Some advice on wing clipping

[Kjarva]

Hey all, I'm so excited - I get my first ever bird in the form of a Green Cheek Conure a week on Saturday! The breeder said they were 3-4 months old and he thought that the two he had were males. I have a question though I have 2 cats and I'm hoping with enough reinforcement the cats will be able to get along with the bird. I know this may not happen, but I'm going to try it.

My question is that with a bird that young and with 2 cats around, should I ask the breeder to clip his wings before I bring him home? I read elsewhere that their first year was when they learned to fly properly and I don't want to prevent that. OTOH I don't want my new friend to be a happy meal on wings for the cats while they adjust. Can anyone give me some advice?

 

[Parrotmamma]

I would make sure your GCC learns to fly before his first wing clipping . I personally would keep the cats totally separate from the bird . I would be afraid if they see him flying around their basic instincts are gonna kick in and they are gonna want to get him.
I know others have gotten their cats to accept their birds but I personally would not take the chance .
We have cats but they are outside kitties only so it's not a problem here.
Congrats on your new baby : )

 

[Lovelyloribeth]

I agree. We just had an incident with a fellow forum member who's dog I believe got her bird, playfully I assume and she is ok but just I case keep them apart. And if you are going to keep the, together I would not clip them in the event he truly needs to get away. They are smart and will go up high until they can be rescued. Good luck and congrats!

 

[Trina]

I have also heard of people having cats with birds, however, there are 2 things to worry about with cats, their instincts will look at the GCC as a meal or a play thing and even the slightest scratch from the cats claws can cause the bird to get an infection ( Pasteurella bacteria).. birds that get even the smallest scratched for a cat need immediate vet care within hours as this infection can kill your bird quickly.. I also agree with letting him learn to fly then to a basic clip, full clips IMO i dont like the birds drop like rocks and cant even glide for a soft landing

 

[DebsFlock]

I believe many breeders now wait for the young to begin flight before trimming wings and sending them to new homes.

I have cats and birds. It is true that a cat bite or scratch can transmit Pasteurella bacteria which can be quite aggressive in birds. A human bite would be at least as bad, however, to put it in perspective. I disagree that cats are so knee-jerk driven by the instincts that they, like a Saturday Morning Cartoon, look at Tweety and see nothing but a ham steak. They do learn who is a member of the household. Does that mean one can just let them run around together freely? No. But, it's also not as if having a cat in the house is like having a loaded weapon pointed at the bird all the time either.

We do keep our birds trimmed so that we can keep them better localized and we always supervise them when they are out of their cages.

 

[Kjarva]

Thanks for the advice guys. I might wait a bit for him to ensure he can fly before doing anything like wing clipping. Of course I would never leave him and the cats unsupervised, just didn't know if wing clipping was for the best or not

Also, another random question. How did most of you bring your baby back from where you got them? I've ordered a carrier from amazon that may or may not get here in time. Another forum has said that a cardboard box is fine. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Akraya]

My first bird I took home in a box with a towel in it, 2nd was in a tiny cage because that breeder didn't give birds to people with boxes? Both worked fine for me, keep the carrier for vet trips and get a box, make sure its got breathe holes (which will get slowly bigger if your birds anything like mine!)

 

[Grenage]

We bought a cheap small cage for transport (hey, you'll always need a spare). When we took him for a checkup, the Vet recommended a cat carrier, with a perch installed. I imagine a box would be fine, as long as there's something to grip onto.

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Just to add on to what everyone else has stated, if your cat accepts the GCC that's all good and well. The problem is that GCC's think that they are the biggest animal in the kingdom and have a tendency to nip, bite, or pester. I would be seriously concerned that the GCC would nip at the cat and the cat would respond negatively. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to discourage you from getting a GCC. I have two and they are the loves of my life. I just want you to be careful.

 

[Kjarva]

Don't worry, I plan on being very careful! Both my cats are outdoors most of the time, they only really come home to be fed, sleep and get hugs. I'm sure I can make it workable, even if it means that my conure only comes out when I am cat free, or just take him up to another room to play while the cats are about

 

[DebsFlock]

As for bringing him home, a cardboard carrier is fine if the trip is very short. But a GCC beak can get through cardboard pretty quickly, and you will eventually want a decent carrier for outings, vet visits and in case of an emergency need to vacate the house. We have a mixture of small cat carriers and small travel cages meant for birds. it's easy to add a perch to most small cat/dog type carriers.