Male 1 year old Sun Conure, and advise please

[CharleyShaggy]

Hi my name is Sharon, I brought a male sun conure baby a year ago, his name is Charley. He is my special friend.

I work full time, and my kids go to school, so which mean's he is at home in his huge cage from 6am to 3pm by himself.

And at 3pm we let him out to fly and have a bath, and play, and it is at this time, he becomes naughty, he loves to fly on your shoulder and starting biting, I tell him, no, and I tap his beak, but this doesn't help, cause he will fly away, but then he will come back and start nipping me/us again, why he is doing this?

Also I would like to buy a birman kitten, I know from the web sites, the best way to introduce the bird and the cat is to have someone hold both, and let them slowly see and smell one another.

I know never to let the bird out flying around, while the cat is out.

But can I ask, through the day, when we are out, and the two pet's have the house all to themselves, can I leave the bird in his cage, and let the cat walking around, in the same vacinity as the bird, or am I best to lock the cat up completely away from our bird???

 

[weco]

While it is possible, there not being anyone there, in case something happened, would be a disservice to the bird.....also that might encourage the kitten/cat to stalk (not having any authority around) the bird, something that would upset/scare the your bird.....

 

[Featherz]

I don't have cats at my place but I would keep the cat well away from the bird, even when he's in the cage.
There's nothing to stop the cat from jumping on the birds cage and scaring him or even clawing him through the bars. It's not a risk I would be willing to take.
I have a Green Cheek Conure and he used to bite a lot, especially when he was on the shoulder. I think it had something to do with being at the same eye level as you and feeling equal or in authority to do as he pleases. When my GCC would bite I would either blow very gently in his face to make him stop, spritz him lightly with some water, and take him off my shoulder or wherever he was and put him back on or in his cage.
When he was behaving, i would reward him with treats of his favourite food. Over time he did learn not to bite. But it does take time and patience and not reacting to the biting, or else he sees it as a game and wants to do it more as he is getting a reaction out of you.

 

[4dugnlee]

I have 3 cats. However, my cats are old and lazy and 2 of them were here when I was raising cockatiels and parakeets ten+ years ago. Kittens will be much more playful and inquisitive. There's no way to know the reaction of the kitten or the bird. I would not leave the kitten out with the bird when you aren't at home.

As for biting, my sun conure will bite/nip when on my shoulder. Sometimes it's a pinch..sometimes he bites my ear. I tell him "no" or "don't bite" and put him in his cage for a few minutes for a few minutes. However, I don't know how that will work for you if your bird flies off after he bites??

 

[ErichT]

My gcc would fly to my wife take a nip and fly away, she also was dive bombing my jack Russel so we took her pilots license away "no debating please" from her for Kiwi and Patches safety . We have really old cat and she is more afraid of the birds then they are of her. If the kitty is declawed I cant see her/he getting to your sun in the cage. The kitty might get nipped and will most likely stay away after that. If she is still clawed I would keep her away .