indoors until their nesting season is over.

Answer 7

They may be Mockingbirds.. They are very territorial and will attack, especially when nesting. I watch them chase crows and blue jays all the time.

Once in San Francisco, a pair of them had a nest in an ornamental lamp post and kept swooping down on peoples heads , even getting tangled in one woman's hair.

Have lived around them for years. They won't hurt you, or your cat, they just are just bluffing.

Answer 8

They obviously have a nest nearby and as far as they are concerned your cat is a nest predator. Birds will sometimes do the same thing to people who get too close to their nest.

Answer 9

They are defending their nesting area. Try to keep the Cat inside before he/she gets hurt by the Birds.

Answer 10

The Bird has Babies in a nest close by... They are attacking the cat. to defend their nest... ( They are American Birds-What can I say)