Mishka's new friend !!!!

[antoinette]

To the folks that asked about the Dawn Dish Washing Liquid, it is safe to use on all animals! When you wash dogs or cats, make sure do the neck area first all the way around then do the head part, then the body. Make sure you get in-between their paws. Leave it on for 5 min then rinse, if there's any fleas you'll see them dead by the time your start to wash them off. Then after 24hrs of dry time you should treat them with a flea topical treatment. This was how I won a war against flea infestation after moving into this house, the yard was over run by fleas as we have lots of lose animals around here at one point. Who knows if one of my neighbors even treat their dog for fleas so it might be coming from there. Then all the stray cats that roam around here. I was quite happy when all the fleas were gone but I've got scars on my ankles to show as I'm very sensitive to flea bites.

Thanks Michael for the useful info

I used Dawn on Ringo only once, thanks goodness no more fleas.

Luckily I have not got scars to show

 

[strudel]

They aredefinitely a match made in heaven

You all are, you were obviously meant to be indoctrinated into the "cat world"...

 

[antoinette]

They aredefinitely a match made in heaven

You all are, you were obviously meant to be indoctrinated into the "cat world"...

I do believe I have been converted into the cat world.
If you told me a month ago we would have a kitten living with us, I would have told you YOU ARE NUTS

I can't imagine our lives without Ringo

 

[WeasleyLover]

Poor Mishka. This thread disgusts me! You seem to have no idea the DANGER your poor bird is in! Sure, they may 'get along' now, but what if Ringo accidentally scratches Mishka? What happens when Ringo grows up and isn't sweet and gentle?! Cat and parrots DO NOT go together. They SHOULD NOT interact with each other.

And to think you're a mod! What happens if new bird owners see this and think it's perfectly okay to have furry animals and parrots together?!

 

[Betrisher]

Whoa! WeasleyLover! Where did that come from? Ant doesn't house Ringo with Mishka: they spend a bit of time together of an evening when Ant and her son get home from work. The encounters are supervised closely.

I'd like to gently point out that you are stepping out of line to reprimand any member so vehemently simply because they do not share your opinion. If you keep a caged bird yourself, then you are also going against Nature and impinging on a bird's right to a natural life. If Ant feels her bird and kitten can co-exist companionably, then that is her call and hers alone. Yes, it's a risk, but it's a calculated one and has nothing to do with you or me.

If you have strong opinions, by all means voice them and put them up for discussion: that's what these forums are about. But DO NOT reprimand another member in public! Please refer to our forum guidelines.

We all have opinions, sometimes very strong ones. While it is perfectly acceptable (and even encouraged) to discuss and examine differences of opinion, it is NEVER acceptable to assume that one is right and the other is wrong. There are so many possibilities of context that it's a minefield waiting to be galloped over! Please bear in mind that every member is entitled to do whatever he or she sees fit to do without fear of judgement or reprimand. If you disagree violently with something a member has posted, then use our perfectly good PM system or discuss it with a moderator.

 

[Bundiibird]

Well said Trish. For those who have read this thread would see that the interaction between the cat and bird (Ringo and Mishka) is supervised and the pros and cons of this interaction have already been discussed. It is up to each member to do as they see fit with their feathered and furry friends.

Anyone that knows Antoinette, would know how much she loves Mishka and would never in a million years put him in any kind of situation that would make either of them uncomfortable.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but please ensure that you have all of the facts first. And maybe not so harsh.

 

[MikeyTN]

Poor Mishka. This thread disgusts me! You seem to have no idea the DANGER your poor bird is in! Sure, they may 'get along' now, but what if Ringo accidentally scratches Mishka? What happens when Ringo grows up and isn't sweet and gentle?! Cat and parrots DO NOT go together. They SHOULD NOT interact with each other.

And to think you're a mod! What happens if new bird owners see this and think it's perfectly okay to have furry animals and parrots together?!

They're being supervised during the encounter not like they were being left to fend for themselves. It is a good thing Ringo is taught at a young age that birds are friends not food which it could prevent a lot of issues once fully grown. I believe in doing it that way the same way I taught my dogs with Willie when they were young. That is something for each individual owner to decide up on.

 

[Blancaej]

Poor Mishka. This thread disgusts me! You seem to have no idea the DANGER your poor bird is in! Sure, they may 'get along' now, but what if Ringo accidentally scratches Mishka? What happens when Ringo grows up and isn't sweet and gentle?! Cat and parrots DO NOT go together. They SHOULD NOT interact with each other.

And to think you're a mod! What happens if new bird owners see this and think it's perfectly okay to have furry animals and parrots together?!

Maddy - It is fine that you want others to know the dangers of cats and birds being together. I get it, but slamming someone in a thread is not ok. There are ways to express your feelings on the subject in a respectful way. Do NOT let OTHERS influence how you talk to someone about this subject. We are all adults here and can talk about this in a respectful way without using hurtful words such as "disgust". Think about!

 

[mtdoramike]

To the folks that asked about the Dawn Dish Washing Liquid, it is safe to use on all animals! When you wash dogs or cats, make sure do the neck area first all the way around then do the head part, then the body. Make sure you get in-between their paws. Leave it on for 5 min then rinse, if there's any fleas you'll see them dead by the time your start to wash them off. Then after 24hrs of dry time you should treat them with a flea topical treatment. This was how I won a war against flea infestation after moving into this house, the yard was over run by fleas as we have lots of lose animals around here at one point. Who knows if one of my neighbors even treat their dog for fleas so it might be coming from there. Then all the stray cats that roam around here. I was quite happy when all the fleas were gone but I've got scars on my ankles to show as I'm very sensitive to flea bites.

I used dish washing liquid on a dog to give him a bath with a couple of times when I was growing up and it dried the dogs skin out to the point his hair fell out and looked like he had the mange. I do know that they use Dawn to clean up the animals after oil spills and such. I just had a bad experience with dish washing liquid in the past and avoid it now for cleaning animals.

 

[Betrisher]

I discovered this stuff called 'Orvus' from my needleworking friends. It's a pure soap used to wash livestock for shows and it's supposed to be hypoallergenic. A friend sent me some to wash my needlework in, but I quickly found it works wonderfully well for my hair and my dog! My dog has white hair and pink skin and every summer she gets the most awful allergies to 'something' on our property. It costs a fortune in vet bills and cortisone, but the Orvus is one small thing that gives her relief. I can wash her clean without drying or irritating her skin. I don't think Orvus is available at all in Australia, but you get it from feed merchants in the US.

My Orvus came inside a ziplock baggie inside a ziplock baggie inside a ziplock baggie. I wasn't expecting it and laughed at the oddity of it all as I unpacked the parcel. There was a whole litre of the stuff and I still have more than half of it left these ten years later: you only use a teensy amount each time. Anyway, just thought I'd chime in as the stuff seems really good to me.

 

[Birdman67]

I have been observing this thread over the last couple of weeks with complete horror!! I cannot believe this has been allowed to carry on! I am a member on many parrot forums and I have to say, I have NEVER seen anything like this!!

How many members are going to look at these pictures and think to themselves... well, if a moderator is showing them, then it must be okay to allow my cat to interact with my bird! Surely you are supposed to be setting an example to members on here?

Do you realize just how much danger you are putting your bird in? A cat can lash out in just a few seconds! It does not matter how close you are at the time, you would not be quick enough to stop this from happening! Sadly, if this happens, then it would be too late

It seems to me that WeasleyLover is the only person that has had the courage to speak out over this and as far as I can see, she has been treated very badly over it! Can you not see that she is in fact right in what she is saying? All she has done is point out the dangers of allowing this sort of interaction between a cat and a bird and is trying to warn others not to do the same thing! I think she needs a pat on the back for trying to prevent an inevitable tragedy from happening!

If Ant feels her bird and kitten can co-exist companionably, then that is her call and hers alone. Yes, it's a risk, but it's a calculated one and has nothing to do with you or me.

This has very much to do with you and me when it is giving the wrong impression to people! Yes, it is entirely up to Antoinette to do just as she wishes with her own bird, BUT it gives her absolutely NO RIGHT to show this danger on a public forum!

We are all adults here and can talk about this in a respectful way without using hurtful words such as "disgust". Think about!

I would hardly call the word "disgust" being a hurtful word! This word is used to express how someone feels about a situation! I saw absolutely NO disrespect in WeasleyLover's post whatsoever!

All that is left for me to say to members is... Please, DO NOT allow your cat to interact with your bird in any way at all! I have seen so many tragedies over the years and I would hate for this to happen to any of you!

 

[Allee]

Adorable photo! Beautiful kitten. They look happy together already.

Introductions don't always go the way you expect. My four pound Yorkie was three when my husband gave me a golden retriever puppy. My Yorkie is a rotten girl and it took a while but the new puppy was determined to make friends. The retriever is two now and she is so careful with the Yorkie. It's funny to watch our big golden goof run from a yappy four pound dog but she does.

 

[Allee]

Oops!! I don't have a cat and should have kept my mouth shut. I didn't read the whole post and didn't realize it was such a controversial topic. I don't know Mishka's mom or Steven but it sounds like every possible precaution was being taken to keep Mishka's safe.

 

[Betrisher]

Birdman67, I'm afraid you're not the arbiter of members' rights here at Parrotforums.com. All members are free to post pictures of their birds and other pets. If you have an issue with anything which has been posted, then please use a PM to convey your feelings to the member in question and discuss the matter civilly. If you feel guidelines have been breached, then you may refer to a mod for arbitration.

I wonder at your 'ongoing horror' over a period of weeks. If you were so horrified, why not speak up sooner and more appropriately? You say you have 'never seen anything like this' so please allow me to direct you to YouTube, where you can see plenty of examples of such unlikely animal partnerships. This kind of thing happens every day in many households and I personally know of numerous examples of cats and rodents becoming fast and lifelong friends. It is not unusual and is based on the principle that a very young animal can imprint on another species to the extent that a bond is formed (not unlike the bond we all hope to form with our parrots).

Regarding the perceptions of new members, I think we can safely assume that most would not dream of attempting a cat/bird partnership, just as we assume that no new member would dream of attempting free flight activities.

Considering the dreadful stories of parrot neglect and abuse that we read about online, I find myself amazed that you aren't expending your horror on those who are doing real, measurable damage right now, instead of berating Ant about something which might happen in the future.

If there are ex-members coming here to drum up dissent, can I please ask you to go away and take care of your own forum? You have had the opportunity to make an environment of your own which meets your own standards and pleases you. Why not work on that rather than making trouble here? It's not classy, you know, and isn't much of a recommendation of your forum. Just saying...

 

[Blancaej]

Birdman67 - I did post a reminder to all the dangers of cat & bird interaction long ago on this thread! I chose a different way to approach this matter. But Maddy certainly was not the first to mention this on the thread. It wasn't what she said, but how she said it.

 

[ParkersMom]

I think that with proper supervision that most animals can get along...I have 3 birds 3 cats and 3 big dogs that are allowed out together all the time...I watch the dogs and cats with the birds and don't have any issues...living your life by the what ifs Imo isn't a very healthy way to live...ie I can't go out in a car because I might get in an accident... seems a little ridiculous... you just have to be smart about your decisions...congrats to you and your growing family Ant.

 

[MikeyTN]

To the folks that asked about the Dawn Dish Washing Liquid, it is safe to use on all animals! When you wash dogs or cats, make sure do the neck area first all the way around then do the head part, then the body. Make sure you get in-between their paws. Leave it on for 5 min then rinse, if there's any fleas you'll see them dead by the time your start to wash them off. Then after 24hrs of dry time you should treat them with a flea topical treatment. This was how I won a war against flea infestation after moving into this house, the yard was over run by fleas as we have lots of lose animals around here at one point. Who knows if one of my neighbors even treat their dog for fleas so it might be coming from there. Then all the stray cats that roam around here. I was quite happy when all the fleas were gone but I've got scars on my ankles to show as I'm very sensitive to flea bites.

I used dish washing liquid on a dog to give him a bath with a couple of times when I was growing up and it dried the dogs skin out to the point his hair fell out and looked like he had the mange. I do know that they use Dawn to clean up the animals after oil spills and such. I just had a bad experience with dish washing liquid in the past and avoid it now for cleaning animals.

I assure you Mike that Dawn dish soap is quite safe to use. I don't know what the other brands will do but I strictly use Dawn. I have one dog with dry skin issues but his skin never dried from me washing him with it.

 

[getwozzy]

I think it's a tad unfair for inactive members to resurface and start accusing people of being careless parronts- if you were active members in our forum and actually took the time to read Ant's thread- or any of them- you would see that every interaction between Mishka and Ringo are completely supervised, and she's WELL AWARE of the risks of such an animal relationship.
What anyone does in their own home, with their own pets is their OWN business- we most certainly do not advocate careless pet interactions and relationships; we promote and advocate pet safety when the questions or situations arise, but to be so bold as to tell someone how to raise their pets is ridiculous. Everyone here are grown-ups and can take care of their own, and do as they please. Posting pictures of birds interacting with other pets is NOT against PF's forum guidelines, but taunting, badgering, and flaming members IS- so please, if you don't have anything nice to say- stay away from the keyboard.

 

[lucy1]

Ok, sorry, I usually ignore trolls but this is one topic close to my heart...

Let's take a step back from Ringo and Mishka for a moment and consider cats and dogs. Cats and dogs do not mix safely, just as cats and birds do not mix safely (hear me out here). Dogs are 'hardwired' to see cats as prey and attack, to the extent that in the UK if a dog attacks and kills a cat on public property, it is not even a criminal offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act- the dog is not "dangerously out of control" as it is accepted that dogs will chase and attack 'prey' animals! Dogs have a natural tendency to attack cats, end of. I had a German Shepherd who was intent on killing my cat, every time he saw him through the window he would fling himself against the windows and door in an attempt to annihilate him. As a retired police dog this dog was about as well trained and eager to learn as you could get, but the whole cat thing was so ingrained and hard wired (he had never actually met a cat before, but instinctively wanted to kill mine) there was no hope for any training here.

Dogs will attack/kill cats any chance they get, just as cats will attack/kill birds any chance they get.

And yet..., I know so many people with dogs and cats who co-exist quite happily because they have been brought up together. They are not just tolerating each other, they really are buddies and will curl up and sleep together and follow each other round the house.

Is that not what is happening here? Is Ant not raising them together so they are buddies rather than predator and prey??!

 

[lucy1]

Apologies for my rant. This thread has been hijacked and straying from the point now.

Ant, any chance of more updates (and pictures!) to get this thread back on course?