How to make friends a cat and a parrot?

habits and instincts

In the wild, cats prey on birds. Cats are predators that are ready to guard and hunt down potential prey for a long time. Man has tamed both cats and parrots – exotic bright birds with character and high learning abilities. Both those and others feel great at home with a loving caring owner. The question is how to teach them to get along with each other. If the owner decided to have both a feathered and a mustachioed friend, you should think about possible difficulties in advance. Cats and parrots are long-livers in the animal world. This is not about eliminating momentary inconveniences, but about organizing a comfortable, safe life for pets for at least a decade and a half.

There are several factors that influence the relationship between feathered and furry pets. For example, when, in what order they appeared in the house, how old the pets are, what their character is, what are the dimensions of the pets.

A tiny kitten may be frightened by a large scientist parrot with clawed paws and a massive beak. A small budgerigar is able to get nervous already at the mere glance of an adult robber cat.

A good option is to have both a young parrot and a kitten at the same time. This rule applies to any pets that belong to different species, but will live under the same roof. A cat and a parrot in the house will see each other for years. A habit will form. A curious parrot will not annoy a cat, and a cat will not consider a bird in a cage as a tasty morsel.

Their first meeting will tell a lot about the future relationship of your pets. Bring the kitten in your arms to the cage in which the parrot is sitting. Hold the kitten’s paws. Give new acquaintances a couple of minutes to look at each other, sniff. If the fluffy prankster did not try to go on the offensive, and the parrot reacted to the meeting without fear, then the acquaintance can be considered successful.

Who is the head in this house

The psychology of a cat is such that she will consider the lower rank of anyone who appeared in the house after her. In this case, it is better to choose not miniature lovebirds or budgies, but larger parrots. It can be a cockatoo or a gray. Such a parrot will inspire respect in the cat, she will not perceive your new feathered friend as a target. And remember, cats are true predators!

The situation will be more favorable when the parrot appears in the house first. A parrot that has already become a family favorite will treat the kitten with interest and curiosity, and the kitten will get used to the fact that an adult smart bird appeared in this area before him.

If relatives with a cat came to visit you for a couple of weeks, it is better not to introduce him to your parrot at all. Their proximity is temporary, and the mustachioed guest will recover for several days after the trip. For a bird, an unfamiliar cat will only be an extra worry. It is better to settle the cat in such a way as to exclude his meeting with the feathered one.

Safety measures

First of all, you are the owner of the house. Remember the precautions. Do not leave pets alone.

• If the parrot is bitten by a cat, treat the wound and call the veterinarian immediately. Even if a cat accidentally scratches a feathered wing out of mischief, it threatens with infection. Here you need the help of a specialist. Make sure you have a properly stocked veterinary first aid kit in your home.

• Never leave a parrot and a cat in the same room unattended. We want to believe in the good nature of our pets. But it should not be ruled out that the cat does not hunt the bird just because you always command “No!”. If the parrot senses something is wrong in time and manages to stand up for itself, there is no guarantee that it will not hit the cat with its clawed paw on the head and peck in the eye. When it comes to security, it’s best to be safe. The pet can be healed. But psychological trauma can remain for life.

• Before starting a duet of a cat and a parrot, weigh the pros and cons. The internet is full of cute pictures and videos of parrots and kittens playing and fooling around together. On the other hand, there are also complaints about cats, in which the hunting instinct suddenly jumped up, and they harmed the bird.

• Nobody forbids keeping a cat and a parrot in the house. If you genuinely want to take care of these two pets, that’s great. But this is a responsibility and the need to constantly comply with security measures.

• To avoid trouble, it is worth delimiting the living space for your feathered and mustachioed friend. Hang the parrot cage from the ceiling on strong hooks so that an inquisitive cat cannot drop it. Let the parrot fly and take a walk only when the cat is not in the room or under your careful supervision. The door to the parrot’s room must be securely closed. Cats can jump up and down on doorknobs. But the round handles that need to be turned are “not on the paws” of the cat.

The zoopsychologist will help

Don’t let jealousy get in the way of your cat and parrot’s friendship. Pay attention to both pets. Why would a cat love a chick that you completely switched to? If a respectable parrot has been your friend and interlocutor for many years, he will be seriously offended that he was suddenly locked in a separate room because of a kitten that appeared. Like you don’t trust him.

Even if your pets seem to be getting along, keep monitoring the situation. It may happen that a quarrelsome nature or a lot of stress from the neighborhood with the creation of another species will nullify all diplomacy. Pay attention to the activity, behavior, communication, appetite of the cat and parrot. If one of them began to eat poorly, became depressed, it is important to notice this in time. Do not rush to give up and look for new owners for one of the pets. See a zoopsychologist. The specialist will analyze the situation and will certainly be able to help you cheer up the cat and the parrot.

Do not forget that nature has laid certain boundaries between birds and animals. It will be great if the cat and the parrot in the house become bosom friends. If you manage to establish good neighborly relations between pets, this will already be a great achievement. We wish your wards to live together and please you.