Owners of Cat(s) & Parrot(s)

[Michael]

Makes you wonder why they'd make these if cats didn't have predatory instincts to attack birds?

[MandyG]

To be honest, I don't see the point in using cartoons, jokes, and toys to try to get your point across. Although if that's the point you're trying to make you can also tell me my dog is going to go out and order Acme explosives to try to blow up my parrots because that's what the coyote does in trying to get the roadrunner. Also, cats enjoy anything that makes noise and such. I don't see them attacking balls with bells in the wild but they also have those as toys. And the biggest point is nobody is trying to say that cats aren't predators. If you really want to get your point across you'd be better off finding stats on how many domestic cat related parrot deaths there actually are. And I really hope you do find and post that information because I'm curious to see what the actual numbers are.

As much as I love all animals I'm not going to deny they are what they are, and neither is anybody else on here. The simple fact of the matter is you can do what you can to make the living arrangments work when you own both animals. Keep the bird in its own room when the cat is out. Put the cat away when you have your bird out in the rest of the house. That's a very simple solution for keeping both animals safe. Sure, somebody could leave the door open once and the cat could get out, but somebody can also open the front door of a house at the wrong time and the bird can escape.

[Michael]

-- but they aren't little slavering monsters with poisonous mouths.

Cmon, the cartoons/jokes were in response to this. I gave my serious response previously. I would like to see such statistics as well but I cannot imagine there being any credible source for collecting this information. I'm sure most of the time it happens, it goes unreported. The experience I talk from is being involved in or reading forum discussions where people have had their birds injured or killed by cats/dogs. I cannot cite any off hand without doing research because I don't remember where/when I've read these but I have definitely come across these over time and I am cautioning you from encounters I've read about. One, I remember, involved a dog rushing into a room and snatching a parrot. The owner thought the door was closed but apparently it came unlatched enough for the dog to rush in unexpectedly. Of course the bite killed the little bird.

[MandyG]

My response was mostly in reply to you posting the link to the predator article.

I'm sure you're right that you would never find any reliable stats on the subject, but it would be interesting to know.

My main point is that you can make the situation work. Whether you make sure the animals are completely seperated at all times (you could even put the cat in a carrier in a seperate room while you have the bird out) or you can take the risk by having them co-exist. There's definitely precautions to take but I don't believe there's any reason for somebody to never be able to have a cat simply because they also own a bird.

[pchela]

I read a statistic somewhere that stated that there are way more parrot deaths due to dog attacks rather than cat attacks. Wish I could remember where that was. And ferrets...forget about it!

[Brittanyv326]

Wow, I was not expecting this many replies on here, thank you so much everyone for taking the time to help me!!

Entranced, I too love your mind and I don't think the vet has ruled out much, since he always says "come back in a week" and they never take her back. I don't know what those diseases/disorders/illnesses are. I'm not really a cat person, just *this* cat's person, so if I did take her, I'd have a LOT to learn. Unfortunately our home is not that big. Sadie just got her first flight feather and I was looking forward to it but if we take in Kitty, we'll have to put that on hold. I agree it's much safer when the target isn't chase-able. Even my docile, sweet dog got a little predator-like/curious when my neighbor's Quaker was flying around in her house, so I imagine cats are pretty similar in that respect.

Michael, I definitely understand where you're coming from. It's very scary to be risking Sadie's life even if it means saving another. It's really hard to find a home for a sick and old cat though when there's free kittens everywhere. And I sure hope Sadie doesn't give me too much hell when she turns one, she's been quite the angel lately. Hasn't drawn blood on my boyfriend for a couple of weeks now! Although she did try to rob him of his baked beans:


And while I'm on photobucket, here's Kitty:

And me & Kitty probably 4-5 years ago:


Thanks everyone for giving me so much to consider. Ideally I will find her a home, I've had one offer from a friend, but we need to discuss it further. It wouldn't be fair to Sadie for her to live with something that wants to eat her. Well, I have a dog too, but my dog is not interested in her at all, she doesn't even look at Sadie. Never once tried to get her. If Sadie flies on the floor, Bonnie gets up and walks in the other room to get away from her like she's a pest. But I don't want to test this fortune/luck with a cat! If worse comes to worst, she will come home and I will be prepared for it now that I have learned from other cat & bird owners. Pchela, it's really hard for me to believe dogs kill birds more often, but I suppose it could be true!

[Roger P]

We have the makings of a full zoo at our house (dog, 2 cats, 2 gerbils and my Merlin) all seem to be getting along okay. I think the key here is diligence. When the gerbils are out to play the cats are kept out of the room. When Merlin is in his cage the cats have free run and are allowed to investigate (a little, remember that cats are usually more than a little curious!) though I watch closely, but when he is out of his cage I keep my eyes on him constantly, and the cats are pretty much kept away. One idea I have is that I keep a couple of spray/misting bottles around the house, set to stream rather than mist. One quick spray is usually all the cats need to know they are doing something they shouldn't (though I have one that is a bit of a slow learner!). The sound of the sprayer priming is usually enough to send them the other way.

[Giantmoa]

it's really hard for me to believe dogs kill birds more often, but I suppose it could be true!

my friend used to have a cockatiel and one day she left her bedroom door open and her dog went in and grabbed the poor bird THe dog took it outside and the bird flew away...
but asides from that I do believe people are able to make dog/cat households work with birds with the right precautions

[zazanomore]

it's really hard for me to believe dogs kill birds more often, but I suppose it could be true!

my friend used to have a cockatiel and one day she left her bedroom door open and her dog went in and grabbed the poor bird THe dog took it outside and the bird flew away...
but asides from that I do believe people are able to make dog/cat households work with birds with the right precautions

I don't doubt that dogs kill birds more often then cats. Considering the amount of breeds of dog meant for hunting that is.

Look at the friendly Golden Retriever, they were specially bred for duck hunting. When the hunter shoots the duck, the dog then goes off and fetches the bird for it's owner.

That being said, I still think that with proper care someone can own predatory animals, along with birds. My dog, a shih tzu, has never been in the same area as my birds when they were out. I did own a cat at the time when I had my first birds. In that case, I kept the birds in a specific room, where the door was always closed. The cat was to never enter that room, and she never did.

I think you should adopt the cat. Everyone wants to adopt the cute free kitten, and an older cat always has a hard time finding a home.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

8 is not old for a cat, FWIW. It's just middle aged. I had one kitty who lived to 21.