A bird AND a cat.....?

[bluekat]

Me and my dad went to PetSmart today and we looked at some birds. They were all very beautiful, and I really really wanted one of them! It was light blue with an orangey beak. Just gorgeous.
I asked if we could get one and my dad didn't exactly say no, but he just said that we have to know how to take care of it first. So there's a little chance that we might get one.:D

But I just wanted to ask if any of you would know, if its possible to have a bird AND a cat. I'm afraid of how Blueberry would react if we bring home a bird. He might start to chase it and attack or something. But obviously the bird will be in a cage but Blueberry might still try to do something to it:p

I just want to see if its possible first to own both...lol who knows, they might become friends;) If any of you have a bird and cat, how did you introduce them? Well, if I'm really going to be allowed to get one, I need to start researching on them!:p

Thanks:)

[jazzcat]

Noah's Mommy just introduced two birds into her cat family and so far so good, I think. Maybe she can give you some idea of what it's like and what to do.

I had two zebra finches for many years with Ripley in the house and although he made a few attempts to get them, in general he didn't pay much attention to them. Of course he had been around them ever since he was 7 weeks old. Now my Jazz and Scout are major hunters being females and I'm sure birds wouldn't last long here with them in the house.

Good luck.

[Kfamr]

I doubt a bird and a cat can become the BEST of friends, but It is possible to keep them in the same home as long as you are safe and keep Blueberry in a different room when the bird is out.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

As you know we have Piper [a cockatiel] and two cats, Angel and Dillian. Neither of them really pay much attention to him, even from Day 1.

As long as you feel you can keep the bird safe from Blueberry, I don't see how that would be a problem. :)

[Karen]

The cats in the house of a friend of mine made every attempt - at every opportunity - including enterprising things like figuring out when grandma wasn't looking that they could jump from the bed to the bureau to the bird's cage, and sometimes knock the door open. Several parakeets and explanations to a tearful confused small childlater, they gave up on having a bird.

It probably depends on the cat in question.

[bluekat]

Ok, thanks for replying everyone:) I don't really think Blueberry would be the type to try to attack the bird...he'd probably just spend the day watching it:p He loves watching birds. But if it doesn't work out, then I guess we can put the bird in a seperate room. But even so, I know that he would get used to the bird and then later not pay any attention to it.
I'm going to ask my parents again if I'm allowed, hopefully they'll say yes. I'll tell you guys if I'm allowed:)

[catmandu]

Cats and Birds , like Cats and other smal animals,can co exist,if the CXats,has not be trained by its Mother,to regard them as prey!Good Luck on the Bird!

[NoahsMommy]

Our cats are still obsessed with our birds, but its only been a week. We are sure the cage is well out of reach and when its not, I'm watching with an eagle eye.

The birds could care less about the cats. Hopefully, that'll be the case with the cats soon.

We can't take the birds out unless we do it in the closed bathroom. That's something to think about if you get a bird that requires a lot of handling/attention.

:)

[cubby31682]

I use to have 2 birds when I got Cubby. My birds were out 24/7 if they wanted to be. As soon as we got Cubby he was locked up in my bedroom so he couldn't get to the birds. When I was home I would still let the birds out of the cage and I kept the water bottle next to me. The would fly off the cage at times and when they did Cubby ran in the other direction, he was afraid of them when they would fly. If they were on the bottom of the cage he would stand up and with his paws on the cage and just look at them then Hoppy (he only had one leg) jumped over to him one time and SCREAMED in his ear then bit his paw and after that Cubby never looked inside the cage again.

I had to sadly give up my birds my husband kept getting sick ever week or so. As soon as the birds were gone he hasn't gotten sick again. I still miss them though and have though about getting another but I know what it will do to hubby so I can't.

I would just make sure that you really watch the birds and Blueberry.

[CatMama78]

I wanted to say good luck and I'm sure it can be done, The predator and prey can co-exist peacefully. I'm sure it takes a lot of patience, training and very careful monitoring is all.

[Vermontcat]

I meant to reply to this sooner but didn't have time.
My cat Samantha has been fine with our parakeet T-bird for 3 years now.
Here is a photo of them together.
http://users.adelphia.net/~mandzsawyer/images/samtb.jpg
Samantha has never done anything more than stare at T-bird from a distance like in the photo above.
I just took a peek at your house tour thread and I think that you could get a bird and Blueberry would be fine with it.
Does Blueberry ever climb on your countertops? Does he spend a lot of time in your room?
I think that if you kept a bird in your room or in a room with a door you could close when you are not there to supervise that it could work out.
Good luck!:)

[DogLover9501]

Tiffany, I know lots of people who own a bird and a cat.

I also agree that it depends on the cat in question, one person I know, her bird even chased her cat around and almost landed on it once, and it never touched the bird :eek: Highly unlikely, but it does depend on the cat ;)

Good-Luck!! I hope everything works out :)

[popcornbird]

Actually........birds shouldn't be locked in cages for life. I personally find that to be cruel. They need to be allowed out of the cage to play/exercise/etc.

I saw pics of your house, and it seems to be quite large. If you can keep the birds in a room upstairs.......maybe in your room, and keep Blueberry out of that room completely, I don't think it should be a problem. That way, your bird can have *out-of-the-cage* time, and have a place to roam freely, while the cat can also have the rest of the house to spend time in. Confining Blueberry, or the bird, can be unfair, but if you have a large house and can safely house BOTH seperately, I would say go for it.

If you're going to get any bird other than a canary or finch, please don't plan on completely *caging* them. Pet birds are VERY intelligent, and need at least some freedom to lead happy and healthy lives. Being locked just isn't fair. I personally don't even like to cage canaries or finches, but they do seem to do better in cages than parrots. Parrots need *a lot* of attention. :p

[DogLover9501]

:eek: Poppy( :p ), Speaking of birds needing to have "out-of-the-cage" time, my cousins love-birds got outside :eek: and flew around for a whole day and night :eek: and then came back!!!

The female came back first and stayed in the cage(which my cousin layed outside) and then kept calling the male and my cousin sat there until the male came back to her, and then brang them back in....:eek:...dont ask why I brang this up lol but you somehow reminded me of it ^^

[bluekat]

Thanks for the replies everyone:)


I saw pics of your house, and it seems to be quite large. If you can keep the birds in a room upstairs.......maybe in your room, and keep Blueberry out of that room completely, I don't think it should be a problem. That way, your bird can have *out-of-the-cage* time, and have a place to roam freely, while the cat can also have the rest of the house to spend time in. Confining Blueberry, or the bird, can be unfair, but if you have a large house and can safely house BOTH seperately, I would say go for it.

Well, the problem with keeping the bird in my room is that I'd have to keep the door closed all the time, and Blueberry would not like that. He does come into my room alot, and at night he sometimes sleeps on my bed. And also, the upstairs of our house is all carpet, so that might not work out:p
If we get a bird, I wouldn't keep it in the cage all the time. I think we would at first, and bring it to different parts of the house where Blueberry isn't in, and if we see that Blueberry doesn't pay much attention to it, then we will try letting it out of the cage and see how Blueberry reacts.


Does Blueberry ever climb on your countertops? Does he spend a lot of time in your room?
I think that if you kept a bird in your room or in a room with a door you could close when you are not there to supervise that it could work out.

Nope, he has NEVER climbed on our countertops before:p Yeah, maybe I could keep the cage on my bathroom's countertop, its pretty big.


Well, its still not certain if I'm going to get a bird now though. If I am allowed, it wouldn't be too soon...I still have to learn everything there is to know about birds and taking care of them.

But anyways, thanks for all the help everyone!