Cats and Birds Living Together: The Choice is Yours. Prey or Pray!

  Posted on September 16, 2014  by joyofliving  No comments

Party Marty, the world’s most lovable (and most knowledgeable!) cat: Before I begin this post, please let me preface it by warning you it is for the birds…literally!

So…you have a cat or two just lying around the house and you want to mix it up a bit. You might have considered adding a dog, but what would happen if you really mixed it up and added a bird instead? (Cue: gasp!) Is it a good idea? Is it safe for the bird?

Well, according to the experts at vetstreet.com, the safest way to keep these two kinds of pets together is to keep them apart. You can do that with small birds, such as finches and canaries who don’t care too much for human hands and who spend their lives inside their cages.

However, if there is a parrot involved, the pairing can be challenging. Parrots thrive on being with people who interact with them and allow them plenty of time to explore and play outside of their cages. Depending on the size of your home, you might not be able to keep your cat and your parrot apart from each other.

If you have a laid-back and go-with-the-flow kind of cat (like me!) who prefer napping over hunting (I do, however, hunt for the perfect sleeping spot!), a simple squirt or two of water from a spray bottle may be sufficient to squelch your cat’s interested in the new pet bird. However, until you are fully confident and patterns of behavior have settled into place, keep that bird caged! However, it is probably best to keep your parrot in his cage or in a room that is off-limits to your cat when you are not around to observe and protect!

If your cat does inflict a scratch or a bite on your parrot, be sure to have your bird examined by your veterinarian. Even seemingly minor wounds can breed infection. Sick birds can let their guard down and remain more susceptible to attack from predators.

So…cats and birds living together? I am still not convinced. Plus, I don’t want to share the spotlight any more than I already do with that mangy mutt who lives with me. And I certainly do not have the energy any more to fully assert myself as master of my domain! The dog understands it. However, I don’t have the time or motivation to train a bird! Just let sleeping cats lie, okay?