Don't Throw Out That Last Bit Of Cheese — Save It For The Birds Instead

Almost everybody loves cheese, and that isn't limited to humans or even animals that stay on the ground. Most people probably know that dogs and other pets love cheese, and while that's always funny and adorable, there are actually real, natural reasons behind it. First off, cheese tastes good, no mystery there, but cheese is also full of protein, fats, and other essential nutrients that wild animals crave. And while many animals, like cats, are lactose intolerant once they reach adulthood, lots of cheeses are actually very low in lactose, which makes them okay for animals in small servings. And small amounts of leftover cheese aren't just nice treats for pets, they can help neighborhood birds too.

That's right, birds love cheese for a lot of the same reasons that other animals do too. Birds are constantly expending energy to live their lives, so extra calories are always welcome, but during the colder seasons, they also need extra fat and protein. This helps them stay warm and insulated and gives them nutrition when their normal protein source of bugs is less abundant. That's why you'll often see bird feed mixed with suet for your feeder. Well, leftover cheese can give all these things to birds, and it's great for mixing in with other feed that you leave out for them. It just needs to be grated or crumbled into small pieces to be bite sized for local birds, and there are some types of cheese that should be avoided.

Bite-sized pieces of hard cheese provide a tasty source of fat and protein for birds

Because birds cannot digest lactose properly it's still best to avoid softer cheeses that are often higher in lactose. This includes options like cream cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, and fresh mozzarella. And unfortunately, American cheese brands are pretty high in lactose too. It's actually best to just avoid softer cheeses entirely, because even some styles like brie that are not high in lactose can get stuck in birds' beaks.

However, birds don't just tolerate the small amount of lactose in harder cheeses — the little bit that's in there can actually be good for their digestion. Lots of popular cheeses are perfectly safe for birds in small amounts, including cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, provolone, and Swiss. The one thing to look out for in harder cheeses is sodium. Like with humans, too much salt can cause issues for birds, so even with these cheeses you should only be putting them out in small amounts, and be even more careful with hard grating cheeses that are high in sodium, like parmesan.

Finally, cheese should not be left out for birds for too long, as they won't want to eat spoiled food any more than you, and it can attract bugs instead. So while you shouldn't be leaving out bricks of gruyere for your local birds, scraping up some scraps after a meal is a nice way to make use of leftovers that might otherwise go in the trash.

Recommended