Keeping Quaker Parrots with Cats
|
by Heike Ewing Ott Is it safe to keep Quaker Parrots with other pets such as cats and dogs? What is it about cats that make them especially dangerous to birds? Are there any circumstances under which I can keep my bird and other pets out in the same room together? This short but informative article answers these questions. |
Birds and cats is a dangerous combination for many reasons. One is, there is a chemical in cat saliva that is toxic to birds, which is why birds usually don't survive even minor cat attacks. Because cats lick and groom themselves so much, this chemical is usually present on their claws and fur as well, meaning that even a tiny scratch from a claw can be a death sentence for a bird.
Additionally, cats' instincts regarding birds are quite strong, and even a cat that normally doesn't attack your bird might unthinkingly "nail" it with a claw in response to a quick movement, just as they will "attack" fingers, toes, yarn, or anything else that catches their interest by wiggling, flopping, bouncing, etc. I would not allow any physical contact or even close proximity between birds and cats.
Note from Shelly: Every year the Quaker Parrot Forum experiences several Quaker deaths caused by cats, dogs and sometimes other pets. After hearing these stories and seeing the pain of owners following the loss of their precious birds, I strongly believe that it is best to err on the side of extreme caution when it comes to allowing birds and other pets to interact with each other. Even larger parrots can be a grave danger to Quakers under certain circumstances.
1 Comment on Keeping Quaker Parrots with Cats »
July 21, 2008
Cassaundra @ 1:53 am:
I was very worried about having my 2 Quakers in the house with my 2 cats. 1. One cat is a totally indoor cat that I wasn't too worried about. He is too afraid to look outside, so I didn't think he would have much interest in the birds. He ended up actually being afraid of them, too. 2. My other cat is a BIG cat and loves to hunt and leave me 'presents' so wasn't sure about her. I was afraid she would see them as easy prey. I had the birds out one day letting them play on the couch and the cage while I was cooking in the kitchen and forget the cat was in the house. I went running in there and the cat had jump up on the couch WITH the birds and made a nice bed and took a nap! I got a great picture!! She does it all the time now.
3. Our third adopted cat from across the street thought he would get a closer look while they were out of there cage. I was right there b/c I had NO IDEA how that would go. He stuck his head out as fare as it would go and the bird did the same until they were touching and the bird used his tougue to taste around a bit and the cats nose. At the same time the other bird came around the otherside while the cat was distracted and BIT HIS EAR! The cat took off running!! It was the funniess thing to see! He has never went around the cage again!! LOL