Almost cat attack

[Clumsyninja92]

Hey
Usually my cat and gcc get along fairly well. They both can be next to each other no problem and just have a staring contest.
Yesterday the cat tried to jump up and catch my gcc Arthur who was sitting on a branch on his play stand, he slightly caught him to the point where he stayed on the perch despite almost falling off.
I checked him over yesterday and today, he seems fine (not stresses) and doesn't appear to have any marks or scratches, he's also had a bath since the 'incident'. You end up reading so much about a cats dangerous bacteria and how life threatening it is. So Should I still be worried or will he be alright?

Thanks

 

[itzjbean]

It's hard to say if your conure will be alright. Did he get bit anywhere? I have cats too but the birds are always in their cage if cats are lurking around. They are docile too, but remember they do have instincts and so I only let my birds out when the cats are put away in their own room/front porch.

Keep an eye on your conure for any changes in behavior, lethargy, and from now on keep cat and bird separated at all times. It's possible to own both together but ask you have seen with your situation here there is always risk when keeping prey and predator together.

 

[Jottlebot]

I have a cat who usually ignores both my birds completely. A few months ago, completely out of the blue I saw her behaviour suddenly change and she stalked across the room and jumped half way up the cage of my Alexandrine - who completely ignored her. She's NEVER done anything like that before or since. Instinct just took over! She now isn't allowed to stay in the same room as them when we're not around. I would NEVER have my birds out of their cages without shutting the cat out of the room. Please stop letting your cat have access to you un-caged bird. I don't think they can be friends; they share 1000's of years or predator-prey relationships. It only takes once and you've lost your bird.

Yes, cat saliva is very dangerous. Wounds can't heal and birds can die of infection, the shock of an attack makes them more vulnerable.

It doesn't mean your cat is bad or anything, it's just that every now and then they'll want to "cat" and that involves catching prey.

 

[Scott]

It is easiest when you have an overtly hostile cat or dog; the measures to be taken are obvious if you wish to have them co-exist in your home.

In too many cases, dogs, cats, and birds are seemingly fine - until they are not. If lucky, the bird loses some feathers, if not, it may succumb to bacterial infection after a period of suffering. In some circumstances the bird is lucky and survives.

An abundance of caution would be taking your GCC to a certified avian vet for a thorough inspection and possibly a lab blood screen to check for harmful gram-negative bacteria. If caught early, antibiotics can be a lifesaver.

A recent heartbreaking thread illustrates the worst case scenario: http://www.parrotforums.com/lovebirds/73319-young-hurt-lovebird-pictures-hurt-bird-need-help.html

I hope your GCC was uninjured, but please know this was an actual albeit possibly unsuccessful attack.

 

[clark_conure]

my censored advice..since I get called out a lot....K*L* the C**. but that just me. Birds are smarter and more deserving of protection. I think an older dog might be the only good mammal friend to a bird because they might see the bird as a member of the family, pack vs. flock noun. Also there was a really cool ceasar milan episode with a parrot and a dog. Keep them separated at the very least.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I'm actually really against having dogs and cats mixed in the house with parrots. Often people think their cat is so sweet and doesn't care about the birds and the next minute they have a dead or injured bird and they are always so shocked. I'm personally never shocked about it and to me it's just a matter of time before something happens. It's no one's fault...not the cat or yours it's just nature. Please please (if your not willing to re-home the cat) keep them completely separated at all times.

 

[LeaKP]

Yes please. We can’t be upset when nature takes over with predators like cats and dogs. It’s in even the most senior and apparently docile animal. In the same way we expect to get a bite at some point in owning a parrot, we need to expect a predator to look for prey. It’s just the way it is.


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[dhraiden]

All good advice here, Clumsy. Nothing restores a life once lost, so, please take it to heart and: keep your cat and bird separated.

Tragedy only requires a moment's inattention.

 

[wrench13]

Look, you are not going toget the advice you want, that cats and birds can coexist with so supervision, so I will play the bad guy here. Your parrot can be out of his cage when the cat is safely loscked away,andyour cat can be out when your parrot is safely locked in his cage. Becasue eventually tragedy IS going to happen,and you will feel like a complete dope for not taking the best advice you willever get on this topic. Disregard cute pictures and videos, it will turn out bady one day.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I have a cat also and I always LOCK the bird room door to prevent him from going in the bird room. Even when the birds are in their cages, the door is locked because you never know what might happen with cats and birds. Just closing the door isn’t enough, if it’s open a crack the cat can sneak in unexpectedly. There is no denying it; cats should never be in the same room as uncaged birds.