Cat Vs. 3 Birds

tashaam

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Im a new owner of a cat who is a year old that i got a month ago and i was just wondering what is the best way to introduce her to my 3 birds.
She knows they are there becasue during the day she will go near the cages and just watch them, and when one of them flutters she'll run up to the cage but then stop and just watch them. Everytime she does this we yell "NO" and make noise.. But is that the most effective way of training her to stay away? We want to be able to trust her with the birds asap so we can let her roam the house at night .. (Right now we puther in the basement at night)

We also have another new addition to the family.. She gave birth to a kitten 4 days ago... What will the easiest way to train the kitten to stay away from the birds as well ?
 

natalie_ca

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This thread would probably be better in the Behaviour forum so that you can get specific advice.

Can you not hand the cages from the ceiling so they are not within reach of the cat?

Saying "no" and shaking something to make noise works. But you can also go over and pick up the cat and say no, and move it away to another part of the room away from the birds...that is if the cat will let you before running off.

If one of your cats has had kittens, best to keep them in a room by themselves so that the Mom cat and her babies can bond without interference from another cat or humans. If you don't, you may find that the Mom cat will be moving around her kittens trying to find some privacy away from prying eyes and things she finds a threat to her babies.
 

arlyn

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You should never hang bird cages.
When they fall, they break open, injuring birds or letting the cat have an easy meal.

My question is what kind of birds?
If you have three birds and only one cage I suspect you have budgies, cockatiels or finches.

Do you cover your cage at night?
I've found that cage covering engages an 'out of sight, out of mind' reaction with cats, however, budgies and 'tiels tend to suffer night frights and cage covering is not always a good idea.

Best bet is to have your birds in a very large, very sturdy cage with locking doors.
Unless they are finches, most cats eventually lose interest.
With a large cage, the birds can feel safer simply moving away from the cat and the large cage is less likely to be knocked over.

I never really trained my cats, they simply leave birds alone (and one of them was a stray and quite accomplished at dove killing).
When I kept smaller birds, I just moved the bird cage into a secure room at night or when I wasn't home.
The birds get used to moving every evening and it signals bedtime to them, most start to look forward to it.
Easier on the birds, and the cat.
 
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tashaam

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Originally Posted by Arlyn

You should never hang bird cages.
When they fall, they break open, injuring birds or letting the cat have an easy meal.

My question is what kind of birds?
If you have three birds and only one cage I suspect you have budgies, cockatiels or finches.

Do you cover your cage at night?
I've found that cage covering engages an 'out of sight, out of mind' reaction with cats, however, budgies and 'tiels tend to suffer night frights and cage covering is not always a good idea.

Best bet is to have your birds in a very large, very sturdy cage with locking doors.
Unless they are finches, most cats eventually lose interest.
With a large cage, the birds can feel safer simply moving away from the cat and the large cage is less likely to be knocked over.

I never really trained my cats, they simply leave birds alone (and one of them was a stray and quite accomplished at dove killing).
When I kept smaller birds, I just moved the bird cage into a secure room at night or when I wasn't home.
The birds get used to moving every evening and it signals bedtime to them, most start to look forward to it.
Easier on the birds, and the cat.
Well i have 2 budgies in one cage and i have a canary in a cage by itself ..
and my dad doesnt want to start moving the birds on account of the cat because he says "the cat has to get use to our environment.. we shudnt get used to hers..."
 

arlyn

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That's easier said than done, cats are predators, and they either have a 'killer instinct' or they don't, you simply can't train it out of them.

Canaries need very large cages for their relative small size anyway as they need flying room to exercise, and being one of the larger of the finches they aren't as 'busy'.
Budgies, unless their cage can be easily knocked over, will eventually lose fear of the cat (bad and good) and will bite any paw that comes near.

My advice is to make the cages as large as possible, secure the doors, and secure the cages from falling as best as you can, I'd also try and figure a way to secure the cage bottoms to the cages incase they do get knocked over.

Your birds will learn to 'tattle' when the cat is too close and you can continue telling her no while making a loud noise and simply hope for the best when you cannot supervise.

I used to do bird rescue and I've had everything from hand raised finches, abused budgies, tiels, parrots and lovebirds to doves, pigeons, quail and a Raven I hand raised.
I've always had cats, and without fail, they always eventually lose interest, unless the bird(s) are out of the cage.
 

goldenkitty45

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I agree with Arlyn when it comes to cats vs birds, mice, etc. They are natural prey animals and very few cats will leave them alone. They always are figuring out how to get to them and kill or play with them (not in a nice way).

I would never trust any cat/kitten not to harass the birds at some point in time. And even if you are there to watch them; you have to leave the cats alone at some point.

If the birds are not secure in their cages, the cats will eventually figure out how to get to them. I know I could never trust any of my cats with any kind of bird!
 

hypancistrus

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Originally Posted by Arlyn

When I kept smaller birds, I just moved the bird cage into a secure room at night or when I wasn't home.
The birds get used to moving every evening and it signals bedtime to them, most start to look forward to it.
Easier on the birds, and the cat.
I think this is good advice. My older cat, Sterling, ignores the birds completely. Any bird, any type... who cares? *yawn*

The younger cat, Evie, is more mischievous, and seems more interested in the birds. I really do not think she means harm to them, because she shows the same interest in my chinchilla, and the chinchilla will actually engage her by running up and down all the cage levels. Then she will stop, run to the kitten and sniff noses and run away again, thus initiating a chase game.

I really think Evie just wants to smell the birds and say hi, but I worry about her causing night frights in my 'tiel, so we are going to start moving her into our bedroom at night. It's dark and cool in there, so she should sleep better too, and we won't have to worry about the cats frightening her.
 
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