Cat bird scenario

[Princess16]

Posting o/b friend whose cat keeps jumping up at her bird situated high up in cage. It will only be a matter of time before he gets him (only few months old at mo and boy can he jump!) Poor parrot is scared witless and I've said the poor mite will soon die of stress if not worse! She has nowhere else to put parrot as her conservatory is too cold in winter and warm in summer. She doesn't have cat in living room when she's not there but of an eve he will try to climb up to get to him.

Any advice?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

get rid of the bird or the cat? I do wonder what people think sometimes.

 

[Princess16]

Bit harsh if you've got nothing constructive to say dont bother no need to be so rude

 

[EQUIDAE]

I was going to suggest the same. Either one or the other needs homing before the parrot gets killed. It can't be a nice situation for the parrot to be in - very stressful and fearful if it was a dog I would suggest keeping it on a lead - can't really do this with a cat though?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Bit harsh if you've got nothing constructive to say dont bother no need to be so rude

well you've already said she can't keep the bird elsewhere but is having the cat in with the bird of an evening. Cat and bird need to be separated or cat will eventually get the bird (from what you said).

I fail to see what else can be said if she insists on letting cat in with bird. Cat is being a cat-if you don't have room to keep them separate, why would you have both? Punishing that cat by restricting it around the bird is unfair on the cat, its unfair on the bird to have a predator in the room with it.

 

[MargotC]

I actually thought rehoming was constructive advice for the sake of the animals at least. I have however no experience training a cat and a bird to get along.

Personally if I had two animals that it very soon turned out just did not mix, the last one acquired would have to be the one to go. For that reason I'm careful not to put myself in a position with incompatible pets to begin with.

So with that said, if the cat is an indoor cat, and they (understandably) don't want to rehome, I'd be looking at effectively closing off a room or two for the cat to live in. As long as you have two separate and warm rooms in a house or flat, it should be possible to designate an area for each of them so their paths don't cross. A friend has two indoor Savannahs and two Setters for hunting, the cats roam upstairs and the dogs are downstairs. It works.

 

[9tails]

Bit harsh if you've got nothing constructive to say dont bother no need to be so rude

MoC's post was very constructive actually. Everybody else is agreeing with her.

 

[Princess16]

MoC's post was very constructive actually. Everybody else is agreeing with her.

Maybe it was the sarcastic wording in her post.

I too have suggested she rehomes the bird but she was trying to seek all avenues first. The bird was her FIL who has recently died - she didn't go out specifically to buy him.

 

[9tails]

Does it matter where the bird came from, he still shouldn't be used as bait.

 

[flirtygerty]

While rehoming would be the quickest solution, there is an aversion therapy that might work, if the owner keeps a loaded water pistol/spray bottle with her at all times the cat and bird are together, if the cat so much as looks at the bird squirt it, every time the cat looks at the bird, squirt it, I have known this to work, but they need to be quick and consistent, it goes without saying though, bird and cat should never be left together unsupervised

 

[peaceandquiet1]

I have two cockateils who normally live in an outdoor aviary but I had to bring them in this winter to refurbish their premises and at first there was pandemonium with my cats. I had to keep the birds shut in a separate room for a while. Over a few weeks though and they have lost interest. I still don't trust them but leave ll the doors open unless i am out. The lonesome parrot though sounds terrified and if it is a young cat it may not give up so easily.

 

[Princess16]

While rehoming would be the quickest solution, there is an aversion therapy that might work, if the owner keeps a loaded water pistol/spray bottle with her at all times the cat and bird are together, if the cat so much as looks at the bird squirt it, every time the cat looks at the bird, squirt it, I have known this to work, but they need to be quick and consistent, it goes without saying though, bird and cat should never be left together unsupervised

Thank you I have suggested this so she's going to try it. I too have told her it would be best to rehome him but I guess as it's her newly deceased FIL and OH is struggling at mo she wants to give it a try. She is well aware it's not an ideal combination as cats will do what they naturally do

 

[Umbongo]

Even if you can teach the cat to ignore the bird, the bird will probably always be naturally fearful of the cat and stressed. Not a nice life in my opinion. I also think it would be best to re-home one of them.