Cat got my parakeet through the cage - still alive...

[AquaEyes]

Try putting a bell on the cats' collars, so you know where they are. Training isn't effective if you can't catch them all the time. Whenever you're not able to watch the cats, keep them out of the room where the birds are. I also know that cats can be very sensitive about surfaces on which they are walking. I remember seeing some kind of electric mat that was used to keep them off the furniture, and it gave some kind of vibration whenever an animal stepped or lied on it. Perhaps that's something you could have on the floor around the cage.

Before I moved out of my mother's house, my Sammy had an encounter with one of her cats...but this one ended poorly for the cat. It's a long story, but I didn't get along with my family, and my sisters thought that if their cat got my bird, it was my problem, not theirs. Well, one time I was laughingly told that Sammy was walking on the floor in the living room, and that if the cat got him, "you'll find a bloody mess." I found Sammy very hyper and chasing one of the cats, and scooped my bird up. He had hairs on his beak. The cat had blood on its tail. The cat never went near Sammy again. And I still don't like cats.

~Chris

 

[Akane]

Our cages are on shelves attached to the wall so there is nothing around them and no space to jump next to them and they are always supervised. All animals are separated when we are gone. We have dogs, cats, sugar gliders, budgies, rabbits, and a lineolated parakeet. The dogs each get their own crate and the doors to the rooms with birds and bunnies are closed every time we leave the house or for one room that is not always in view we put a screen door on it so the animals are kept out without having to keep the room locked up all the time. No matter how much training you do it won't apply when you aren't home. We also take a little extra care with gliders since despite the fact they look like cute little fruit eaters they would have no issue attacking and eating a parakeet. The violent little buggers have shocked any owners that let them get close to animals near their own size.

Cats rarely bother chickens. Even bantams they won't go near. I've seen one exception and that was a huge feral who took out a young raccoon one night. I finally sent my akita after that one (normally we discourage any cat chasing) because he was a nasty piece of work. Your standard house and barn cat will only go after chicks that aren't protected by a hen.

 

[dutchhollow]

So sorry for your loss

 

[vanalpaca]

Just so you know, cats can jump PRETTY HIGH from the ground. Once they figure out they can jump, they start going higher and higher.

I never give my cats any toys with fur or feathers on them. I also usually have the birds in a room with a door so when I am not supervising them, I can shut the door between cats and the bird cage.

Cats are shut away from the room when the birds (with clipped wings so they don't hit a mirror or window) are out of their cage interacting with me.

Usually you can equip a cage with plexiglass with electrical zip ties and drill holes for air if they have to be housed in the same room with cats.

Good luck with your remaining bird.

 

[Duck_feeder]

Quote:
You might want to say something or make a sound every time before you squirt the cats. Make sure it's the same every time. They will associate the sound with getting squirt. That way you can "punish" them even when you don't have a water bottle handy. Just make sure you reach for the spray bottle every time you can, otherwise they'll start thinking you're bluffing and stop associating the sound with punishment.

I did this with the ducks we adopted (our pet ducks are kept indoors). She would just start screaming loudly for no reason (she must have learned that quacking oudly got her attention from her previous owner) so whenever she quacked incessantly, I'd make a shushing noise then squirt her with a spray bottle. Within a week, she stopped the loud quacking and now just quacks quietly unless she's very upset about something which is perfectly reasonable.