Irony, my husband was staring out the window this past spring and I asked him

@writersedge (22563)
United States
September 28, 2008 9:25pm CST
what he was doing. Our cat has a cat door for the back porch, but not one for the front porch. So the cat made one. Somehow he made part of our screen door open. In the spring, my cat was shedding hair. Every time he went through the screen door, some of his loose hair would catch and stay there. It didn't hurt the cat, it actually acted like a comb. My husband had looked out the window and a bird was taking little tuffs of my cat's hair back to a nest it was building in a tree near our home. He said he was watching because it came back multiple times. My husband and I thought this was pretty ironic because shouldn't birds teach their young to stay away from cats? Wouldn't growing up in a cat fur-lined nest with a cat sent give the babies the wrong idea? Like associate warmth, comfort, and cat smell together? I bet it made a nice warm cozy nest, but kind of ironic since my cat likes to eat birds.
2 people like this
4 responses
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
29 Sep 08
well, aren't birds lucky they've pretty much replaced the ablity to smell with the aereal navigation in their brain.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Sep 08
Ok, if you say so.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
29 Sep 08
Got that from a bird rehablitator who returns birds to the wild
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Sep 08
Interesting, I've only visited a place like that once, when I was in Alaska, don't even know who or where our bird rehab people are here.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Sep 08
Oh wow, that is funny and I think you might be right about the babies accosiating the "cat" smell with comfort..Then again, maybe they have an instinct to avoid predators, because during the warm weather, I cut my sons hair outside and I am sure that many times a bird has used his hair for their nest and as far as I know, no bird came to him all summer long..
• United States
29 Sep 08
That could be... I am no bird expert, that is for sure..
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Sep 08
Maybe they urinate on it, use saliva, or something to get rid of the smell or maybe the answer in #2 is correct, they don't use smell any more.
1 person likes this
• Canada
29 Sep 08
Aww that is cute but ya you would think these baby birds would grow up and look at your cat as a friend instead of a foe. Next spring if they are not careful your cat will be bringing home pets for you guys and looking for a treat for doing something good. Maybe you should get a cat bell for your cat to warn these birds to keep going. I bet they were warm and had a nice soft nest though.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Sep 08
According to the person above you, smell is not a problem any more. I bet it was nice and soft and warm. Belling my cat interfers with him killing mice. Our farmhouse and barn would be overrun with mice, rats, and even squirrels ( there was a squirrel in the house when I bought it).
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
29 Sep 08
Now that's an interesting cat-fur story! I must agree that it seems the baby birds would get used to the scent of the cat hair. But maybe birds don't have the sense of smell that other animals do. I don't know. What an interesting nature story, writersedge!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
30 Sep 08
Maybe they don't have a sense of smell. That's what response #2 indicates. Just thought it was interesting. Birds recycling cat fur. Thanks for your response.