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Unconventional methods?

Chat about general parrot care and parrot owner lifestyle. Bird psychology, activities, trimming, clipping, breeding etc.

Re: Unconventional methods?

Postby friend2parrots » Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:34 am

Hi hnhobu, I just wanted to share a few thoughts I had about the cat-bird issue because I can tell you really love your bird, and I don't want you to suffer the heartbreak of losing Cassette.

first of all, the article you found on google on cats/birds that you've pasted into the previous post does not hold water. here's why: its not jealousy that's the issue. its instinct, both the instinct of the bird, and the cat. also, water bottles are not a good method for "disciplining" cats. there are just so many things wrong in that article that it would take me all day to comb through each and every erroneous statement.

here's one of the main reasons the author of that article is wrong: he/she doesnt take into account the basics of parrot behavior. many parrots as they age develop aggressive tendencies toward things that bother them. as your bird matures, there will come a day when it acts aggressive toward the cat, when it gets irritated with something. this is the NATURE of lovebirds and parrots in general. no amount of training or socialization can ensure against the possibility of your lovebirds instinctual aggression. theres absolutely no way for you to predict if your lovebird will get moody one day, and pick a fight with your cat, and hence provoke the cat. even animals that "like" each other can get moody. any reaction on the cats part is likely to lead to the birds death, whether its a whack, a scratch, or a bite. that article did not even consider these issues.

because cats saliva is toxic, even a small scratch can kill, because saliva deposits on the nails. even the lovebirds preening of the cats fur can kill, because the saliva deposits on the cats fur during its self-grooming.

and of course there is the natural predatory instinct in cats toward birds that can never be fully trained away by domestication or training.

it would save your birds life to base your decisions about cat/bird interaction on an analysis of possible outcomes that may occur in the future. there are certain risks that are simply not worth taking.

there are also problems with allowing the bird to sleep outside of the cage in the same room that you are in, even if the bird is not actually "allowed" to sleep in the bed with humans. there are countless accidents that can take place in the dark. birds DO move around at night if they are restless. they can get spooked in the middle of the night, have night frights, and end up on the floor, and fall asleep there, and then get stepped on. they can try to crawl in bed with their favorite human. i have heard stories of all these things happening, and the bird perishing. again, its a matter of analyzing possible outcomes in the future, and taking precautions to prevent those outcomes.

here's an example of a risk taken by a very experienced bird owner: i once saw a huge group had gathered in a big panic outside a bird shop, talking fast. several people were out of breath, crying terribly . here's what had happened: a guy had been bringing his hyacinth macaw into the shop for 20 something years to get its wings and nails clipped. for twenty years he had successfully carried the clipped bird around everywhere he went, without a harness or a carrier, and it was his beloved life-long companion. so he had never seen a problem getting out of the car with the bird perched on his wrist, to walk to the store that was just a few yards away. but this is what happened: a gust of wind came. the bird took flight, in clipped wings, to perch on top of a short building right by the highway. it got spooked, and lost all ability to reason. it landed in the middle of the road, and got hit by a car, and died.

that man loved his bird very much. i am sure his decisions on what he thought was safe were based on love and his very best wishes for the birds welfare. but he had not done the research that would have told him that what he was doing was unsafe, and he had not listened to those who had told him not to walk around with his bird like that. i spoke to the owner of the shop some days later and found out that they had always been telling him to put a harness on the bird or bring it in a carrier, but the man was confident and reassured them that he had been doing this for decades with no problem, that his bird went to many outdoor activities with him like this. in the end, the outcome for him and his bird were based on aspects of risk that he had thought he was in control of, but in reality, he wasnt.

in any case, sorry for such a long post. I can tell from your posts that you truly care for your bird, and really want the best for his quality of life. But you need to reassess the research you are doing, make sure that the sources are sound, and acknowledge the fact that you can't always control the things you think you have under control.

all the best :)

EDIT: (i edited the above for clarity and added content)
Last edited by friend2parrots on Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:32 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Ringo - Green Cheek Conure
Toby - Bourke Parakeet
friend2parrots
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bourke parakeet
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Re: Unconventional methods?

Postby Michael » Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:13 am

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Michael
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Re: Unconventional methods?

Postby Wayne361 » Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:46 pm

Remember the saying "if you play with fire...." Problem is, it wont be you that suffers the conseqences if/when they happen....
Wayne361
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Re: Unconventional methods?

Postby Grey_Moon » Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:37 pm

Well, I might get a lot of flack for this but:

-Jacko does sleep free and does sleep occasionally in the bed with me. She sleeps in her tree beside the bed and has done so since for a while now---it has stopped most of her night plucking. The first time she actually fell asleep in bed with me I was under some new medications and I dozed off (my partner was sitting nearby) and I didn't move a muscle, didn't roll or twitch. Since then she does fall asleep on my chest or crawls into the bed with me and I don't worry so much because time and time again (even if I do shift position) Jacko just moves away if she wants to. It is entirely possible that one day something bad might happen, but such is the risk with anything.
In the morning she'll jump down onto me to wake me up and demand cuddles.

-She also rides on my shoulder in the car (I do not drive and she sits on the shoulder away from the driver). The windows are rolled up and I make sure not to leave a lot of slack in the leash on her Aviator.

-As mentioned, I no longer feed a pelleted diet or one containing legumes, grains or vegetables.

-I tend to live a more natural 'flock lifestyle' than most. We eat, sleep and bathe as a flock around here most days.
:gray: ---Jacko (13 year old TAG rescue and my little turkey-bird girl :) )


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