[marvelgirl512]

Okay so while i was at work the other day my cat attacked my qp. My boyfriend was babysitting and normally we have milo's cage door open. The cat jumped up and started swatting the hell out of the bird until my boyfriend ran over and smacked the cat down off the counter. Well at first I thought milo was okay but now im not so sure. Shes very clumsy and she seems to be favoring one leg or wing over the other. Not only that but she makes these crazy spastic moves with her head. behaviorally shes more aggressive and territorial which I expected but the jerking movements worry me. She lets me touch her wing and leg though which makes me think no broken bones, so im not really sure whats wrong. Any thoughts or advice.

[Andrea5699]

aww sorry to hear this about Milo......I would get her to a vet asap anyways just to be sure.. her behaviour just doesn't sound right to me and if she is favouring a leg she could be in pain so i definitely think a vet visit is in order.....

[marvelgirl512]

I think so to except for the fact that she let me check out her leg and wing. I extended it all the way out and sqeezed up and down her leg and she was fine.

[Andrea5699]

if she is favouring it there is a reason... birds naturally want to protect themselves and not show if they have any injuries/illnesses so for her to be shpwing this means she has some discomfort of some kind... I would get it checked out to be sure... she could have a scratch you didn't see in those feathers.. who knows? best to check it out...

[LuvMyHarley1]

A vet trip is certainly in order....Cat saliva is deadly to our birds...and that is probably what is wrong with your birdie.....please get him to the vet for an exam .....I sure hope birdie is going to be okay...let us know what the vet finds.....

[Sandi Kiwis Mom]

The cat could of also scratched your bird......I would definitely make a Vet visit. It is better to be safe, then sorry!

[am0z]

Ok in human terms. Lets say two guys get into a fight and one nails a punch right in the mouth, and a tooth cuts the knuckles. The bacteria in the mouth gets into the cut and when you open your fist the tendons withdraw further into the hand spreading th ebacteria. This is refered to as fight bite. The same basic principle can apply to claws and wings. Also anywhere they bird is cut can cause a problem. You bird may be suffering from trauma or shock. This is hands down a vet situation. As for your cat. It's a natural instinct for them to play with anythgn they don't perceive as a threat. I would definitely consult some feline experts on how to rememdy your cat's curiosity.

[QTQP4me]

i don't mean to harp on the obvious but there's something i want to say. it is much easier to practice diligent observation and intervene when necessary when you keep a prey animal and a predatory animal in the same household than it is to attempt to change the predator's inborn instincts. i also want to say that if your bird is ok, you definitely dodged a HUGE bullet here. things could have been drastically worse in the blink of an eye.

i don't want to sound judgemental or holier than thou here because lord knows we all make mistakes. i just think that it's imperative to remain ever observant when another being's life is in your hands. after this, the rule in my house would be that when the bird is out the cat is locked away.

i hope your green baby is ok. sending good vibes your way.

kris

[equineRtist]

Poor Milo!
Get a lamp next to your bird'[s cage ASAP. Heat will help a lot of ills and do it FAST, as well as helping if the bird is suffering from shock. Then take the bird to the vet in case a claw hit somewhere you cannot see or in case the bird has a nerve or spinal injury.
BUT, having said that, I too, keep saying over and over that a cat or dog is far quicker than we are and once they start to a bird, they will get there long befpre we do...quick enough to do a lot od damage before we can stop them.
Most people think a bird is safe in a cage, but a cat can reach in and break a tiny neck beore we know what's happening.
I pray Milo will be OK. Please keep us updated.

[Siobhan]

Poor Milo. I would definitely take her to a vet just as fast as they can see her. Cats don't attack a bird gently -- they go for the kill. Milo is very, very lucky Kitty didn't finish the job.

I have to agree with Kris. Kitty and Milo should never be in the same room again, maybe not even with Milo locked in her cage. We had a German shepherd -- who was a WONDERFUL dog, the smartest dog we've ever had -- and a ferret. The ferret was in her cage, a very sturdy cage, whenever the dog was nearby. We only let Peekaboo out of her cage if Sweetheart was outside. But as smart as she was, and obedient, and good-natured, Sweetheart could not overcome her instincts and one day in the blink of an eye, she had somehow opened that cage and had Peekaboo in her mouth. We rescued the ferret, who was shaken but not seriously injured (we had her looked at to be certain of that) and she and Sweetheart were never in the same room again. We knew we could not trust Sweetheart, no matter how much she wanted to please us or how much she seemed to understand what we wanted of her, because her instincts were too strong.

Kitty probably didn't mean any harm. She just can't overcome her instincts to pounce on what she perceives is prey. You just have to keep them apart. Let us know how Milo's doing.

[msdani1981]

I had something similar happen with my Green-Cheek Conure, Zoe. I was taking care of my parents house for them, and had Zoe on my shoulder. I had both cats locked up, but the dog (who I trusted with my life) was out. Zoe all of a sudden flew to the floor, my dog lunged, I took a couple quick steps and dove like a baseball player (quite literally - I wish I had it on video!), landed on my stomach on the floor with my arm outstretched and my hand covering Zoe. My dog accidentally bit my hand trying to get at Zoe. When she realized it was my hand she bit, she ran and cowered in the corner like "I'm sorry!" But I never brought Zoe to my parents house again.

We now have birds and a cat, and my cat is NEVER out when the cages are open.

Just my two cents.

Dani

[Cantab]

I do hope that Milo is allright, I agree a vet visit is in order as infections even from a little scratch can be deadly, keep us informed won't you.

[LuvMyHarley1]

Since we haven't heard back from the original poster, I am beginning to have mixed feelings about this situation.
I sure hope I am wrong.....I wish they would come on and let us know something.....

[QTQP4me]

i've been checking back for an update too. julie, keep your hopes up. maybe she's just too busy right now getting her little one seen and back on the road to recovery to update us. that's what i'm going with

kris

[Lisa Barnes]

My cat now lives upstairs away from my birds. She's an older cat 15 years or so. Still She will act like there's not even a bird in the room untill your not looking . It's worked out well for us being that she is an older cat and has a hard time with the stairs.
I hope you get help for your bird. Please let us know if everything is ok.

Prayers for you and your babies

[marvelgirl512]

Sorry about the not updating. Ive been working nonestop. Milo is still acting a little off. Im planning on taking her to the vet tomorrow on my day off. I just really hope its nothing because to be honest with you money has been really tight the last 6 months and i dont have any extra money laying around to take care of something like this. As far as the cats go, milo is 11 shes lived with me at my parents house with their 2 cats (who were trained not to mess with her by milo, she would literally chase them down the hall in atttack mode) and now I have my own 2 cats who although young have been bitten through the cage bars, and smacked by my boyfriend and I if they get to close. This was just a fluke and we are definitely going to be more on guard now.

[QTQP4me]

i'm glad to hear milo is still not acting right. at least milo still IS, as opposed to something different, you know?

when you go to the vet, see if they have any payment plans they can offer to you. have you been there before? that might help in getting a yes answer.

good luck tomorrow. we're still all pulling for milo to get "right"

kris

[Sandi Kiwis Mom]

Good Luck with the Vet. I sure hope Milo is OK! Like I said before, he could of been scratched by a CAT and that can be deadly. I sure hope that is NOT the cage.

[Cantab]

Just cheaking in also, good luck for tommorrow.

[Andrea5699]

Good luck for tomorrow!

This situation serves us all as a reminder of not only the importance of keeping predetory animals away from our fids but having an emergency fund set aside for cases likes this as ell as an after hours avian vet that can be available..

sorry if that sounded harsh just got me thinking

Please keep us updated on how little Milo is doing