lovebirds and other pets

[neonblue]

Hello all!
This is my first post here, and I have a situation I was hoping someone could help with! A little bit a background, I have owned several types of birds over the years, but recently got our first lovebird, I'll refer to her as a she, because I don't know the sex. Her name is Lucky and she was hand fed, she was 9 weeks old when I got her, so she is 13 weeks now. We also have a cat named waffles, who has been around birds her whole life, so she behaves well, but for safety's sake the cat is locked in the bedroom whenever we leave the house or Lucky is out and about. Lucky was doing well as far as training goes, up until a week ago when she suddenly started freaking out when I go near her cage, she seems afraid of me and totally disinterested. Last week I noticed that waffles was sitting close to lucky's cage and lucky was going nuts trying to play with her. I caught the cat multiple times with her head against the cage and lucky had pulled her ear through the cage bars and was grooming it, amazingly the cat was purring and enjoying it!? The cat went to the vet a few days ago and lucky looked so depressed, she wouldn't eat or sing and just sat all puffed up until the Cat came home, then she was back to her chipper self. I think my lovie has actually bonded with my cat, and I know this is a strange situation, but does anyone have a clue of what I can do to get my Lucky's attention back to me? Waffles has been in the family a long time and is a great cat, so rehoming her is notiot an option. I don't want lucky to be lonely, but obviously playing with the cat is not an option either! I've never had any problems bonding or training parrots, but this little lovie is in love with the cat and wants nothing to do with me, and I'm admittedly sad about it. So sorry this so terribly long! Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Betrisher]

I don't know the answer, but I just wanted to chime in and say my lovies have a strange relationship with one of our cats. He sits on the lid of the garbage tin beside their cage and, yes, they groom him through the bars. Once, he put his paw against the bars with all his toes sticking through and little Pumpkin and Quince actually nibbled his toenails for him. Mind you, Quince and Pumpkin are exceptionally gifted birds - more so than their cage mates. I do believe the cat (Seamus) would eat the lovies in an instant if he got the chance, but still, he sits there and allows them to groom him. Does anyone else have this going on as well???

My lovies don't come out of their cage, but the only suggestion I can make for yours is to persevere with locking the cat away when you're training. Offer the lovie lots of treats and keep her busy all the time. An answer might be to get a second bird so that she bonds with that instead of the cat. Having said that, though, I've found I have to train my Alexes separately because they just carry on like pork chops if I have them out together and won't pay attention AT ALL.

Good luck! I hope someone comes up with a good solution for you!

 

[weco]

Interesting, with some birds, it takes up to & even longer to establish a relationship.....you say you have experience with companion birds, but you don't mention any type of training you've been employing.....

While you have not been able to establish one with your new feathered friend, he has been getting used to his surroundings & apparently preferred the resident furry resident.....probably because it wasn't demanding.....

If you're not familiar with touch training or clicker training, you might want to read up on them & choose a training method you prefer.....after a few sessions, I think your little guy will look differently on his human flock mates.....