Keep Your Cat Indoors
Domestic cats kill millions of birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates every year. Putting a collar bell on them is not effective, since wild animals do not associate the sound of a bell with a predator. Likewise, keeping cats well fed will not stop their natural predatory instinct.

Instead, put your cat on a leash when you go outside, or better yet, when you get a new kitten do not allow it to become an outdoor cat.

If you have problems with neighborhood cats, make their visit to your yard as unpleasant as possible. The easiest way to do this is to squirt them with the water hose.

For more information visit the American Bird Conservancy web site.

Leash Your Dog
Free roaming dogs naturally chase deer, raccoons, squirrels and other animals. Continual chasing stresses the wild animal, leading to potentially fatal energy loss, especially in the winter when food supplies and temperatures are low.

Protect Nesting Birds
Birds nest in a variety of places, including shorelines, wetlands, trees and grasslands. Before you make any modifications around your property during the spring, consider the possibility that you are disturbing important nesting areas.

• Do not disturb nests until the young have left. You can place a fallen, naked nestling back in a nest (birds do not have a sense of smell). Please remember that collecting most nests is illegal.
  
• Avoid cutting trees during the spring.
  
• Boat and personal watercraft wake is a serious threat to waterfowl nesting close to the shore. Slow down.

Prevent Songbirds From Hitting Your Windows
Keep your feeders away from windows and make your windows less reflective by hanging curtains or some other form of visual deterrent.

Provide Escape Areas for Wildlife
Put your feeders near trees or shrubs, so when a predator appears, the birds and squirrels will have a place to hide.

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