Any luck with cats and birds?

sockiesmom

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I had a parakeet when I was younger and I would love to get one again. However, Socks is almost nine years old and has never lived with a bird in the house. Would it be possible to get a bird and teach her to stay away from the cage?
I live in a really little house so keeping the cage in its own room would be really difficult.
Thanks,
~Jenn

PS: I know this probably doesn't belong in this forum, but it didn't seem to belong in the lounge or any other forum, lol.
 

lotsocats

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We tend not to have much traffic on the weekend. I know we have a few members with both cats and birds. Perhaps they can help when they check in during the week.
 

angelzoo

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To touch on something you said in my bird food thread.
There are many things you can do, to attach to any cage to make it hangable! Which I really think has to be the best way to go if you have other animals an not a spare room for the bird only.


Sometimes the ceiling hook is even small enough to fit through one of the top bars and it can be suspended that way.
If a cat wants the bird, it WILL find a way to get it, you just have to make it as difficult as possible.

You can find rope you can thread through, or a chain (incase your new budgie is a munchier, he can't chew his way through metal)
 
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sockiesmom

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Originally posted by AngelzOO
To touch on something you said in my bird food thread.
There are many things you can do, to attach to any cage to make it hangable! Which I really think has to be the best way to go if you have other animals an not a spare room for the bird only.


Sometimes the ceiling hook is even small enough to fit through one of the top bars and it can be suspended that way.
If a cat wants the bird, it WILL find a way to get it, you just have to make it as difficult as possible.

You can find rope you can thread through, or a chain (incase your new budgie is a munchier, he can't chew his way through metal)
Oh, thanks.
Do you know if it's okay to get a used cage and disinfect it really well? I've read on some webpages that the bird can get diseases that way, but if it was disinfected really well, wouldn't it be okay?
 

angelzoo

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People sell and buy used cages all the time. It just really depends on the contition of it. I don't think I would trust a truly soild cage, no matter how much I clean it (and oh yes I am thorough.)

But I think a used one that is scrubbed down by the owner before being sold and then DISINFECTED and cleaned by you, outside once you get it, would be perfectly acceptable.

It's just like using the same cat carriers to transport sick and healthy animal over and over, we clean them out after each use and no other cats have ever gotten ill from a cleaned down carrier.
 
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sockiesmom

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Originally posted by AngelzOO
People sell and buy used cages all the time. It just really depends on the contition of it. I don't think I would trust a truly soild cage, no matter how much I clean it (and oh yes I am thorough.)

But I think a used one that is scrubbed down by the owner before being sold and then DISINFECTED and cleaned by you, outside once you get it, would be perfectly acceptable.

It's just like using the same cat carriers to transport sick and healthy animal over and over, we clean them out after each use and no other cats have ever gotten ill from a cleaned down carrier.
Makes sense. I'm just paranoid when it comes to my pets (present, and future, I guess).


Thanks a lot for all your answers and advice.
 

valanhb

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I don't have any experience at all with birds, but I've been thinking about this for you Jenn. Does Socks have a real strong prey instinct? Sorry I don't remember, but has she been indoors all her life? How does she react to birds outside of the window?

Going on "kitty logic", I would think that if she attacks anything that moves, spent time fending for herself outside, or goes NUTS about birds or squirrels outside the window then getting a bird may not be a good thing. I would just really watch her behaviour concentrating on looking for her prey instincts and how she reacts to similar stimuli. Does she learn limits pretty well? Some kitties do and some don't, but if she listens well and has a pleasing nature (wants to please Mommy, doesn't like to be scolded) then teaching her that the bird is off limits wouldn't be as difficult as training one who is constantly pushing the boundaries.

If you do decide to get a bird, try to make the transition as smooth and cautiously as possible. Play some CDs of bird calls so Socks gets used to hearing it and isn't constantly looking for the source of the noise. Hang the empty cage where it will be so she gets used to something being there. These will also be a good way for you to judge what her reaction will be. If she's curious but leaves it alone (either the sound or the cage) after a couple minutes, she will probably be OK.
 
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sockiesmom

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Originally posted by valanhb
I don't have any experience at all with birds, but I've been thinking about this for you Jenn. Does Socks have a real strong prey instinct? Sorry I don't remember, but has she been indoors all her life? How does she react to birds outside of the window?

Going on "kitty logic", I would think that if she attacks anything that moves, spent time fending for herself outside, or goes NUTS about birds or squirrels outside the window then getting a bird may not be a good thing. I would just really watch her behaviour concentrating on looking for her prey instincts and how she reacts to similar stimuli. Does she learn limits pretty well? Some kitties do and some don't, but if she listens well and has a pleasing nature (wants to please Mommy, doesn't like to be scolded) then teaching her that the bird is off limits wouldn't be as difficult as training one who is constantly pushing the boundaries.

If you do decide to get a bird, try to make the transition as smooth and cautiously as possible. Play some CDs of bird calls so Socks gets used to hearing it and isn't constantly looking for the source of the noise. Hang the empty cage where it will be so she gets used to something being there. These will also be a good way for you to judge what her reaction will be. If she's curious but leaves it alone (either the sound or the cage) after a couple minutes, she will probably be OK.
Thanks for those points.
Socks has been indoors all her life. She does look at birds out the window, but she doesn't try to "catch" them through the glass like I have seen some cats do. We looked after a friend's finches once, and she was curious for the first twenty minutes or so, but a catnip mouse proved more interesting. But we only had those birds for three days, so I don't know how she would act with a 'permanent' bird.
She was always fine when we had pet hamsters, and they lived on cages on the floor. The only time she showed interest in them was when they got little pieces of cheese to eat, and other than that she much prefered the rodents of the catnip variety.
Socks hardly ever goes downstairs, so I was thinking of putting the bird down there. I'm down there a lot. I don't think she would be able to hear the bird through the floor.

The suggestion about the bird calls on CD is really great. I'll be sure to get one of those, and see how she reacts.

Again, thank you all for your input. I don't know what I would ever do without you!
 

stephigee

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Hi Jenn, nice to meet you. I was surprised when I brought Buster home as a kitten almost three years ago at the friendship that grew between her and my tame budgie, Oscar. At first I tried to keep the cage raised and out of reach, but you know what they say about cats and curiosity, so I ended up putting the cage on the ground. Once the birdcage was no longer a "naughty" zone, Buster and Oscar got to know each other and became good companions. Every morning we would find Buster sitting with her head under the night time cage cover, waiting for us to remove it. She often curled up around the cage for a snooze. They would touch noses/beaks through the cage and occasionally Buster would get a peck. As much as they obviously enjoyed each other's company though I'd never trust Buster with Oscar out of the cage. I think instincts would be too strong! Your cat is 9 years old though and I don't know how she would react to changes in her small environment. If you do go ahead, be sure to get a big big cage with plenty of unreachable spots for para to get away from kitty if he has to!
 
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sockiesmom

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Originally posted by stephigee
Hi Jenn, nice to meet you. I was surprised when I brought Buster home as a kitten almost three years ago at the friendship that grew between her and my tame budgie, Oscar. At first I tried to keep the cage raised and out of reach, but you know what they say about cats and curiosity, so I ended up putting the cage on the ground. Once the birdcage was no longer a "naughty" zone, Buster and Oscar got to know each other and became good companions. Every morning we would find Buster sitting with her head under the night time cage cover, waiting for us to remove it. She often curled up around the cage for a snooze. They would touch noses/beaks through the cage and occasionally Buster would get a peck. As much as they obviously enjoyed each other's company though I'd never trust Buster with Oscar out of the cage. I think instincts would be too strong! Your cat is 9 years old though and I don't know how she would react to changes in her small environment. If you do go ahead, be sure to get a big big cage with plenty of unreachable spots for para to get away from kitty if he has to!
Thank you, Stephigee, and welcome to TCS!
I hope you like it here.

That's a really sweet story about Buster and Oscar. I wouldn't expect that from Socks, because she's older, but I'm glad your kitty and your bird get along.
 
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sockiesmom

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Okay, here's what I'm going to do:

I've got a line on a used cage for $5. I'm not sure of it's condition, but I'm going to buy it anyway, just to see how Socks reacts. If that works out okay, I'll buy a newer cage. If it doesn't work out, I'm only out $5. (The guy said it's in fairly good condition, and he just wants to get it out of his basement. But still, $5 seems very little to pay if it's in as good of condition as he says...)

I'm going to try and find some bird sounds to download and burn to CD to play in the guestroom, and she whether or not she freaks out.

If I think Socks will totally resent the bird, of course I will not put the both of them through that.

Thank you very much for all of your help.
 
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sockiesmom

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Just an update...


Got the bird the other day and brought him home. (He's a blue budgie...he looks very similar to Corbi in Angelzoo's signature).
Socks was very curious last night but didn't pay much attention to him. My dog sits and stares up at him, and sometimes cries because I think he thinks the poor bird can't get out... either that or he reckons he's next for a cage.


The bird will be allowed to free fly (supervised!) in the basement, with Socks kept upstairs by a closed door... but I'm not going to let him free fly until he is finger tamed.

The only bad thing Socks has done, so far, concerning the bird, is I left a box of bird gravel on the table and she knocked it on the floor...it was everywhere. But that was my own stupidity!

Don't worry about me spending more time with the bird than my kitty... she's been getting lots of scritches. She can't wait until the snow is melted so I can take her out to the backyard for a walk (on her harness, of course!)
 
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