I need a nutshell reply...

[Zeebelt]

...for my mother-in-law when she cuddles my conure and then repeatedly mentions that she disagrees with birds being in cages. Due to the fact that she lets her cats roam free, my reaction has almost been "Better than in your cats' stomachs!" but I refrained : )

Don't get me wrong by my comments, I do love my MIL, but we disagree fundamentally on the treatment of pets. I'm dreading the day one of her cats goes missing or comes back without a leg, and she's always trying to overfeed my bird with fruits or attempting to take him out at times I'd rather not have him out when she's around because she feels sorry for him (he is out with me or the other members of my family actively for over an hour a day and I work at home, right next to him so there's nothing to feel sorry about.)

I do know all the reasons why a bird like Ruby fares better as a pet, but as I'm not looking for a long discussion about it (my MIL is somewhat well-known for arguing points she is losing; being an ex-journalist I think she feels she's well-informed on everything) I guess what I am really asking is, do any of you reading this have a solid one or two liner response you always give to comments like this? Thanks much!

 

[Birdman666]

I don't have a one line reply.

Why even get sucked into that argument?!

"Intelligent minds can disagree. When you get a bird, feel free to raise it outside the cage. I choose to let mine outside the cage when I feel it's safe for him to be out."

Hey, I only cage mine on cleaning day... that doesn't mean it's the only right answer!

 

[Kiwibird]

"I appreciate your concern, but this is my bird so it's my responsibility to decide what is and isn't right for him". End of discussion.

Like Birdman, I also let my bird roam freely all day. However, there are no predatory animals in the house and it took years to get him to a point I trust he won't get into trouble if I'm out or not paying close attention. Being you have predators in the house (cats) NO WAY should the bird EVER be out unsupervised. No matter how well behaved the bird or the cat, the cat still has an instinctual drive to eat the bird. Not to mention a "free" bird has to be trained not to chew things like electric cords or furniture, or to get into things or to fly out the door when you open it with an armful of groceries.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Agree to disagree
My Bird My way

I agree with everything posted above

 

[Birdman666]

NO WAY should the bird EVER be out unsupervised. No matter how well behaved the bird or the cat, the cat still has an instinctual drive to eat the bird.

Well, a few of my birds actually chase the cats, but they're "a tad" bigger and ornerier... TORTURING CATS WAS SOMETHING OF A SPORT FOR THAT GRAY BIRD WITH THE RED TAIL IN PARTICULAR WHEN I LIVED AT MY SISTER'S HOUSE...

But, nothing has ever topped Lucy (the greenwing) whose favorite sport was "CAT CHASING."

Lucy could get the poor cat to the point where it was doing laps around the room, half way up the wall... (and the bird just sat there laughing.

Chase kitty up the drapes. Oh look, the bird can climb faster than the cat! Bird does a 180... now kitty is climbing straight INTO the beak...

Favorite trick, hide in the room. Sneak up behind kitty. Let out the loudest macaw scream known to man. Watch kitty go straight up!

OH, YES, SHE DID!!!

Played with the dogs. LIKED the dogs. Called the dogs. Talked to the dogs. Fed the dogs. Ran around with the dogs.

The CAT was a sport...

 

[Zeebelt]

LOL birdman! My MIL would have a heart attack if anybird teased her poor cats...

As for my cats, they were introduced to my previous GCC Theo early on by me, and after one good hard nip on the nose they became disinterested. One time Theo waited until the slightly-less-smarter of the two cats walked by his perch, and pouched on her back, to her great surprise. With my present bird, I have kept the cats mostly out of his room because he is younger and more afraid. They mostly hang in a different part of the house so they haven't really been around the rare times when he goes walkabout with me (we're adjusting slowly to moving about the house since he is still too clumsy to stay on my shoulder for long and doesn't want to stay on a perch even if it's next to me..)

 

[Christinenc2000]

You got a lot of good advice. I hope this does not make you mad and no disrespect to you at all but, issue is not the bird or the cat. You have to come to some type of agreement with your MIL. The birds and cats safety have to be # 1

I have two dogs one of them HATES my Macaw but I still allow him out of the cage when I am in the room and can supervise them.

 

[Flboy]

You have to come to some type of agreement with your MIL.

Agreement and Mother-in-law? In the same sentence?

 

[Kyoto]

DEPENDS. Are the cats super interested, or not?

I have one cat that is terrified of Kyo, and one that incessantly tries to find ways to get at her. I feel comfortable letting Kyo out (SUPERVISED) around scaredy cat, but I will never let her out around Fatty McLardo (aka Dougal) because he is just too interested and doesn't listen to me around her. I have to keep her in her travel backpack around him just to keep her safe. He's the size of a large Linx (33 pounds and like almost 3 feet long head to tail), and it's just not worth the risk.

My hubby doesn't like restricting the cat's freedom, so when he isn't home I put their water and food in the basement, shut the door, and give Kyo some much needed time to play downstairs in the living room with me :3 hehehe but that's our little secret. And often I leave Merlin (scaredy cat) to roam because he looks at Kyo and instantly runs away. But again, I would NEVER let them out together unsupervised.

 

[Kae]

My dogs (Half chihuahua half rock) are by just too fat and lazy to go after my birds and they really don't care. It really depends whether you feel comfortable letting your bird roam free with these cats around. If not, tell your mother-in-law the truth:
"He/she is my bird and that means I make a decision that I feel comfortable with."

 

[gracebowen]

Agreement and Mother-in-law? In the same sentence?

I get along great with my exes mom.

Back on topic do what you think is best for your bird. Politely explain to mom that you respect her but this is your choice. Let her know the bird gets lots of out of cage time. Also eexplain why that its safer to keep the pets separated.

 

[Flboy]

Agreement and Mother-in-law? In the same sentence?

I get along great with my exes mom.

Back on topic do what you think is best for your bird. Politely explain to mom that you respect her but this is your choice. Let her know the bird gets lots of out of cage time. Also eexplain why that its safer to keep the pets separated.

Yes, and point out if we let nature be in control, cat eats bird! As we all grow, we all change, birds, cats, humans, etc! Look at where any of us where 100 years ago and now. I doubt mil wants to go back to Victorian times! Do I really think this will win her over? When elephants fly!

 

[Dinosrawr]

Why not make the same argument for EVERY animal, then? A horse shouldn't be in a stall - look at zebras. A dog shouldn't be in a house - look at wolves. See where this is going? It's very narrow thinking. I personally am against free roaming cats. They can bring home disease, they can easily be killed (research has shown people willingly swerve to hit certain animals, one being a cat), the list goes on. You don't tell her how to manage her cats, so she isn't allowed to tell you how to manage your bird. Simple.

And I'm sorry, but housing an animal is not caging an animal. You give your child its own room, and to me, my bird's cages are their rooms. It's THEIR space - I can't and don't go in there. It has their toys, with their food, and their things. Am I restricting them? Yes. But I know for a fact Shiko and Avery would chew on cords, wires, and the like and end up getting killed.

So am I a terrible person for knowing my animals and looking out for their well being at all times - meaning I make sure they have enough time out and interaction on top of having a safe environment? I'll gladly take that title and be a glutton for punishment if it means my birds are happy, well adjusted, and healthy creatures.

 

[Flboy]

Yes, you're terrible! Kidding, my point exactly, tho horrendously worded!

 

[Hawk]

...for my mother-in-law when she cuddles my conure and then repeatedly mentions that she disagrees with birds being in cages. Due to the fact that she lets her cats roam free, my reaction has almost been "Better than in your cats' stomachs!" but I refrained : )

Don't get me wrong by my comments, I do love my MIL, but we disagree fundamentally on the treatment of pets. I'm dreading the day one of her cats goes missing or comes back without a leg, and she's always trying to overfeed my bird with fruits or attempting to take him out at times I'd rather not have him out when she's around because she feels sorry for him (he is out with me or the other members of my family actively for over an hour a day and I work at home, right next to him so there's nothing to feel sorry about.)

I do know all the reasons why a bird like Ruby fares better as a pet, but as I'm not looking for a long discussion about it (my MIL is somewhat well-known for arguing points she is losing; being an ex-journalist I think she feels she's well-informed on everything) I guess what I am really asking is, do any of you reading this have a solid one or two liner response you always give to comments like this? Thanks much!

Is the cat Fixed?? The bird can do it for free. Then will share a mouse with the cat after wards.

 

[Delfin]

Put a lock on the cage door and don't give the key out to anyone.

 

[JerseyWendy]

My dogs (Half chihuahua half rock) are by just too fat and lazy to go after my birds and they really don't care......

ROFLMAO!!! Literally!

 

[Jayyj]

I would be inclined to tell her 'look, I know we disagree on this and you've made your point clearly, BUT, this is my pet and I've put a lot of research into how to care for it, and for you to continue to make comments is disrespectful. Please can we draw a line under this and agree to disagree?'. I'd also wait for an opportunity to say it that wasn't in the heart of the moment after a snarky comment from her, so that she realises it's something you've been thinking about and has been troubling you.

To a certain extent, I can see that it's hard when you have strong opinions about animal welfare and you feel someone is not doing the right thing. But it's important to respect other people's point of view - you can try to educate them if they seem generally ill informed, but if they have done their homework and arrived at a different viewpoint to your own it's not on to keep challenging them about it.

 

[Birdman666]

LOL birdman! My MIL would have a heart attack if anybird teased her poor cats...

Well, my sister who had zero bird experience, tried to do something about it. THAT only served to teach my CAG that he could effectively mess with her too...

Shortly thereafter, we were asked to expedite our search for a new place to live.

It wasn't pretty!

He can be a stinker if he knows he'll get away with it.

With me, he knows he won't, so he doesn't try...