Can I get a lovebird or cockatiel if I have a cat?

[Bobbytheborb]

Hello. I was wondering if I could still get a lovebird or cockatiel even though I have a cat. My cat is a Maine Coon, and he is very lazy but also playful. Will it not work out between the two?

 

[lplummer52]

I wouldn't, no. Even if you can keep them separated, sooner or later the cat's instinct will kick in and you'll have a dead bird. You'll leave a door open or something. Cat's can kill a bird even if the bird is in a cage. I learned the hard way years ago with my first Budgie. Especially the small birds really incite a cat's instinct to kill with their quick movements and flapping wings. I love cats, but have never had both in the same house since.

 

[itzjbean]

Yes, you can. I have two cats and a large dog in addition to my two birds. Been living harmoniously for years!

BUT, you will have to take precautions to ensure your bird is safe from your cat. Just because he is lazy and doesn't seem to show interest, that can all change in a second if your bird is left unattended and decides to fly over and investigate your cat.

When I have my bird out for more than 20 minutes, the cats get put in their bedroom so I don't have to worry about my bird flying to the ground and walking around and being potentially stalked and killed. One of my cats has shown high prey drive and much interest in my birds so I just don't trust him around my bird when out of the cage. But I don't think that should mean I should rehome them, or one or the other, because I loveeeee my kitties too!

So it can work, but it will require always being in the room with the two to ensure no one gets to close to the other. No unsupervised play and no leaving your bird to go to another room unless it is with you! I make it work because my birds have a huge roomy cage and I dedicate time specifically to letting them out every day to play safely while cats get put in their bedroom. It is possible but will take dedication!

 

[Kiwibird]

I second not keeping predators and prey in the same home. I know people do, but there is always a risk no matter how well behaved you may think the predatory animal is or how well supervised/secure you think the prey animal is. We get numerous posts on this forum every year about the cat or dog ate the bird or attacked the bird and now the bird is seriously injured and the vet bill to treat the injuries costs a lot of money etc... All it takes is one time the cage wasn't locked before leaving the house or the cat gets into the room while the bird is out....

 

[lplummer52]

OR, as I said, the cat gets into the room even when the bird is in the cage. Cats just hug the cage and the bird kills itself by thrashing around and hitting the cat’s extended claws. I hate to be so graphic, but this is what happens. I waited until my beloved cat passed before I got a bird.

 

[EllenD]

The problem with owning a cat and a bird at the same time is that it always seems that people either don't take the severe risk to the bird's life seriously, or they start-out taking it seriously and then they quickly start slacking. Or they are convinced that "their cat" is different than other cats, and they start taking chances and risks that eventually end-up in tragedy.

All cats, no matter the species, no matter their perceived temperament, no matter their past history of behavior around other animals are naturally predators to birds. Period. All cats have an innate instinct and predatory drive, and even a very friendly, docile, lazy house cat that has never been allowed outside and that has never shown any interest in birds still possesses this predatory drive and innate instinct to hunt, torture, and kill birds. It's just a fact of life. And as such, if you don't take this situation in your home seriously it will always end in tragedy and heartache. And you can't ever blame the cat for it when it happens, it's not their fault at all.

So, the answer is yes, it's possible to keep a bird and a cat in the same house, but ONLY if you keep them separated at all times. And here's another factor that no one ever thinks about, but the fact is that just like the cat is naturally a predator, birds are naturally prey. In-addition, birds can become extremely stressed very quickly, and when a bird becomes extremely stressed they can literally die from it. And many cat owners who also own a bird think it's perfectly alright to allow their cat to be in the same room as the bird, as long as the bird is locked inside their cage....This is just not true at all!!! Try to imagine how stressed a parrot must be when they are locked inside a cage, no way to get away, and they are constantly having to look at a cat staring at them all day long, watching a cat walk around past their cage all day long, or laying in front of their cage, etc. This isn't at all fair to the poor bird, it's basically psychological torture for them.

So the bottom-line is yes, you can have a cat and a bird in the same house, but only if you commit to keeping them totally and completely separate. And realize that your bird cannot be neglected because it's easier for the cat or more convenient for the cat. Meaning that any parrot you bring home, regardless of species, needs at least 4-5 hours of out-of-cage-time every single day to stay happy and healthy. So this means that the cat must be locked inside a separate room behind a latching door for at least 4-5 hours a day, or any time the bird is out of it's cage. So if you're not okay with doing that to your cat, then it's not wise to get a bird, because inevitably what will happen in the bird will end-up spending all their time locked inside a cage, and it's just not going to work. That's what creates pluckers. And you also cannot allow the cat to allowed to hang-out around the bird's cage at all, as this is going to incredibly stress-out the bird. So to make it work you have to figure out a way to keep the cat and the bird totally separated most of the time. And there is no such thing as "supervising the cat" when the bird is out, because it only takes a split-second to have a dead bird. Most birds that are attacked by cats don't die of the physical injuries they obtain from the attack, but rather from the severe stress of the attack.

***Something else that must be known by any cat owner thinking about getting a bird is that the saliva of any cat is toxic/poisonous to all birds, and the cat's saliva cannot come in contact with the bird at any time, as if they become infected with the bacteria that's present in the cat's saliva, most of the time they die, as even antibiotics usually don't work.

 

[itzjbean]

OR, as I said, the cat gets into the room even when the bird is in the cage. Cats just hug the cage and the bird kills itself by thrashing around and hitting the cat’s extended claws. I hate to be so graphic, but this is what happens. I waited until my beloved cat passed before I got a bird.

There's a simple solution to this actually -- getting a cage on a stand. My cage is too high for my cats to get to so it essentially takes the danger out of having a cat in the room with my birds. It may not have worked for you to have a cat with your bird, but it has worked for me and alas, no fatalities!

I believe with the right cage, precautions taken and dedication to ensure all animals are safe, it can and will work so all can live in harmony.

The same can essentially be said for those who have two birds who do not get along -- the same precautions are taken to ensure neither bird accidently gets out and hurts/kills the other. There are several members here who have bids who cannot be out of the cage at the same time as they would attack another bird in the house, is that reason to rehome or not own one of the two? I think not.

 

[StephenM]

I have 9 cats (4 being Maine coons), plus a dog, and 70 plus birds. Only two of the birds are indoors. The room is double checked for hiding cats before any cage door is opened, even just to quickly change water!

 

[April]

I wish I could post a video my dazy (Persian)and April play it’s adorable . April comes down the steps on to couch and gets right up in her face gets tickled with whiskers and shakes ,then proceeds to give her all her toys . It did not start there I had to body block her visibly for a week straight finally she looked at me like , well .... what the heck is she for then. I never leave them unattended ever but it has come a long way.

 

[Terry57]

We have 2 cats and 2 dogs, and the birds are always kept separate from all of them. They are never allowed in the same room together. It takes diligence, but can be done.

 

[Owlet]

I really really suggest not doing this. Cat saliva can be lethal to birds and cats regularly groom themselves. A bit of contact after a grooming could prove dangerous. And there's always the possibility something can go wrong.

parrots are not domesticated and large part unpredictable, especially during hormonal seasons. A bird could get nippy and a cat would rightfully protect itself. It's just NOT a good idea to mix the two. There's so many possibilities of something going wrong that imo, it's just not worth it.

 

[April]

I am aware of everyone’s opinions on this and thanks for your concern ,I am an extremely experienced bird lover, but I do my own thing

 

[itzjbean]

I am aware of everyone’s opinions on this and thanks for your concern ,I am an extremely experienced bird lover, but I do my own thing

Yes there are lots of differing opinions about this. But it's important to remember a cat poses no more threat than, say, a ceiling fan left on and the bird escaping its cage. Or like I mentioned before, having two birds that do not get along at all and one getting out accidently and attacking the other. Just because a cat has 'instinct's does not mean that we as owners are irresponsible for owning a cat.

I believe there's a responsible way to own both and all live long lives.

 

[Kiwibird]

My grandma had a pet crow who was best friends with the family dog, which was one of those little ones. The dog adored the crow and visa versa. One night, with everyone in the room, the dog and crow were playing as they normally did and the dog moved it's paw just wrong and snapped the crows neck. The crow died instantly in front of everyone and the dog was not being aggressive in any way, it was just playing and the crow had been playing back. I grew up hearing this wherever I'd beg for a dog or cat because it wasn't safe to have those kinds of animals in a home with birds and all I can see when I look at images like this is the cat, perhaps even playfully, swatting at the birds neck and....instantaneous death for the bird.

Larger animals also aren't immune from parrot beaks. Kiwi bit a medium sized dog squarely in the nose once. He was rescued out of a house overflowing with various animals, dogs and cats included, and he isn't scared of predators at all whatsoever and in fact gets pretty aggressive in the presence of dogs. This dog kept sniffing at his cage, which he didn't like and it's stupid owner would not control her dog despite my repeated attempts to warn that my bird was not happy about it sniffing his cage and got mad at me for trying to shoo it away (this occurred in a packed vets waiting area where there was no where else to move).

 

[SailBoat]

To assure the safety of our beloved Parrots, the video that place a Parrot and Cat very close to each other has been removed.

Thank-you, for your understanding.

 

[April]

Sorry bout that everyone I didn’t mean to bend rules or anything at all like that . I worked VERY hard to have it safe not allowing them to ever meet and learn, in my opinion is setting yourself up for a disaster !