The Kitten Who Liked Bird Seed

Fred is now nine months old.  He is full of pep and energy; can outrun a fat man going to the table and is curious about absolutely everything in this house.  Sink strainer to ballpoint pens (what?  he's going to write his Mom?) nothing seems to escape his scrutiny.

And speaking of that, Richie was the first to notice what he was doing at the bird's cage.  Lady Bird is a fearless cockatiel and clearly regards taunting him as an indoor sport.  He tries to stick his nose into the cage  and she charges  him, wings spread wide, beak open and squawking like a wild animal.  Oops, she IS a wild bird. 

Undaunted he continued to try to pull the tray out from the cage bottom.  And then Richie said, "Look!  He pulls the tray out to run his paw like a scoop for the stray bits of bird seed and  eats it!" 

Instantly I felt guilty - "Oh, my God - aren't we feeding him enough?  How awful!"  I should point out that he goes through two cans of wet food per day plus the 24-hour kibbles buffet. 

I asked Google if there was something wrong?  The reassuring answers came thick and fast.  The best response was a farmer who wrote "I've been watching cats after the outdoor bird feeders for 45 years and I have never come across a dead cat lying under the bird feeder."