Advice needed

[KikiDeAnime]

Just wondering, have you at all considered an outdoor aviary? I keep my parrots outside in large-ish aviaries. It means they can exercise and self-entertain even when I'm not around them.

Unfortunately there's no room for one even if it's a small one.
Plus, I would still be worried about the family dogs bugging the bird. And no, the family dogs will never be around the bird.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Unfortunately there's no room for one even if it's a small one.
Plus, I would still be worried about the family dogs bugging the bird. And no, the family dogs will never be around the bird.

Do you have a room the cat never goes in that you could keep your bird? Also, are you clipping it or keeping it flighted?

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Do you have a room the cat never goes in that you could keep your bird? Also, are you clipping it or keeping it flighted?

No, that's why I want to make sure I go about introducing them properly.
And I hope I don't offend anyone who reads this thread but I hate clipping pet birds' wings so I will never clip them. I think it's wrong but I won't judge anyone who clips theirs.

 

[Quailobsessed]

No, that's why I want to make sure I go about introducing them properly.
And I hope I don't offend anyone who reads this thread but I hate clipping pet birds' wings so I will never clip them. I think it's wrong but I won't judge anyone who clips theirs.

I completely agree on the clipping thing. I keep all my parrots flighted and would never clip a flying animal. I just wanted to know the situation better.

I don't know exactly how you'd go about introducing the two, I can try and find someone here on BYC who has parrots and cats and see if they have any advice.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I have asked for someone on the parrot chat thread and tagged you there.

 

[Pyxis]

I'm popping over from the Parrot Chat thread. I have two cats and two birds. One of my cats I have always trusted around birds. Strange as it is to say, she basically doesn't have a prey drive. Watching birds, small animals, etc, has never interested her. She's never even thought about going after my birds.

She is allowed in the room with my birds with them out, and even on the bed with them when they're on the bed, etc. Of course I still don't leave them alone out together, for safety, though even if I did I wouldn't be worried. This particular cat is also 20 now, so she's not really into playing with anything anymore anyway. My one cockatiel that does come out (the other is cagebound, which we are working on) has learned that basically this cat is not a threat. She does step away if the cat moves too suddenly for her tastes, and will hiss at the cat if she feels she's getting too close, but that's it.

My other cat is NOT allowed near the birds. She does eye them up. Even though she isn't that way with baby chicks and ducklings, the cockatiels are enough like wild birds, which she absolutely would kill if she got a chance, that it excites her interest. I know if she was left alone with them, she'd be having a birdie snack. So she isn't allowed in the room when the bird is out. I also don't clip mine, which means she could take off and land on the floor or somewhere else the cat could get to her before I could. Nope.

The birds aren't stressed out by the presence of this cat, but I also don't let the cat linger near their cages and when I'm not home, the cat is locked out of the room where the cages are.

Basically, know your cat and take appropriate precautions. If she likes to go after wild birds, she will probably go after your parrot.

 

[Lemon88]

I have a cat and a finch. He used to be around my parakeet aswell before he passed away. I just tried to keep them separate, but I had the birds in my room so I couldnt ignore my poor cat. He liked to watch them, but I always scolded him if he tried to go up to the cage. I kept carabiners on all the doors to be safe. I would never trust the cat around the bird if it was out of the cage, just ensuring the cage is safe where the cat cannot get into it and trying to gently scold your cat if he tries to go up to the cage. Never trust them in the same room together alone. Best of luck with getting a parrot, and I assume that you have done the research and are ready for the responsibility of keeping one. Parrots are like having a toddler for 20+ years. Still, they are the best of pets and conures have amazing personalities ❤ Please please consider adopting one rather than purchasing from a breeder/petstore.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

I have a cat and a finch. He used to be around my parakeet aswell before he passed away. I just tried to keep them separate, but I had the birds in my room so I couldnt ignore my poor cat. He liked to watch them, but I always scolded him if he tried to go up to the cage. I kept carabiners on all the doors to be safe. I would never trust the cat around the bird if it was out of the cage, just ensuring the cage is safe where the cat cannot get into it and trying to gently scold your cat if he tries to go up to the cage. Never trust them in the same room together alone. Best of luck with getting a parrot, and I assume that you have done the research and are ready for the responsibility of keeping one. Parrots are like having a toddler for 20+ years. Still, they are the best of pets and conures have amazing personalities ❤ Please please consider adopting one rather than purchasing from a breeder/petstore.

I never said I'd get one from a petstore. We have a few rescues here

 

[Pyxis]

I never said I'd get one from a petstore. We have a few rescues here

I would visit them, maybe even volunteer for a few days if they allow that, and interact with the birds and see if it's something you enjoy and see if you bond with a particular type of bird. Often the species you think you want, it turns out doesn't really mesh well with you, and a totally different species will be the one you fall in love with.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

I would visit them, maybe even volunteer for a few days if they allow that, and interact with the birds and see if it's something you enjoy and see if you bond with a particular type of bird. Often the species you think you want, it turns out doesn't really mesh well with you, and a totally different species will be the one you fall in love with.

When I get my driver's license, I will visit them. Which is why I'm waiting until next year to get a pet bird.
And I'm still set on a Conure. Luckily, one of the rescues near me has a lot of them so I know I will be bond with at least one of them.