Cats are natural predators while birds are natural prey, creating complications when these two types of pets must coexist peacefully. Cartoons depict outdoor cats hunting birds while house cats are more likely to chase and attack than coexist peacefully with housecats or birds. Can their instinctive behaviors be overridden so both housecats and housebirds can live peacefully together?
Cat and Bird Coexistence
Your home can coexist peacefully with both cats and birds, provided that certain measures are taken to ensure a cat cannot physically get to its target (bird). A cat’s natural instinct to pounce, capture, and “play” with its target can suddenly put its life at risk if given access. Of course, every cat and every bird are different – some won’t care at all about getting close while others may make it their mission to catch one at any cost – it is up to you as the owner/sponsor to monitor any interactions allowing your bird and cat interact.
Cats Have Natural Instincts that Coexist with Birds
Wild cats will hunt, stalk and surprise their prey which includes small mammals, reptiles, fish and birds. A cat finds great pleasure in jumping and catching items living or dead alike – including birds! Their instinctive hunting methods allow them to detect prey that would normally escape. Cats see all birds as potential food or toys – regardless of whether they belong in a home environment or wild nature.
Most birds in captivity or in the wild will flee at any sign of startle, noise, or observation by a cat if they feel threatened; some species even give off warning calls when confronted by predatory cats. Pet birds typically lack enough size to cause serious physical injury to cats if defending themselves; even large birds like macaws usually flee when approached by cats out of fear rather than fighting back against predators.
Cats Are Dangerous to Birds
Although this may seem obvious, cats can cause considerable harm or death to birds in many different ways. Their sharp claws or the bacteria from their mouths can inflict serious wounds which become infected over time and even pull out important feathers needed for flight, balance, warmth or cause mental trauma after an attack or threat is sustained by them – not to mention eating any small birds they catch!
Can Birds Be Dangerous to Cats? Although cats tend to be more dangerous to birds than vice versa, larger birds such as parrots have strong beaks and claws which could potentially do considerable harm if grabbed unexpectedly by an unsuspecting feline. Their beaks and claws have the ability to cause irreparable damage upon anything they grap hold of – potentially even unwary cats not trying to attack the parrot; instead, this often occurs between shy cats who do not intending attacking vs frightened parrots acting self-defensive.
Even though cats often attempt to catch and devour pet birds, there are things you can do to ensure that both species live peacefully together within your home.
Secure the Bird Cage – If your cat is curious, make sure your bird has a secure cage or aviary that is out of reach from any potential access by her, to avoid having to worry when you’re not around. Also ensure your cat cannot knock it over; small cages such as canary cages often sit on tables where cats may push them over easily. Secure it to a stand or sturdy table for extra support or make it heavy enough so your cat cannot push it around easily before using cage locks or carabiners so your cat cannot open any bird cage doors!
Maintain Separate Rooms – To avoid stress for both species, place the bird cage in an area which cannot be reached by your cat. Even being safely behind bars doesn’t keep a cat away, which could potentially harass and threaten it in its journey toward its prey.
Never Let Your Cat into an Aviary or Bird Cage – To protect both bird species and yourself from potential problems with the cat’s behavior in such environments, never allow him or her to spend any time inside either an aviary or cage alone, even without birds present. Doing so would give it the impression that these spaces belong solely to them and could possibly foster feelings of ownership and territorial claims from your feline companion.
As You Introduce Your Bird and Cat Together – To start this off on the right note, begin by simply allowing both caged birds and cats to see each other from a distance for several days at first. Over time, reduce this distance gradually until both are relaxed. When both feel secure and unthreatened, take steps such as taking out one cage altogether so both cats can view one another freely without cage bars getting in the way; some people even take this further by taking their bird out entirely; this should only be attempted with extreme care in case either or both try jumping out when unsupervised!