Is there any way to protect birds from a pesky neighborhood cat?

DEAR JOAN >> Our family spends a lot of time, effort and money to attract birds to our small backyard, and we’ve been successful in attracting beauties such as American goldfinches.

But we have a chronic problem and so far have not found a solution: Every day, usually earlier in the morning when we’re not watching, a neighborhood cat walks along the top of our bordering fence, jumps down and lies close to where the birds are on the ground.

When we look out our kitchen window, we see the cat and how he’s stalking the birds. Today, the cat was even on the backyard table where we keep some trays for water and seed. We also have hanging feeders.

The cat is not belled, and we have no idea whose it is.

We’ve tried different animal repellent products that were recommended — even powdered coyote urine — and nothing dissuades the cat.

Can you please offer some suggestions?

— Trudi and Alan

Gardner, Oakley

DEAR TRUDI AND ALAN >>

Trying to control the behavior of a cat, especially one that is not your own, can be an exercise in frustration. If it were your cat, you could simply make sure it stayed indoors or safe inside a “catio,” where it could watch but not hunt the birds. Alas, that’s not an option.

Cats can be sensitive to odors — most don’t care for the smell of citrus or peppermint oil — but those aren’t always reliable deterrents. A cat’s instinct to hunt and the abundance of potential prey can override any unpleasant smells.

So if you can’t stop the cat from coming into your yard, the best alternative is to do what you can to protect the birds.

Cats use the element of surprise in stalking prey, hiding out of sight until the bird gets close to them. Make sure feeders and baths are at least 5 feet away from shrubbery or other places of concealment. Ideally, feeders should be 10 to 12 feet from places cats might hide, but in a small yard, that isn’t always possible.

If you have feeders hanging from tree branches, you should relocate them onto poles or hang them from shepherd’s hooks, which will place the feeders — and the birds — away from the cat. If you want to keep the feeders in trees, use baffles that will deter the cat from climbing onto the feeder. Get rid of the seed and water on the table.

Take a good look at your landscaping and, if necessary, make some changes. Replace your shrubs with thorny ones that will discourage the cat from getting too close. An added benefit would be thorny bushes that also produce berries, providing a natural food source for your visiting birds.

If you can’t replace shrubs, add sharp, prickly mulch beneath them. This can be small, jagged decorative rocks or the prickly balls from liquidambar trees. Small fences in front of your plants also can limit the cat’s ability to conceal itself.

Avoid using ground feeding stations and clean up spilled seeds. Try putting trays under hanging feeders to catch the seed and provide ground-feeding birds a safer platform.

Meanwhile, ask around the neighborhood to locate the cat’s owner, then ask the owner to rein the cat in. It probably won’t help, but I’m an optimistic pessimist.