Can cats/dogs coexist with parrots?

[veimar]

This is not a new topic, but there is only very general information online.
I also read a horrible heartbreaking story about Verde on this forum... ;(
But I still want to know from you guys on this forum who have dogs and cats.
I have a green cheek and two male ratties (I wouldn't be too worried about them since they're kept in a separate room), but my heart is open for a kitten or a puppy (or another parrot!?!?)..
I absolutely LOVE cats, but dog would be probably more useful for us as a walking companion. I'm also horrified to let the cat out although we have a large fenced lot. I was contemplating of adopting a small breed fluffy puppy who would be friendly with Parry. I wonder if introducing the parrot and puppy to each other while they are still very young can work? I know several homes where cats and dogs are the best friends ever, and one home where parakeets perch on their huge dog nose. LOL
What do you guys think? Are dogs better than cats around parrots?
BTW I often carry both rats and Parry on me, and surprisingly they almost completely ignore each other. I don't let them too close to each other, but they seem not to have any interest anyway, especially the rats. I'm not even sure they have acknowledged Parry as a living being.
And I DO have time to supervise the pets together. So please share your thoughts and experiences!

 

[getwozzy]

I'm just going to interject here at the beginning- this has been a hot topic before, so please keep your responses civil and play nicely please!!

Thank you!

 

[jenphilly]

Actually ratties are a worry... we have a cockatiel missing a toe because she flew further then ever expected and landed on the rattie cage before we got to her. Even tho they were out of the way, from that point on, the rat cage was covered when the birds were out. That was many years ago and the ratties have passed and we all agreed with having birds, there are a few pets we cannot have again... ratties and ferrets are on that list. And I loved the ratties, still have photos of some of the awesome ratties we've known over the years.

Anyway, back to cats... certain cats can live with birds without a worry... certain cats need to be watched... certain cats need to have shoes thrown at them to chase them from the room... we live all those types of certain cats. We've actually debated (and go ahead and flame if you must), but we've considered placing one of our cats in a new home because she is just way too sneaky with the birds and tho our birds are not left unsupervised out of their cage, there is always that moment when you look away... its how accidents happen.

But, we have two cats that the birds literally bully around. We have a huge gray male cat, Travolta, who likes to sleep on the back of the sofa. When the birds are out, the little GCC, Monkey, will land on him and pick at his ear or land on the sofa next to him and bite at his tail til he leaves. This has been supervised interaction and while we still would not leave them out in the room together, we know Travolta is generally trustworthy and will walk away before he does anything to the bird. Travolta has been with us as long as we've had birds and never once has there been an issue.

We have a young kitten that is somewhere in between. She has been taught over and over again that the birds are not toys, you don't play in the birds cages (she likes their toys more then the actual bird). But, even still, if one of the smaller birds lands on the floors, I still am quick to tell her to go away and no. She will lay on our laps and reach out a paw to touch a birds tail, but never has used claws. So, she is on her way to being a bird friendly cat, but can't say anytime in the near future will I not know where she is when the birds are out.

I am more hesitant with dogs, but I know some people have dogs and birds with no issues. I can't speak to that experience, but I can tell you that like anything else in life its about training and about always knowing where your animals are... I do not let them actually interact, the most is when someone chases Travolta or Paige off the back of the sofa otherwise, my advice is to never let the bird and cat interact, even if you're sitting in the middle of it...

 

[Peeko]

It has a lot to do with the individual personalities. Some people don't have problems, but I know that my dogs are too reactive and it wouldn't end well. Our cats might not be as much of an issue, but I'm not willing to chance it. Peeko's kept in a room closed off from the cats and when he comes out to play, the dogs are shooed out of the room and the door is closed.
Some dogs can be trained over time to not react to a bird, but some dogs are just so reactive and prey driven that the first chance they get, they'll take. I love my dogs and they're extremely sweet with people, but the first time they got to Peeko would be the last :c
One concern that a lot of people don't touch on is the possibility of dog/cat saliva having an effect. I've heard that its bad for birds, possibly even toxic because of the bacteria. I cant confirm that either way, but it is something I hear a lot.

 

[Cambear]

I think it's very possible. I have four cats, only two of which will be going with me to my apartment. The two that are mine are both really stupid... One is about 20 pounds and when I had my guinea pigs, one ran into an igloo, and my cat tried to look through the solid base of the cage... The other one is just really, really stupid. The lights are on but nobody is home.

However, I would never trust a bird with a predator animal, or even other birds unless they are a bonded pair. Birds are not domestic animals and they can change on the flip of a dime. They are lovely animals, cats, dogs, and birds, but I simply would not trust one with the other. My Meyers (I haven't gotten him yet) will be in my room and socialised outside of my house. We have a local pub that is very clean and animal friendly, so long as I didn't let him fly around everywhere. The owners already ok-ed it, so long as he is on a harness. There is only two people in my house, and shortly enough, I'll be living on my own. He would need more socialisation than one person. Plus, they have a salad bar there that has lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

But again, I think it's very possible for animals to coexist with one another, but not unsupervised. That's an accident (maybe not waiting) to happen.

 

[MikeyTN]

Cambear, your comment about lights are on but no one is home had me laughing good here.....lol

 

[RecoveryOne]

Just thought I'd chime in here.
My household has had a cat and three birds coexist together peacefully for many years. We've never had any issues with predator behavior. HOWEVER, I'd never leave any of them alone together if the flock was out. Never had any issues with the birdies over night in their homes either.

That said, since the birth of my daughter, we had to find a new home for the cat.

I think it really depends on the animal as others have said.

 

[veimar]

Thank you very much for replies! I'm still waiting to hear from dog owners!
BTW, Getwozzy - I wouldn't post here without searching this forum beforehand! I typed in "cats" and nothing came up, then I typed in"dogs" and nothing came up as well. I've been on this forum for only about a month and I'd appreciate if you send me links to these discussions.

 

[inge]

I have only had this conure for about 5 weeks. She came from a home with 2 small dogs and they coexisted but did not interact, from what I was told. Bird's previous owners think she was at least 2 years old when adopted from breeder.
My home has a 4 year old German Shepherd (95 lbs) and a new mixed breed puppy that we got the same weekend that we found out we were taking the bird. Puppy on Saturday and mayday to please take the bird on Sunday.
Needless to say, I had concerns.
BTW, I don't have cats so I have no idea. But as for dogs,
I say introduce them slowly. Supervise them a lot until they know each other. I kept birdie's cage in the guest bedroom by herself for a few weeks, only taking her out when I could be 100% in charge of her and the dogs. My older dog is very well trained, so the word NO was all it took for her to back off, although she was probably just curious. The puppy has had no training as of yet, and she has been more of a challenge.
A friend came to stay recently also and brought her dog--it must have some spaniel in it, because the bird prey drive was high and I had to keep birdie away from the dog for the entire visit.
I think it depends on the dog (or maybe cat?) and the amount of training you give to the dog.
Oh, and this bird has NO fear of dogs whatsoever so I supervise everyone closely.
So far, so good.

 

[Cambear]

Nice to know I had you laughing!

I've had dogs in the past. None of them, and I repeat - NONE - of them would've been good with a bird, save one. I had a black lab, a wolf/husky mix, gordon setter, and a purebred husky who would've killed a bird the first chance that they got. No hesitation. However, we did have a pitbull, all she wanted in life was some peanut butter and a deer leg to chew on. Couldn't care less about any of the other animals, so long as they weren't biting on her. She let cats climb all over her, small kids, etc. No big deal. (By the way, I didn't have all of these guys at once!)

 

[critterman]

I have 3 dogs here and 2 cats. When my Ziggy is out the cats are put in another room. Just to be safe. Not sure if they would attack but not gonna give them the chance. I have 2 dogs and they are small dogs and don't pay a bit of attention to the bird but again Ziggy is NEVER out of his cage unless I am in the room with him and them. I don't worry so much about the dogs but you never know. Animals will be animals especially if they are a prediator breed. Can never be too safe.

 

[lisascannell]

I have three chihuahuas and a cat. I have not problems with my birds and dogs together, but I have to be careful that the dogs don't get excited and step on the bird or anything like that, but there is certainly no aggression. I also have to be careful because my birds like to preen the dogs!!! You also need to be careful that they are not sharing food etc...
As for my cat I would not even risk trying it!!
Just my own personal experience.

 

[veimar]

Okay, from what I just heard here I can assume that cats are actually better with birds than dogs! This is quite a surprise to me.
I was also wondering about another different breed and size parrot - how would for example a conure and cockatiel/parrtolet/lovebird/buggie/cockatoo etc coexist? I know that it very much depends on a particular bird personality, but still… I wouldn't put them to one cage, no way, but I would want to keep their cages in one room and want to be able to let them out at the same time. A new bird is not on my list now, but I just want to know.
There are many multiple bird owners here, so please let me know about that too. I'm sorry to ask so many questions, but we just bought our first house this year and FINALLY can have pets! I had cats and dogs in the past, but never was into birds before, and now I'm just in love with Parry, my green cheek.

 

[getwozzy]

Here are just a few I found; it's possible searching for "cats" or "dogs" was too broad...I searched "living with cats"

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/32528-introducing-new-bird-other-animals.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/30858-advice-needed-about-cats-parrots.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/28420-parrots-around-pets.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/25858-b-g-cat.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/24136-how-make-sure-my-cats-down-get-my-bird.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/nonfeathered-pets/12035-getting-cat.html

 

[getwozzy]

We have 3 large dogs that are outdoor only- I wouldn't trust any of them around my birds no matter their size because they've killed plenty of wild birds and other small animals (squirrels, etc)

We also have a giant fat cat who could care less about birds but I wouldn't trust him alone with any of them either

 

[kagan1042]

I thought I'd put my spin on this post given my current experience.

We have a bull terrier and a maltese terrier...both of which are not, and never have been highly prey driven animals. The bully does get excited with bird screeches and flaps her wings and is more interested in sniffing than anything else! The malty couldn't give a rats arse tbh - she's a snob!

On the flip side - my BFF has bullies, it was at her house Verde got killed..by a bully that is VERY prey driven (and pregnant).

I think only you know your dogs and how far you will trust them.

Frootie is in the room with dogs out of her cage, but there's always a person present, keeping an eye on the animals. As long as she's quiet, the dogs don't give a hoot and refuse to look at her (this is how we have trained them, no looking no touching etc). When bundy sniffs her, I do wonder if its her food and not HER though ahah

 

[RavensGryf]

I'm glad I saw this thread. This has really been on my mind too lately. This year, probably within the next few months, my husband and I will be moving in with my elderly father into his home. There are advantages such as more space for us, but the poor birds will still have to be in a bedroom with the door closed (room with a large add on). While it is far from ideal, it is better than having them out in the living room or den as long as my dad's dog is living there. She is an absolutely crazed and deadly, heat-seeking, vermin destroying, killing machine... otherwise known as a Jack Russell Terrier. Not only do JR's have a VERY strong prey drive, but this one in particular is just CRAZY in general. She has killed and ripped apart every small animal that had dare wandered into that backyard with lightning speed and precision. Rats, possums, birds, lizzards, etc. She doesn't just attack and bite, she will violently kill, shake, maim, and tear to pieces any small animal in her path. She is older, but still very fast and formidable. I figure she will still be living with us for a while. Until then, we really can't get another dog. When she finally goes, my husband and I will want a dog of our own for sure (one for him, one for me) but until then I will be learning more about this topic, and how to keep dogs with birds safely. I guess it depends on the individual and training, but it also is a fact that some dog breeds are way more instinctively prey driven than others. It's bred into them.

 

[RavensGryf]

I thought I'd put my spin on this post given my current experience.

We have a bull terrier and a maltese terrier...both of which are not, and never have been highly prey driven animals. The bully does get excited with bird screeches and flaps her wings and is more interested in sniffing than anything else! The malty couldn't give a rats arse tbh - she's a snob!

On the flip side - my BFF has bullies, it was at her house Verde got killed..by a bully that is VERY prey driven (and pregnant).

I think only you know your dogs and how far you will trust them.

Frootie is in the room with dogs out of her cage, but there's always a person present, keeping an eye on the animals. As long as she's quiet, the dogs don't give a hoot and refuse to look at her (this is how we have trained them, no looking no touching etc). When bundy sniffs her, I do wonder if its her food and not HER though ahah

I felt so badly for you as we all did after reading about poor Verde. I'm glad you have a new little friend Frootie. Cute name.

I have to tell you that an English Bull Terrier IS one of the breeds that I will be looking at in the years(?) upcoming when I am able to get a dog. I have always loved the BT. My concern is that they are terriers, and if you read my post above... that is my concern over a "terrier". I know the Bully breeds are a little different in temperament though from your "classic" type of terrier. That's good news that not all are prey driven. I know that 'Locito' on this forum has a BT with birds, but he has bigger birds.

Maybe the fact that the one who unfortunately got to your little Verde was pregnant had something to do with her personality?

On a side note (real quick OT :54lease!) are the Bull Terriers you and your friend have REALLY active or almost spastic and have TONS of energy to burn? I've seen that before and said "oh no!" ...or is that not typical of the breed?

 

[veimar]

Thank you so much Getwozzy for the links and everybody else for replies. I guess I'm just not very good at using the search on this forum - I assumed it would as good as google.
I think I have to think very hard before getting a new pet. Parry is a king (or "queen"?) of the house, and I don't want to restrain him in any way. If we get a dog it would be sort of a tiny lap dog, and definitely not a pit bull or any "bull". I like furry little dogs that kinda look like foxes. And I'd like a long haired cat, because they are usually more lazy and not so prone to run away from the house (a "couch cat"). The cat I had before didn't touch even a mouse when brought one to her.
But I just have this weird feeling that someone else is missing from our home and should get there soon.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

No way would I trust my yorkie or cat with my birds. That's like trusting Hannibal Lecter to become vegetarian.

When the parrots are out, the dog and cat are locked away.

And that's a 5 lb dog I can fit into my purse and an elderly, de-clawed, dingbat cat. No, just not going to risk my birds lives in the hope that all will be well. I've read too many horror stories.

It just takes a split second and tragedy strikes. You cannot rewind the clock. Plus, birds exhibit prey behavior constantly. Flapping wings, falling, etc. This can really drive predator instinct.

I am nervous enough when they're IN the cage. The dog wants the seed they've chucked on the floor but the cat sometimes stalks. He gets a yelling or a spritz of water, lol.