Looking into adopting large parrot...but I have cats.

[Slothy33]

Hi everyone,

I know that I may get flamed, but please try to go easy on me. I'm brand new here and looking for some constructive advice.

Over the last few years, I have been researching parrot ownership and recently began visiting a local parrot rescue. I am very interested in adopting a Macaw. I have heard a lot about "starter birds" but I don't really want a small parrot. Although I have not ever owned a Macaw, I feel that I have prepared myself as much as possible by educating myself on their behavior, dietary needs, care, and forming a bond. I am prepared to take on a lifelong commitment and make lifestyle modifications to give thebird I adopt the best life possible. I own a home with lots of space inside and an extra room to dedicate to my Macaw. I also live in a tropical climate where I can give my Macaw a large aviary to use outdoors as well.

I do have 3 cats. They are all pretty laid back, but I would always make sure that they would be placed in another area of the house when my Macaw was out, and of course I would never leave the bird unattended outside of it's room/cage. My goal would be to allow him/her as much out of cage time as possible. I have a job that allows me to work from home remotely with flexible hours, and I also have a partner who works remotely as well, so we should be able to give the bird plenty of attention.

My question is, will a rescue adopt a large parrot out to a household with cats?

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums, deep respect for researching the sensitive needs of a parrot before acquiring.

You've approached with serious tone so there will be no flaming, however expect some passionate response given intended housing of cats and a bird.

Birds of every size are sentient beings capable of a range of emotions. As such the notion of "starter bird" is moot as they all have worth and ought command a lifetime of care. While macaws are highly intelligent and physically imposing, there are no technical reasons one cannot be your first bird if well prepared. You'll find a wealth of information in the Macaw Forum: Macaws - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

Despite anecdotal evidence, birds are prey for cats and sadly our bereavement forum yields dramatic testimony. Meticulous sequestration of both is possible provided rigid habit patterns are practiced by all family members and guests. I'd assume you will find varying attitudes by rescues towards household cats. A lot will depend on how you present and their past experiences.

Good luck, let us know how the search progresses!

 

[Betrisher]

I can't see any reason to deny you the right to adopt just because you have cats. I have three and a bull terrier along with my big and small parrots and all get along quite well. The caveat is that the birds are *never* *ever* allowed to be in a room with a furry animal present. Not ever! Never!

You'll see videos of cats and dogs playing beautifully with birds (my own gormless sister has a corella which is allowed to play with her cattle dog :22_yikes: ). What they don't show is the day birdie accidentally nipped too hard and the cat or dog responded in the perfectly natural way in which cats and dogs defend themselves. Bye-bye birdie!

Firstly, you need to secure your cage so the bird can't be attacked or worried by your cats, especially at first when he's likely to be nervous and on edge.

Secondly, you need to make a hard and fast rule that birdie is *never* (ie. not ever) in the presence of a furry animal, not even for a moment.

Over time, it may happen that the cats get used to your bird so that they might be allowed to roam near his cage. That depends on how birdie reacts and how willing the cats are to leave him alone. You can't have cats leaping on the cage, for example. The bird would be under intolerable stress if that happened. Also, most birds will flutter around mindlessly afraid when this happens, thus giving puss-cat the chance to reach in and grab with claws fully deployed. Disaster!

One of my cats was brought home as a kitten and 'met' the caged birds under supervision. She has utterly no interest in them. The second cat was rescued from our next-door neighbour, who was neglecting him and gave him away gladly. It took him (the cat, not the neighbour) just one leap onto Rosetta's cage to earn a chasing-away with my best electric blue feather duster and a good old castigation from Rosetta herself to learn not to jump at the birds. He also shows no interest. The third cat is a relatively recently adopted siamese who would give *anything* to get his mitts on my son's lovebirds. We've had to cover the sides of the cage in perspex and add a gabled roof to stop him jumping. He's the one I can't trust, so he's locked away at night to prevent mishaps when I'm not around.

If you apply to adopt a bird, be ready to offer a sensible action plan to the rescue. If you show that you have researched safety issues and are prepared to put measures in place to keep the bird safe at all times, I doubt you'll have a problem.

 

[noodles123]

Cats actually have bacteria in the saliva and under their nails (from poop/litter) that can kill a bird. This means that even a playful "paw" or cat getting into the bird's water supply could be very bad.

 

[saurian]

We won't flame you! We are not a 'flaming' forum. This is a place for parrot lovers to come together- we're all friends here.



I'm sure you know of the dangers involving cats and birds under one room, ranging from predatory problems to actual biological issues, the latter of which has been mentioned by Noodles. As long as you take these into consideration at all times, you'll have no problems. You seem a responsible person. I applaud you for doing the necessary research, and for not buying on a whim. I'm also immensely happy that you've chosen to adopt/rehome. Good luck, and be sure to update us!

 

[noodles123]

You have to also remember that the larger the bird, the greater the capacity for noise, cost (toys cage, food) , damage (to people and property) and life-span. If a cockatiel or parakeet bites you, it isn't going to send you to the E.R. , but a macaw could (in theory). Macaws also cannot life around powder-down birds, so if you ever plan on getting another bird, it should not be a powder-down variety.
Another thing to consider is that macaws are very beaky (they use their beaks to mouth things etc but they also go through a bluffing period, and an over-reaction or mishandled beaking can mess things up). There is a certain amount of confidence that comes with having owned a bird before, and you definitely need to have confidence (but also wisdom) when working with a bird that size because you have to be able to read their body language in order to calculate your reaction and if you have never been bitten or are unsure of yourself, that can lead to problems in terms of reactions. I would definitely spend a lot of time at the rescue---Many birds do tend to have a honeymoon period with new people.

Now that I have said all of that, this is my copy and past post for new bird owners (hope it helps)--PLEASE read this all (I know it is long, but it is SO important):

When you have a bird, any sort of heated mechanism (anything that heats or is intended to be heated) and contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon will be out of the question (and most things that heat up or are intended to be heated DO contain these chemicals)--This includes things like pots, pans, cupcake trays, cookie sheets, cake pans etc, but it will also things like include hair-dryers, straighteners, curling irons, curlers, rice-cookers, SLOW COOKERS, popcorn poppers, air fryers, microwave meals (including certain types of microwave popcorn), steamers, irons, ironing board covers, electric skillets, griddles, George Foreman Grills, drip trays, toasters, toaster ovens, poaching pans, electric blankets, humidifiers, heat lamps, SPACE HEATERS, Scotch Guard etc etc...Here 2 links about it: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...on-kills-birds
To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be a bit insistent about it over the phone (and in some cases, you won't get far--but sometimes it is a matter of how you ask). Almost always, it will take a few days (and numerous holds) for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names. Shopping when you have a bird is super annoying because cannot visually ID these chemical coatings, as they can be colored, transparent, or mixed into metal/fabric during the manufacturing process. Teflon and chemically similar products have killed birds on separate floors with the doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad bird deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range! There is a reason they used canaries in coal-mines and it is because they die very easily due to even low levels of fumes of any sort. Some specific accounts: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...-death-diaries
Here are the abbreviations and full spellings of the chemicals you need to ask about when inquiring about a product (give the name, spelling and abbreviation of each):

Teflon= common brand-name using the chemical types in question
PTFE= Polytetrafluoroethyline
PFOA= Perfluorooctanoic acid (sometimes known as C8)
PFCs= Perfluorinated chemicals

Sleep=essential to hormonal and immune function. Different species have different requirements, but 12 is pretty much the average. This means that someone must be there to cover and uncover the bird at the same time each night and that your home must be conducive to sleep.

Make sure you aren't using any unsafe products around the bird. This is pretty much everything with a scent (and some things without).
No perfume, carpet cleaner, flea shampoo, aerosols, solvents, air fresheners, paints, smoke of any kind, vaping, sunscreen, bugspray, candles of any kind (organic or non), insecticides, certain soaps/shampoos, fire-places, burning or heated oil/fat, self-cleaning ovens, gas and any household cleaners (e.g., bleach, windex, lysol, fabreeze, scrubbing bubbles, kaboom, pine-sol etc)...You will seriously have to re-think your entire home and your cleaning routine will change a ton.
NEVER use the self-cleaning oven function or try to season cast iron around birds.
The list goes on. Birds have VERY sensitive respiratory systems. Essential oils are also fairly unsafe due to their ability to be absorbed into the blood-stream and due to a bird's sensitive air sacs.
In terms of safe cleaning alternatives: White vinegar + water (as long as you don't heat it), grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda (for scrubbing), some (but not all) natural cleaning products sold in pre-mixed formulas, and then avian-safe veterinary disinfectants, such as F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate has to be mixed with water but it is super safe and more effective than vinegar at killing bacteria etc).

Fumes make traveling with a bird complicated, as it is very unsafe to bring your bird with you into a location where teflon or chemical cleaners are being used. My bird does travel with me, but it is important to consider the safety of your final destination, as well as car temperature and any stops along the way (if you plan on bringing your bird inside).
I would recommend getting an air purifier (non-ozone producing/non-ionizing) to help with dust/mold etc (which can harm birds). Please note- a purifier will not protect birds from cigarette smoke, vaping fumes, teflon/ptfe/pfoa etc. It will only help increase the quality of the air to some extent. You cannot use unsafe chemicals around the bird just because you have a purifier.

Generally, you should only pet birds on the head/neck and you should not allow any shadowy spaces in the cage (boxes, bedding, crumbled paper, tents, blankets, low furniture, in clothing etc)...and so are tents/huts/hammocks etc. These things are hormonal triggers and they can cause health and behavior problems and snuggle huts can also entangle birds and cause blockages.

Birds hide illness like crazy, so there is nothing intuitive about their diseases. You have to be ready to study your birds poop and behavior daily, because even the slightest change can be a huge indicator. Blood work must be done yearly (at minimum) and should be done soon after you get a new bird. Birds can carry and spread deadly illnesses without showing any symptoms, so play-dates and exposure to boarding facilities etc come with risks of their own. PBFD, ABV and PDD are all very serious and very contagious diseases that can be spread by things like feather dust in the ventilation system. These diseases are also notorious for producing false negatives in infected but asymptomatic carriers (when tested).
Bottom line: make sure that you have a certified avian vet (CAV) near you. Exotics vets who see birds are not the same thing. If you don't have a CAV near you, your life will be much more anxiety-ridden than if you do (and the difference between a CAV and an exotics vet can mean the difference between life and death for your bird in certain instances).

Birds are very sensitive to temperature changes and drafts. Any temperature change of 10 degrees or more puts significant stress on their systems. If you have to take your bird out in the cold, make sure you carefully cover the cage and pre-warm the car. Also, make sure you don't have any air-fresheners in the car or vents blowing directly on the bird. Extreme heat can also be harmful. Over time, birds can adjust to a wide ranger of temperatures, but this adjustment has to take place over a long period of time. Anything too quick is going to shock their systems.

Dowel perches that are smooth/even in texture lead to a disease called bumble-foot. Textured perches prevent this---look into dragonwood, manzanita and pummice perches. There are numerous guides to appropriate sizing online.

Birds move in slow motion and especially and establishing real trust can take many months.

A baby bird will generally be friendly to all (much like a baby human), but teen and adult birds experience significant hormonal changes which impact their personality and preferences. Puberty is particularly bad in many cases. Although it passes, an adult bird will never be as nice as a baby and it will come with a whole new set of preferences, desires and rules.
It is very important not to engage in behaviors that will eventually be inappropriate for the bird as an adult, as this sets an unsustainable precedent. You must teach independence, refrain from allowing the bird to graft itself to you all day, do not spend excessive time with your bird due to the fact that they are a new and exciting new pet (because you will be expected to keep it up long-term), pet on head/neck only and do not provide your bird with access to fleece huts, huts in general, tents, boxes, blankets, pillows, bedding etc, ignore screams for attention and attend to the sounds you will be able to tolerate long-term, ignore biting when it happens and do not scold/react.

 

[Laurasea]

"I know that I may get flamed, but please try to go easy on me. I'm brand new here and looking for some constructive advice."

I became a fan of yours after reading this and laughing! Welcome to the forums!

I'm thrilled to hear you will rescue one of the many Macaws waiting to be re-homed! There is one waiting to pick you! Yes it's best if they pick you, parrots are way better at picking the right human than we are at picking them

At night make sure they are locked behind seperate doors.

 

[Jottlebot]

It depends on the rescue. I have heard tale of rescues in the UK who seem to refuse to adopt to people who get out of the car wrong, but I don't know how true this is. You'll have to ask, but having done plenty of research and being willing to spend plenty of time with your new companion will only help.

Cats and birds and dogs can all live in the same house very happily in my experience, but absolutely separate as said in detail above!

 

[itzjbean]

I have two cats, six cockatiels and a Doberman. Never had an incident with the cats/dog going after the birds but I watch them like a hawk when they are out of their cages and often lock the cats in their room/front porch so the birds can fly around without me worrying about cats prowling.

It's great that you are considering a rescue, though a lot of rescues have prerequisites for adopting larger birds, as in requiring a person to have large bird experience. It would be wise to find out if the rescue you have been visiting allows people without large bird experience to adopt such a big bird. Good luck!!

 

[Flboy]

When there were cats in my home, I had issues with them stalking my JoJo at night! My solution was to set up a sleep cage in my room! I now have three dogs and a temporary two extra, dachshunds and Shiba Inu’s, all very strong bird dogs! I have a very strict vigil that can never be laxed! One of these dogs killed our Tango, ten years ago! Right in front of us! You can’t move fast enough, there is zero wiggle room for error!

 

[buurd]

No flames here, but anecdotal evidence tells me that you will never be 100% sure your cat will never get near your bird.
My sister has 3 laid back indoor cats, and even when I think I know where they are at, at all times, I inevitably lose track of them. Because they are natural masters of stealth. And they live to hunt/murder. Cant train that out of them. The couple of times I have brought my 14lbs dog over to her house, I have had my dog on a leash and close to me, because I wouldnt want her to chase/catch a cat. And even though I keep a sharp eye on their movements, its impossible. Ive had my dog sleeping on the same chair with me, only to look down and -more than once- see one of the cat's faces directly under hers as she's sleeping . Murder in their eyes and ready to pounce.

Cats are killing machines, and mice and birds are their favorite things to hunt. I think you need to understand that a cat will find their way inside a bird's room, or sneak up on them while you are unaware, at some point. Of this , I am 100% certain. My suggestion is to get a bird that could scare the poop out of a cat, like a raptor with a ginormous wingspan.

 

[Slothy33]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my thread. I even have my first fan-yay!

While I understand that there are real dangers and risks to keeping cats and a bird under the same roof, I am willing to do everything possible to mitigate those risks. Unfortunately I have to get up crazy early to start Thanksgiving dinner, but hopefully I can come back in a few days to clarify some points. I appreciate all of your feedback. ��

 

[Scott]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my thread. I even have my first fan-yay!

While I understand that there are real dangers and risks to keeping cats and a bird under the same roof, I am willing to do everything possible to mitigate those risks. Unfortunately I have to get up crazy early to start Thanksgiving dinner, but hopefully I can come back in a few days to clarify some points. I appreciate all of your feedback. ��

With proper separation and discipline, you can ensure a high level of safety. While all birds are prey, adopting a macaw offers some mitigation.

Happy Thanksgiving, see you after the food coma wears off!

 

[itzjbean]

No flames here, but anecdotal evidence tells me that you will never be 100% sure your cat will never get near your bird.
My sister has 3 laid back indoor cats, and even when I think I know where they are at, at all times, I inevitably lose track of them. Because they are natural masters of stealth. And they live to hunt/murder. Cant train that out of them. The couple of times I have brought my 14lbs dog over to her house, I have had my dog on a leash and close to me, because I wouldnt want her to chase/catch a cat. And even though I keep a sharp eye on their movements, its impossible. Ive had my dog sleeping on the same chair with me, only to look down and -more than once- see one of the cat's faces directly under hers as she's sleeping . Murder in their eyes and ready to pounce.

Cats are killing machines, and mice and birds are their favorite things to hunt. I think you need to understand that a cat will find their way inside a bird's room, or sneak up on them while you are unaware, at some point. Of this , I am 100% certain. My suggestion is to get a bird that could scare the poop out of a cat, like a raptor with a ginormous wingspan.

Not every cat lives to kill and wants to murder. These are pretty naive statements to make, especially if you have never owned a cat. Have you actually owned one, or just observed yours sister's?

It's easy to make these assumptions when you have never actually lived with one or been around any besides unfriendly ones. But I can assure you my cats are not 'killing machines. My male ragdoll is best friends with my 100 lb. Doberman and my female is indifferent to the dog and birds. Just because your sister's cats are not good with other animals, doesn't men they are all out to kill others... My birds share a huge flight cage in the living room and the cats have free roam of the house with the dog, never had an incident with dogs or cats going after birds or terrorizing them and it's been years.

 

[noodles123]

I think the the term "murder" was used as a joke-- Cats are instinctual "hunters", as parrots are instinctual in their need to waste food and chew. A very sweet and nice cat still has the tendency to chase toys and laser pointers etc--- that same "play" is related to the instincts in question.
Many dogs are like this too, but cats are better climbers, with small paws that can reach between cage bars and the agility to scale objects that a dog would just knock over or not even attempt to begin with.
Most of the things that make cats desirable pets (curiosity, independence, determination, athleticism, "playfulness", litter-boxes etc) are the same things that make them potentially dangerous to birds-- it isn't that they are mean, they are just animals with specific tendencies/characteristics (including the tendency dig around in a litter-box and then walk all over everything---despite the parasitic/bacterial risk).

I have met 1 cat in my life that didn't want to chase toys or pounce on things (playfully or other), and he was geriatric and sick. The others were mostly nice (with a few not-so-nice ones thrown into the mix). The point is, it isn't about mean VS. nice...cats are cats and if a cat doesn't want to paw at or chase things, I am a bit concerned about the cat. They are generally curious and enjoy manipulating things to get reactions (without ill intent).

Now, can they potentially be trained to ignore things?---yeah, but it doesn't change the fact that any cat who chases a toy could also chase a bird (and that they all share certain tendencies based on nature). I am not saying that no one who has a bird can ever have a cat, but it certainly adds a layer of risk/complication.

I am fine with cats-- just saying that the previous poster didn't mean any harm or offence (at least as far as I can tell).

 

[Jen5200]

I have 1 older cat and 2 young dogs - and 6 birds. Fur and feathers are just never allowed to interact in my house. Our cat used to be an outdoor cat who did hunt, so I just never take the chance with him. He is getting old, and doesn’t show any interest in the indoor birds - but I still ensure that he’ll never have the opportunity. There’s only my husband and I, so it’s fairly simple to make sure that the rules are followed. There’s occasionally people that come over to our house - but when people are here, I am firm on the fact they don’t let the birds out - ever. It works well for us.

 

[riddick07]

I’m not all that strict about separation anymore. I don’t let them play or interact but I also don’t lock the cats up. We had 4 cats until the other month when our oldest passed away, so 3 cats now. I have found anything around small conure sized & under gets the hunting instinct going. But anything larger they avoid like the plague & run from them. The macaws are actually aggressive with the cats & will chase them, so the cats actively avoid the macaws. The cats have all ran like the devil is chasing them when the macaws do their ‘don’t leave me to go in the kitchen scream’ too.

Unless you have an active brave hunter I wouldn’t be too worried about it when it comes to a macaw sized bird.

 

[TrebleMama]

We brought our Amazon home a couple of weeks ago and we have one indoor/outdoor cat. From day one we had a rule that the cat is either outside or in our bedroom when our bird is out (playgym etc). This prevents any kind of close interaction between the two. When our bird is secure in his cage we let the cat have free reign in the house, but there's no way for him to get into the cage/knock it over etc. So far the cat has ignored him completely and hasn't even been interested in going up to the cage.

 

[ToMang07]

I have 3 cats... they're afraid of the bird, lol


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[Cardinal]

This article may be of interest and relevance to this discussion

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/moral-cost-of-cats-180960505/