My lovebird isn't happy with recent changes (a cat), what should I do?

I've had my lovebird (Sydney) for about 7 years. About 6 months ago my girlfriend and I got engaged and moved in together. However, she has a cat.

Since we've moved in, I've found it difficult to let Sydney out of her cage like I used to (I used to just leave the door open most of the time I am home) and she'd come ride around with me most of the time.

She isn't even slightly afraid of the cat from what I can tell but for her safety I can't let her fly around as she pleases any more since she WOULD fly right down in the floor in front of the cat or something and not think twice about it. When I do let her out I either have to lock the cat somewhere (cat doesn't like this much if it's for very long) or take her into a room where I can close the door (and Sydney doesn't love this as much as what she was used to).


So I'm trying to see if anyone has a similar situation... a lovebird (or parrot of some kind) + a cat who would attack the bird and how did you manage it?

Also, I'm thinking about getting a 2nd lovebird so that she isn't as lonely... would this be a good idea or a bad one?


Great forum!! Hopefully somebody can help with this!

My work has also changed some so I'm just not here as much.

Ewww This is a rough one. Because now Sydney has lost her freedom. I have birds and my boyfriend has a cat. the cat gets to roam free all day while we are at work. We put the litter box, food and water in the bedroom. Sit in there and give her some love. Then I let my birds out the rest of the night. So they get 1 hour before I go to work and 4 hours after work. That still gives the cat 8 hours while we are at work complete freedom. On the weekends you will have to figure out some more freedome for Sydney. Do have room for an outside cage?

is it possible to let Sydney have free range of the one room she is closed in? i mean, move her cage there and let that be her "cat-free" room?

i have cats and birds too, it's a juggling act. birds out of cage--cats put in other room! my cats are used to this though. your fiance's cat may not be used to such a schedule.

it isnt an easy situation, and you have to be fair to both pets. so, maybe think about making that one room with the door Sydney's designated room with her own playgym and such.

I would not add a second love bird. I had hand tamed a little female. She would sleep in my hand she was so tame. As soon as we got the second one she stoped having anything to do with me. She and her freind ended up being rehomed to a lady who has a wonderful aviary of small hooked bills that does not allow breeding. I still miss my girl.

My bf doesn't have any pets what-so-ever....

I on the other hand have a little menagerie!!!! One dog, two cats (technically only own 1, but the two are siblings), then six birds! (not to mention my sisters cats)

The birds have their own room that the dog and cats are not allowed in... and if they are taken from the room, it is under supervision of a human.



I can trust my cat, to a lesser or greater degree, with the birds. I don't trust her 100%, because after all, she is a cat! And she does have claws and fangs! Her brother on the other hand? I don't trust him in the least! And I do know the heart ache of losing a bird to a cat (first bird, actually - and just a bad situation of how it happened).

With my cats both being rescued from outside, I wouldn't trust them with birds period even though my boy Fiyero have been inside since he was a tiny little kitten, I still don't trust him with birds. Pearl who grew up outside, she probably wouldn't hesitate to attack a bird. I keep the cats and the birds separate where they never get to see one another period.

DallyTsuka said:

is it possible to let Sydney have free range of the one room she is closed in? i mean, move her cage there and let that be her "cat-free" room?

i have cats and birds too, it's a juggling act. birds out of cage--cats put in other room! my cats are used to this though. your fiance's cat may not be used to such a schedule.

it isnt an easy situation, and you have to be fair to both pets. so, maybe think about making that one room with the door Sydney's designated room with her own playgym and such.

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This is a good idea but unfortunately we don't have a ton of space where we are and her cage is in the living room. I think part of the problem is she wants out and to be around people and it's just hard to remove the cat from the room for long periods of time (the cat pitches a FIT and my fiancee spoils her pretty bad haha).

I do spend alot of time with her in the second bedroom and I do have a second cage up there but I don't really use it... and she has alot more people around her cage more often even if the door isn't open where it is now which I think she prefers..

MikeyTN said:

With my cats both being rescued from outside, I wouldn't trust them with birds period even though my boy Fiyero have been inside since he was a tiny little kitten, I still don't trust him with birds. Pearl who grew up outside, she probably wouldn't hesitate to attack a bird. I keep the cats and the birds separate where they never get to see one another period.

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The cat at this point is almost completely ignoring the bird after a few months of going crazy about a bird being in her house and it not computing.

I'm not worried about the cat being in the same room as the cage, but I won't even be letting sydney out with the cat roaming free.

I did buy Sydney a nice new cage before moving (I bought it well before we moved so she had plenty of time to adjust to it first). The cage is pretty much cat proof!