Jun
At some point in time during our childhood, we watched a television cartoon show, where a bird and a cat living in the same house, didn’t go along very well. That is why we are left asking, in reality, is it really possible for them to live peacefully together under the same roof? Can a predator and a prey live together?
It may seem impossible, but they can. It will just be challenging for the pet owner to have them get to know each other without the predatory doing something harmful to the prey. However, if you take proper and safe precautions, then everything will be fine without the two pets hurting each other.
The Natural Instincts of Cats
The tricky part of keeping both pets together is that the cats are a threat to the birds. These cats are natural born hunters and they react to any birds flying by attacking them. It is all their instinct that tells them to attack the bird, either for food or their defense.
Also, don’t think that just because your pet bird can fly, he is safe from your pet cats. We all know that most cats can jump very high or he may be hiding in a high place in your house waiting for a time to ambush your little bird.
Also, if you have a larger bird, there is still danger for both of them. With those large birds and their large beaks, they can injure your cats. Even some small birds with strong beaks can tear through your cat’s skin if they fight back.
So what can you do to avoid the fight that might break out if they meet each other? Here are some things you can do.
High Quality Bird Cage
Many cats are good at knocking over some cheap bird cages. Even though it is secure and the door remains closed, your bird will be stressed with the cage getting knocked down or the cat disturbing the bird’s peace.
The best thing to do is buy a high quality, sturdy and heavy bird cage that doesn’t get knocked down by the cat; something with a good stand and the door doesn’t open up easily either by knocking down or by the cat or even the bird opening it.
Birds are intelligent creatures and may open the door of the cage with its beaks and allow it to escape. And if the bird escapes, who knows what the cat might do to it if catches the bird. You can also buy a bird aviary if you got some extra cash to spend. It is very secure and more importantly, it can’t be knocked off by cats.
Getting to Know Each Other
Most pet owners are against the idea of introducing the cat and the bird together and they should be kept separated at all times. And that they must have their own place in the house. That idea isn’t bad and isn’t good either. Other pet owners like their pets to live in harmony together without hurting each other.
If you have a bird and a cat and want them to be in peace with each other and let them see each other, which is a good thing, then you must train your cat to identify that the bird is a friend to be and not a food to be.
The first thing you need to do in order for them to be good friends is to start slow introductions. Have them in a safe distance within their cage or carrier. If the bird looks relaxed or calm or even curious, bring the cat closer to the cage.
But if the bird feels anxious or scared or looks stressed, then keep the cat away for the time being. If the cat tries to attack or jump in the cage and tries to reach the bird with its claws, tell your cat in a firm voice “NO”. Most cats will understand that, but if your cat still does that then keep the cat away from the cage for a while.
Keep the introduction sessions short at first until they become comfortable with each other. Just repeat until the bird tries to get close to the cat within the cage, but don’t let the bird out yet. If you are sure that the cat will not harm the bird anymore and the bird is ready for his new friend, hold your bird when he’s out the cage and be sure to keep an eye on both pets.
Be careful and you must be ready to react in case the cat or the bird tries to jump on the other pet. And if they do that, let the bird in the cage again and just repeat. Do that almost everyday and until they are comfortable with each other even if you let go of the bird.
Keep an Eye on Both Pets
It is advisable to keep an eye on them if you decide on letting the bird free fly on your house with your cat. Even though they are already good friends, we don’t know what will happen if you are not around. The cat may hurt the bird without any bad intention. So if you decide to go out for a while, you better keep the bird in the cage just to be safe.
Image Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
