New Conure with Other Pets

[rickroberts]

Hi, all. I'm getting my very first bird next weekend, a baby Sun Conure who I have already named Lucy. I've paid for sexing and have visited her already. I have two mature dogs and a sweet kitty, and I would appreciate any advice about introducing and having them all live together. My intuition is that the dogs and cat will be fine with Lucy. I rescued a baby squirrel last year who lived with us for several months. The squirrel came in and out, and my animals were fine with it. They knew the difference between "our" squirrel (to play with and snuggle with) and the outside squirrels (to be chased at every opportunity). I am hoping for the same with the Conure. I really want it to work out because I am in love with this bird.

 

[Jez]

Welcome,
I've never heard of any experiences like that with a squirrel, cool!

As for introducing... just let your new baby settle in a little bit and slowly show her to everyone. Don't introduce everyone TOO fast, let her settle in a bit. I would introduce her to your dogs through the cage first, and let her get used to them. She should have a great time! Looking forward to pics!
Just make sure you have some supervision when Lucy is out with the dogs or cat. Otherwise everything should be great! Make sure you give her lots of attention!
Hope you have a great time here, like me!

 

[Cici]

My experience with introductions.... is .... make sure if she is not in a HUGE parrot cage and it's a small cage.. Set her up fairly high away from where the dogs can paw at the cages and jump on it... If its a big cage ... then make sure her purch is fairly high and in a corner that is further from where the dogs/cats can reach... I let my Mustashe out for the first time last week.. and she kept flying into walls... -.- Just be careful and learn Lucy's traits before allowing her to be out while all the others are out... Hence lock up the others while you see how she reacts to be out before you allow her to be out while the others are roaming... As well as seeing how your animals react to her while she is in her cage... Hope that helped a bit.

 

[Jez]

My experience with introductions.... is .... make sure if she is not in a HUGE parrot cage and it's a small cage.. Set her up fairly high away from where the dogs can paw at the cages and jump on it... If its a big cage ... then make sure her purch is fairly high and in a corner that is further from where the dogs/cats can reach... I let my Mustashe out for the first time last week.. and she kept flying into walls... -.- Just be careful and learn Lucy's traits before allowing her to be out while all the others are out... Hence lock up the others while you see how she reacts to be out before you allow her to be out while the others are roaming... As well as seeing how your animals react to her while she is in her cage... Hope that helped a bit.

Yeah,
Don't let her feel like shes trapped or there is no space between her and the animals. There should be an easily accessible part of the cage where she is out of the animals reach. Once she settles in and sees them she can come down and greet them face ti face on her own. Then you can do some more close contact introductions.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I think it's been covered fairly well so far. But the simplest answer I can give for how to introduce them: SLOWLY.

give Lucy plenty of time to settle in first while keeping them apart. Then introductions through the cage - everyone's behavior at that point will indicate when you can progress from there.

Beware some people might go nuts and say you can't have birds with dogs or cats - don't take them too seriously, but also don't ignore them. There are several strains of bacteria that thrive in dog and cat claws that do no harm to dogs, cats, or humans, but can be very deadly to birds. Birds don't get cat scratch fever they get cat scratch rigor-mortis. This is not something that should dissuade you from getting them to live together, but it is something to be aware of.

 

[Jez]

I think it's been covered fairly well so far. But the simplest answer I can give for how to introduce them: SLOWLY.

give Lucy plenty of time to settle in first while keeping them apart. Then introductions through the cage

Yep, like I said earlier. Slow and steady... Never rush.

Oh and one more important thing...

Don't give your new bird too much attention in the beginning. You can't give the bird 5 hours of attention every day for the first year then start giving it 2 hours.
Set a time that you KNOW you will be able to keep.
For example:
2 hours play time and 4 hours out of the cage - if you start with this routine (not saying you should), the bird will expect you to follow it.

You can however start lower - 2 hours a day, then increase, but try not to change so drastically.

Try your best to set a SOLID schedule that you will KEEP for good. Birds get used to the routines and expect them to be followed.

 

[she72devil]

when I got my skittles, my cats were fine, one wanted to play with him, he promptly bit her tail, she walks with it up, now she doesnt even go near him. Later I got a dog, now if he thinks the cats are getting to close to the bird he will step in between them, or if skittles isn't on his perch, like on the floor..., he will herd him back where he thinks he should be.
Alot can depend on the breed of dog and whether or not he is a bird dog, it would be harder to get over the natural instinct but it can be done.

 

[Nibis]

Our Jenday doesn't really pay attention to our dogs, he was young when we got him, and the dogs are older, and if they get to close he will lunge at them, they want no part of that beak, now our jenday walks around on the floor and the dogs just walk by and he pays no attention, but, if another dog comes over, he screams