Will My Cat Live with a Parrot?

Well, well, isn’t this the million dollar question? Let’s go down memory lane for a bit. In the Looney Tunes series, Tweety was a yellow canary bird that was chased continuously by Sylvester, the cat, do you remember? With that being said, cats and birds are natural predators and prey and as such trusting them to get along on their own would probably be a significant error in judgment.
So you ask, but my cat is a house cat and not a wild feline. True as that may be, a cat will naturally want to pursue the bird regardless of whether it sees the bird as food or “play.’’ Tweety was somewhat of a genius at thwarting Sylvester’s pursuits, but your parrot may not be so lucky. However, all hope is not entirely lost.
With the right tools in play, you can have a peaceful home with your cat and parrot, and live happily ever after! How? Let’s have a look.

Better Safe than Sorry!

If you are thinking about getting a parrot, it is essential that you understand some of the safety precautions to take. First of all, ensure that you have a large cage with enough room for your bird. It should have enough room for your bird to walk around freely and flap its wings as well.
The cage should also have enough bar space, not too little to restrict movement but not too much as to encourage an escape. A cat would also be in a position to put its paws inside the cage which may result in harm to either the parrot or the cat. Cats tend to watch birds a lot, so it is advisable that the cage is kept at a safe distance from the curious cats.

Divide and Conquer

It would be advisable to keep the cat and parrot in different rooms to avoid altercations. When you let the birds out, they would be safer from the curious cat who may want to ‘play’ with them.
Ensure that the windows and screens are in place when you let the birds out. We don’t want a prison break on our hands! Cats are aggressive players and play can quickly turn into fights, do not forget.

Sleeping Cycles

Both your cats and parrot require many hours of sleep, and both tend to sleep for a minimum of 10 -12 hours a day. How much cats sleep may sometimes vary with age and general health. Older cats tend to sleep for up to 20 hours a day. The sleeping patterns however differ.
While cats tend to sleep for most hours of the day, parrots sleep mostly during the night. Parrots require darkness and quiet to sleep better while a cat tends to pretty much just sleep any time, it’s just what cats do. Wondering how cats see at night? Better than you and the bird! Keep him away!

Meet and Greet

Introduce your cat and parrot to each other, slowly. Let them see each other, but only from a distance at first. Let them be aware of the other’s presence. Cats are very territorial. With this in mind, do not let the cat into the bird room unsupervised or too much, so that it doesn’t feel like that is its space too.

Practice Damage Control on Your Cat and Parrot

Pet owners often wonder why their cats keep fighting with the parrot. It is pretty simple. It is in their nature to do so. Being an indoor cat does not take the predatory instinct away from them. Remember that, as mentioned earlier, cats are aggressive and sometimes play quickly turns into fights.
If your cat harms your parrot in any way, a bite or scratch or claw, ensure that you see the avian veterinary immediately. As rare as it is, the bird also cause harm to cats when provoked. The larger parrots such as the Macaw bird have pretty strong beaks. So when your bird gets a punch in, see the veterinary as well.
Conclusion
Yes, your cat can live with your parrot; you just need to understand what cats need versus the needs of your parrot. Ultimately if you are to maintain a cat’s life span [15years] as well as your parrots, you need to arm yourself with this information.
So, have our ideas been useful? Are you now able to help your cat and parrot co-exist in peace?

About the Author: Rachel Hudson is a pet owner and journalist of allpetsexpert.com
She is a cat owner. She bought a parrot three months ago. It was difficult to introduce her cat and parrot. She wants to tell you her story.