Can cats and macaws coexist?

[lunyluna]

Can cats and macaws coexist? Help please!!

Hello everyone, this is my first post! I have a rescue Scarlet Macaw named Luna. I got her a little over a year ago, and we're doing great. I'm 20 years old and living in an apartment in my college town, and somehow making it work with a scarlet!! Luna is pretty quiet and doesn't cause too much trouble, thankfully

Anyway, I am thinking about also rescuing a cat. I have always wanted a kitty, ever since I was a little girl, before I had ever interacted with birds. I was never able to have one since my dad is very allergic, but now that I'm on my own, I no longer have that restriction. My boyfriend and I are moving in together later this year, and we both are very interested in getting a cat together.

However, I am very wary of this because I know how risky it is to house cats and birds together. I'm also a very anxious person so this decision is stressing me out. I promised Luna the day that I adopted her that I would never let anything hurt her, and I plan on sticking to that.

I know there are plenty of people who have cats and birds, and the cats are so lazy that they don't see food as anything other than coming out of a bag, so there is never an issue. I also know there have been horror stories where even a slight scratch is deadly because of the bacteria that cat claws and saliva have. It will all come down to the personality of the cat I think.

However, Luna is a diva for sure, so my whole world revolves around her. I'm also a little worried about her attacking the cat! Luna is extremely territorial of my room and absolutely loathes my boyfriend (I mean pure hatred. She's taken several chunks out of the poor guy. The latest attack involved her flying across the room, which she never usually does, and damaging his pinky so badly that he has no feeling left in the tip of it.) However, she has lived with several dogs before in foster care and doesn't seem to mind them. I'm not sure if she's ever been around cats. She is a bit of a lazy bird and is content with just sitting next to me for hours, but we also go out to fly 2-3 times a week (she's harness trained!).

With all of this being said, what are your thoughts? Do you have experience with housing the two animals together? Being that Luna is so big, I think that helps the situation, as cats tend to go for smaller birds, but still.... I would love to get your input. Thank you! :red:

 

[bill_e]

Personally, if you don't *have* to rescue the cat I wouldn't do it. Added stress, loss of freedom for all concerned if you want to keep the bird safe.

 

[chris-md]

Agreed with above. Plenty of people have cats and birds. It’s just an extra layer of danger - if you don’t have that added management, generally best not to put yourself into that position to begin with.

 

[Cardinal]

My staunch and firm opinion on this issue is that Parrots are too precious to have a predatory mammal ( Ferrets, Cats, Rats Dogs etc in descending order of risk)in the same household.
Even the Saliva of cats is toxic to birds. So my sincere suggestion would to avoid it.

This is not to say that you cannot have another animal pet. Guinea pigs may be a good choice and so are aquarium fish in a secure well covered tank with all the equipment properly locked in a cabinet.

 

[riddick07]

We have 3 cats used to have 4 but our older male passed away recently with 11 birds in the house. The macaws and cockatoo are almost always out. The cats stay away. The macaws are too big, loud and aggressive they don’t really want to mess with them. The macaws will charge them too when they are in their space like if the cat is resting on the couch the macaws will deliberately climb up to chase them off. We don’t allow interaction but they stay apart on their own. The only time I’ve had the cats interested in the birds is when they are tiny like a budgie or parrolet. They are too fluttery and small and it gets the instinct going. If the cat is an outdoor cat I wouldn’t trust that either since they are much more used to actively hunting.

We have a truly ridiculous amount of animals in the house these days and don’t have problems with them hurting each other because we don’t really allow much interaction across species. It really depends if you want to deal with more animals and boundaries. It’s not really all that hard but it is another layer to deal with.

 

[texsize]

We have 3 cats used to have 4 but our older male passed away recently with 11 birds in the house. The macaws and cockatoo are almost always out. The cats stay away. The macaws are too big, loud and aggressive they don’t really want to mess with them. The macaws will charge them too when they are in their space like if the cat is resting on the couch the macaws will deliberately climb up to chase them off. We don’t allow interaction but they stay apart on their own. The only time I’ve had the cats interested in the birds is when they are tiny like a budgie or parrolet. They are too fluttery and small and it gets the instinct going. If the cat is an outdoor cat I wouldn’t trust that either since they are much more used to actively hunting.

We have a truly ridiculous amount of animals in the house these days and don’t have problems with them hurting each other because we don’t really allow much interaction across species. It really depends if you want to deal with more animals and boundaries. It’s not really all that hard but it is another layer to deal with.

Cat's aren't dumb. They will see that beak and the birds will flair out there wings to look even bigger and snap that huge beak.

Cat will see this and decide he's late for an appointment and leave with as much dignity as he/she can.

That said if you don't have a cat you for sure wont have a cat problem.

 

[Jottlebot]

I have had 2 cats and an Alexandrine and other pets including snakes! At the moment I only have one old, one-eyed, now blind cat who lives in our bedroom for her own safety due to her disability now (+ a dog, 2 snakes, an Alexandrine and a Mynah bird!). I have never allowed any of my animals to mix, even cats and dogs to some degree and i have always had places or rooms that the individual animal species can use or to separate them from the other animals. You can have a cat and a parrot, but I think they should be separate. Also by getting a rescue, you don't fully know what personality or background you are inheriting.

A macaw could definitely hurt a cat, but would be so traumatised if they were attacked by one and had to defend themselves this alone would be dangerous and damaging and a cat will hunt, it's what they do. Also isn't cat saliva dangerous to birds? So even a slight bite could be very dangerous to your parrot. They should definitely be separated when you are not there, no question.

 

[SailBoat]

But it all comes back to why introduce the stress...
Kind of like you living with a tiger. You have to get it right every time or it gets ugly fast!

 

[itzjbean]

I own one cat (one passed recently), a big Doberman and 4 cockatiels. I'll be getting another kitten in a few months from a breeder in my area but when I do, I'll be sure to keep a close eye on her, won't be trusted to roam the house free while we're gone, etc.

I feel able to do this easily with my birds as they stay mostly in their huge cage, but a macaw may be very different experiences. Not saying it isn't impossible (there are people that can own cats and macaws in the same house) but it will take patience and possibly splitting up your time between a cuddly kitten and a attention-seeking macaw. If your mac is more content to sit on a perch up high most of the time, a cat would do fine. But if your macaw likes to walk along the ground, be with your constantly, wants to be the center of attention all the time, then this could be an issue.

 

[wrench13]

Why risk it? Its not like your macaw isn't going to take 100% of your time and attention. Put on a Youtube video of stupid cat stuff, sit back and let your Scarlet Macaw be your lap animal.

 

[riddick07]

I mean I have close to 250+ animals now and not even vaguely stressed. I have some vaguely dangerous animals if one is being incredibly stupid and not following protocols. So I always find it weird that people think a grand total of 2 animals is too much but every person is different I guess. I also have mainly predator like animals and some venomous arachnids. I have 70+ snakes, 70+ arachnids, 100+ rats (I breed for feeders so number goes up and down all the time), a roach colony, the 9 parrots, the cat, the horse, some lizards, and some fish..... I have yet to have one animal eat or kill another animal. Well no that’s a lie, the snakes eat the rats all the time and the tarantulas kill the roaches but that part is in the plan of course..

My macaw also lives on the ground like a weirdo. He waddles around the house following me around like a weirdo up and down the stairs. He sits on a bird stand across the room and watches me clean rat cages while kissing at the whole production like a weirdo. He also sits in his cage and watches me clean snake cages while throwing around the empty paper towel rolls I push threw the bars as I go along cleaning. He plays in the big black bin like an idiot throwing toys and jumping into the bin while I feed and do water for the arachnids....the cats are also somewhere in the house while all this is going on. Usually asleep far away from all our nonsense...just waiting to come out when I do the giant snake cages so they can stupidly run up and try to make friends with a 15ft snake...yeah the cats get locked up for that one.

An older cat that doesn’t give a flying F about what you or the bird are doing could always be a good option. All but one of our cats were older rescues. I didn’t think you really wanted a kitten which is always good because kittens are annoying little things lol

I am also a crazy animal person. I don’t like people in general and spend my majority of time with or around the animals doing maintenance. I had a large amount of animals growing up and never went without pets. I managed a barn when I was young, worked with large ferret rescues, dog & cat rescues, and helped with a 200 bird rescue. Large amount of animals with their craziness & possible sniping at each other is normal to me. Use some common sense and establish protocols for yourself to follow to avoid issues. Could issues still happen of course that’s life with or without a cat there just depends if it’s a risk you think is worth it. To me it’s a minimal risk but to someone else it’s too much. Dogs are too big a risk for me because they could accidentally squish the macaw, who is always on the floor, in excitement otherwise I wouldn’t mind one but to someone else it’s an easily manageable & minimal risk

 

[chris-md]

I mean I have close to 250+ animals now and not even vaguely stressed. I have some vaguely dangerous animals if one is being incredibly stupid and not following protocols. So I always find it weird that people think a grand total of 2 animals is too much but every person is different I guess.

You think that might be a tad bit judgmental? Everyone’s situation is different: you on a rural farm have very different from my concerns here in the nations capital as a gay man with a dog and bird, which are different from a single suburban mother working two jobs struggling to get by.

Stress in dealing with my whole two animals is rooted not just in the animals themselves.

 

[lunyluna]

This was incredibly helpful and helped put me at ease. I've already got my heart set on a 3 y/o longhaired cat at a rescue, so hopefully I get to take him home soon! Following everyone's advice, I will definitely keep a rigorous protocol to make sure they respect each other. Plus, it will be even easier once I move into a new apartment in the fall because the bird will have her own (cat free) room!

Thanks again for the advice. Much appreciated.

 

[riddick07]

I’m not on a farm? I live in townhouse surrounding by plenty of annoying neighbors....my horse is boarded... I have no idea who the single mother is...my own mother was a single mother working in philly and did just fine even while struggling at times. And she would have punched anyone in the face for suggesting she couldn’t do whatever the hell she wanted for adding or not adding animals haha.

I literally said in my post everyone handles things differently and risks for some is not the same as others. You have dog and think that’s a fine risk for your situation and I don’t have a dog since I don’t think it’s a fine risk for my situation...literally said that. I had no idea you had 2 animals and I don’t really care? I mean not to sound rude even though that is basically my default setting but I’m not sure what your situation had to do with anything I said exactly since I wasn’t even directly referencing you. Your situation is your own. I was just commenting on the ops general issue...pretty sure she will just have 2 animals if a cat is added and doesn’t sound overly overwhelmed by having a macaw or the idea of adding a cat...

If I had kids I’d have less animals. But I think kids are annoying and would probably end up tossing one out a window, so I don’t have any, I don’t want any and I think people who have them are a bit crazy. One kid sounds more annoying than 250 animals honestly and I’m not sure why people do that to themselves.

 

[chris-md]

i think you may have read too quickly, as I my descriptors were hypotheticals, not characterizations of actual participants except myself. Nor did I say you were referencing me or attacking me.

But what I quoted from your opening paragraph does cast some aspersions to anyone who is stressed by “two whole animals”. Simply put, in your own words, you don’t know my life and I don’t know yours.

So why insult people who aren’t you?

 

[Cardinal]

This was incredibly helpful and helped put me at ease. I've already got my heart set on a 3 y/o longhaired cat at a rescue, so hopefully I get to take him home soon! Following everyone's advice, I will definitely keep a rigorous protocol to make sure they respect each other. Plus, it will be even easier once I move into a new apartment in the fall because the bird will have her own (cat free) room!

Thanks again for the advice. Much appreciated.

Sometimes it is good to go with the heart, but most of the times using the head along with the heart is a better option

 

[riddick07]

i think you may have read too quickly, as I my descriptors were hypotheticals, not characterizations of actual participants except myself. Nor did I say you were referencing me or attacking me.

But what I quoted from your opening paragraph does cast some aspersions to anyone who is stressed by “two whole animals”. Simply put, in your own words, you don’t know my life and I don’t know yours.

So why insult people who aren’t you?

If you thought that was insult I’m not sure how you are even handling the internet in general

This was incredibly helpful and helped put me at ease. I've already got my heart set on a 3 y/o longhaired cat at a rescue, so hopefully I get to take him home soon! Following everyone's advice, I will definitely keep a rigorous protocol to make sure they respect each other. Plus, it will be even easier once I move into a new apartment in the fall because the bird will have her own (cat free) room!

Thanks again for the advice. Much appreciated.

Don’t forget pictures!

 

[chris-md]

Again with the unnecessary insults? Can we please elevate the level of discourse here above middle school level....

 

[noodles123]

Okay-- I am new to the discussion and I haven't read it all.

1- I think mixing cats and birds is a risky choice (can it be done? technically, I mean, yeah---there are people who have both)--then again, there all all sorts of exceptions to the rules out there (and sometimes it is temporary too). Lots of people have birds who don't reach their full life-expectancy due to household dangers other than cats, so if those same people had a bird for as long as they had a cat, it is possible that in SOME cases, they would have an issue w/ cat and bird. Similarly, "horseplay" between a bird and cat can be deadly even if the cat doesn't hurt the bird that badly. There are other cases when the cat and bird might work out for as long as the cat is alive--- BUT- such cases are the EXCEPTION-- not the rule (and even then, the potential is there).
Example-- I might trust a 6 year student, but would I allow him/her to carry a loaded gun all day around others (or alone lol) ? NO---
Why? because there is risk that it could be misused or hurt someone in an accident. Same with cats and birds..cats are like a loaded gun (they may not go off, but they could, and if they do, it's not on them)...and a bird will do their best to "set off" the "gun" (because they are birds and love a reaction). Even just by nature, cats are interested in birds---it's a cliche because it's rooted in instinct.

2. Even if a cat "likes" a bird, their saliva can kill them. Think about how many time you hurt/pushed/slapped your siblings growing up (accidentally or on purpose) despite love--- now imagine that your fingers and spit were toxic for your sibling. Then look at how cats interact with other cats---VERY PHYSICAL= very toxic for bird (in theory).

3. Bottom line-- this is a risk. Do you get struck by lightening by walking in a storm? It's not very likely because not that many people do it, but even so, I feel that the risk of a cat harming a bird is much higher than a person getting hit by lightening in a severe storm (and even the national weather service advises against going outside during a storm) lol

 

[Scott]

Thanks for posting a timely question, Barb! As you can see from the conversation, cats + birds fosters lively debate. My opinion is it is possible to live with both assuming rigid and somewhat onerous precautions are taken. Apartment dwelling will make separation more complex. Macaws by virtue of size and volume send definitive messages to housecats, though the latter have the advantage of stealth, surprise, and deadly saliva.

I dearly love cats but have chosen to forego them in my home. As alternative, I volunteer at a local shelter and specifically chose to work with felines. I have low-prey breed dogs and still take every possible precaution. Cats imo are natural predators and I am not willing to take chances.