Doing it right I


Look for a feeder that is easy to clean


enjoy feeding birds all year long, but there is some- thing about the summer season that makes me love it so much more. The beautiful colours of birds,


having my windows open to hear those amazing songs and just being able to sit outside and enjoy it all, makes me feel so good. It's a great way to be in touch with nature and to appreciate all it has to offer. One little gem, the ruby-throated hummingbird fascinates me and I con- sider it an honour to receive visits from this special bird. Sadly, because it’s a popular bird to attract to feeders, many companies make feeders and foods for hummingbirds that are inadequate and in some cases even inappropriate. These tips should assist you in doing


the right thing for your backyard birds this summer. We’ll look at the tiny ruby- throated hummingbird and his require- ments. These birds weigh in at two to six grams depending


Sherrie Versluis Feathered Friends


on the time of year. In fall, they’re at their heaviest as they prepare for migration. Their wingspan is three to four inches; males are slightly smaller than females. Unbelievably, this bird flies all the way across the Gulf of Mexico and into South America in fall and back again in spring. An amazing feat! The marketing that goes into selling feeders can be


very disturbing. Most feeders are designed to be cute, not functional. It’s important to look for a feeder that is easy to clean, as mold grows rapidly inside the feed- ers due to the sugar solution that is used. And read the packaging to ensure the feeder is leak-proof. Leaky feeders attract ants, wasps and hornets, which keep hummingbirds at a distance. For your viewing plea- sure, make sure the feeder has perches. Avoid feeders that are overly decorative; remember the decoration is the beautiful hummingbird itself!


I cannot stress enough the importance of offering a


proper nectar solution. The best course is to make it yourself. Boil water, measure out four cups of it, add one cup of white sugar and stir until dissolved. Never ever add anything else – like food colouring,


red soda and powdered drink mixes, and use no oth- er sweetener. Any of these products is either directly


The ruby-throated hummingbird is a welcome guest in many Manitoba yards. Photo by Joe Schneid.


harmful to hummingbirds or causes harm by ferment- ing rapidly or by mold. Pre-made liquid mixes have colouring and preservatives, so do not use. You can leave your own solution in the fridge for


up to two weeks. Be sure to wash out the feeder and refill with fresh nectar every few days. The hotter the weather, the more frequently you will have to clean it out and add new nectar.


Note that this recipe and the maintenance instruc- tions also apply to oriole feeders. Bird baths are fun items to have in the yard as they


attract many bird species, including ones that do not come to feeders. People who have issues with algae growing in birdbaths should scrub them clean, using bleach. Be sure to rinse the bath out before refilling. Bird baths usually require considerable maintenance, especially in hot, dry periods. Summer is the season of reproduction for wild birds, and this is their main focus. If you put out birdhouses,


you will attract some species, like wrens, chickadees and nuthatches, but most birds nest in shrubs, in trees or even on the ground. On the other hand, a nesting material like hemp fi-


bre appeals to all birds and among its many great qual- ities, is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and moisture- resistant. This helps deter mites and can prevent nests from falling apart in very damp conditions. It is also inexpensive. Note, too, and that it is very entertaining to watch birds collect nesting material. These are just a few tips to help you get the most enjoyment out of your summer birding and offer the best available products to the birds. It is up to us to be sure that our offering to wild birds are nothing but beneficial to them. In return, we can enjoy some very interesting and beautiful birds all through the season while making their lives a little easier.


Sherrie Versluis owns The Preferred Perch on St. Mary’s Road in St.Vital. She can be reached at 204-257-3724.


the main occupation of a cat is groom- ing. Cats spend a third or more of their waking hours fussing over their coats. Grooming is so instinctive that kittens orphaned at a young age will naturally groom themselves without training from an adult. On the other hand catch- ing mice is a learned skill that kittens ac- quire by watching the expertise of their mother. We don’t know exactly why they are so fastidious, but some experts theorize that cats originally groomed themselves to remove any scent from their coat so that they were less likely to be detected when stealthily approaching their prey. But grooming is also used for tem- perature control. Since cats sweat only through their paws and by breathing, the saliva on their fur helps to cool them in warm weather and since licking spreads their natural oils, it helps to in- sulate them from the dampness in cool weather. In fact grooming is so natural for a cat that a scruffy or bedraggled looking coat is usually a sign that the cat is having significant problems. Moreover, grooming is a way of re-


ducing stress. When cats feel anxious, have been scolded or misjudge a leap, they will often lick themselves. The lick-


14 www.lifestyles55.net


For Coco (the cat) grooming is a serious affair W


hat is a cat’s number one ac- tivity? If you don’t consider sleeping an activity, then


Some experts theorize cats originally groomed themselves to remove any scent from their coat so they wouldn’t be detected as they approached their prey.


Grooming is the second most common activity a cat does. Photo by Takashi Hososhima.


ing not only soothes and cleans the in- jury but also calms the cat. That is why some cats who feel chronically stressed resort to licking themselves so much that they remove all the fur from parts of their bodies. Veterinary experts re- port that a cat’s heart rate can actually decrease during a self-grooming session. Of course excessive licking can have physical causes such as parasites but psy- chological issues are often the culprit. A sign of trust


Grooming also has a social compo-


nent. Kittens groom their litter-mates, an action


that strengthens the fam-


ily bond, and when a cat licks a new acquaintance it’s a sign of friendship. Therefore, if your cat starts licking you, it is not, as some believe, because of the saltiness of your skin, it is a sign of affec- tion and trust. Although cats are proficient groomers,


they should still be brushed when they are young. When cats age or become sick, they also become less competent and less inclined to groom themselves.


Older, obese or arthritic cats need assis- tance from their owners to keep clean. If you haven’t established a brushing habit with your cat, it is very difficult to do so when the cat is older and less tolerant of new routines. Since a kitten or young adult cat re- ally doesn’t need help in grooming and since the main purpose is to establish a comfortable procedure as well as bond with your cat, at first you can use a soft brush that is gentle on the skin. As the cat ages you need to use a brush or comb that is more substantial and is ca- pable of removing dead hair. Hairballs are more common in older cats; by get- ting as much loose hair as you can, you will help reduce the amount of hair your cat ingests. If you own a long-haired cat, you usually need to brush more fre- quently, perhaps daily, to prevent fur from tangling or matting. So you can see that cats don’t groom themselves because they have nothing better to do. They have a number of sound reasons for doing it. If you watch the grooming skills of a cat, from the contortions it performs to the use of the paws as a facecloth, you can appreciate another trait of the always fascinating cat.


Robert Urano’s cat Oscar was a popular figure with customers at the pet food store he operated until a few years ago.


June 2015


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