Turns out that stones in the bird bath are more than just an aesthetic element. In fact, they may even save a life.

“This morning a little bird was flapping his wings frantically in the bird bath,” said Crystal Carvotta-Brown, a cat rescue volunteer in Massachusetts. “At first I thought he was just cleaning his feathers but then I realized that he was in distress.”

Crystal, an avid community organizer who has helped place hundreds of throw-away cats, was quick to take action when she sensed danger.