This post is intended to inform, not attack or criticize.
I’ve seen many “cute” videos of cats interacting with birds, and have heard of many people saying “my cat caught a bird but it was okay and I released it/it got away”. These situations are way more dangerous to the bird than they might appear! I have a very sweet kitty, and she really wants to mother my birds. I also have a parrot that really would love to groom my cat. I never allow them these interactions, even though I believe they would not harm each other. Why not?
It is very important to remember that 90% or more of domestic cats (which as a species includes feral cats too) carry the Pasteurella bacteria
in their saliva. Dogs can carry and transfer this bacteria too, but
with much less frequency than cats. Small predators such as raccoons can
also carry this bacteria. Cats are known to carry this bacteria under their claws as well.
Why is this important?
The Pasteurella bacteria, once
transferred to the body of a small animal (especially birds) usually multiplies
rapidly. It can become systemic quite quickly (cause a serious infection),
and for some birds is known to be commonly fatal (approximately 50-60% of the time according to the sources I located)
unless a course of antibiotics is administered quickly (within 24
hours).
A LARGE bird might be able to fight
off this infection if they are otherwise healthy, but it can quckly cause
serious problems for smaller birds, babies/fledglings, and birds with weakened
immune systems. That said, even healthy, adult birds can succumb!!
In this way, a small puncture from cat’s teeth or a scratch can be
quite harmful indeed. For some birds it can be fatal, even if the
scratch or bite is superficial and is not in itself a bad injury. If the bird and cat are friendly with each other and demonstrate play or even simple grooming (running of fur through the beak, or licking or nosing by the cat), the bird may also ingest this bacteria and be susceptible to infection.
Cats are especially deadly predators to small animals (especially wild
birds), which often perish within two or three days of escaping a cat’s
attack, even if the cat did not injure it fatally or “only” had it in its mouth and didn’t even bite at all.
Given this knowledge, it is important to monitor any birds that have
been attacked, groomed by, or played with by a cat, or dog.
*WARNING* Some links contain images of animal injury (intended to educate).
[…] “Even birds with trivial wounds caused by cats must be classified as emergency patients. The risk of an infection after a cat bite is about 56%.”
Dosage of antibiotics depends on the weight of your bird; always consult with a local vet (or, with wild birds, your local wildlife rehabilitator). Please do not administer antibiotics on a whim or without vet consult, but at the same time, if you fear for your bird, please take it seriously.
As always, I am not a veterinarian and you should always consider the advice of a trained avian veterinarian over mine!!
“BUT I HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN AND MY BIRD IS FINE GEEZ DON’T SCAREMONGER, ETC” That’s great news, friend! I’m glad your bird is okay. I just wanted to share this info because a lot of people don’t seem to know it and are taking unnecessary risks with their birds. You’re lucky, but it’s up to you if you want to continue to press your luck. It’s not worth it, to me. I can tell you that at every show I do, I have countless interactions with people (once they realize I love birds) that feel the need tell me how their pet birds have needlessly perished in totally preventable ways (why do people do this, it’s distressing!) and the #2 reason after “it flew away” was a pet cat or dog. Just sayin’, my dudes. “But does this mean I can’t have multiple species in my house?” Nah, it’s totally possible to have a house full of animals and not have problems, but only if you inform yourself on stuff like this and just be smart and thoughtful about keeping interactions safe. In this case, simply don’t let your predatory mammalian pets physically interact with birds. Pretty straightforward! If you are experiencing trouble keeping them from touching, please do some research on training, desensitization, and evaluate your pet’s spaces carefully to mitigate it.
“By the way” Our dirty saliva isn’t good for birds either (not as bad as a cat’s, but not great either) so please refrain from giving them actual kisses with your human lips, or letting birds do things like pick your teeth or climb into your mouth (I’m looking at you, caiques). Instead, blow them a sweet little kiss and give them lovely head scratches, aw yeah.
“TL;DR” Even if you have the most friendly cat/dog in the universe that would never harm your bird, their saliva can seriously sicken or kill your bird (or a wild bird) accidentally.
Here’s a list of things nobody told me before I got my bird. You’re welcome to fact check and add your own experiences! I hope this helps someone!
Possibly disturbing images of animal neglect below.
NEVER get a pet bird who lives alone a mirror for their cage. They can choose their own reflection as a mate, which needless to say isn’t healthy and can be extremely sexually frustrating. It’s much healthier to get even small birds foraging toys to entertain them.
BAD!
GOOD!
ALL birds need lots of social interaction if they’re going to remain mentally healthy! This is especially important for birds that live in large groups in the wild like cockatoos, finches, and parakeets, but also true for “loner” birds like Senegals and African Greys. Without the proper social interactions (hours a day with people or other birds) birds can get bored and pick up destructive habits like feather pulling, biting, and screaming, and even develop mental illnesses like depression or anxiety. Yes, even parakeets.
Feather pulling removes a bird’s main way of staying warm, which can lead to life threatening things like hypothermia.
Parrot’s body temperatures are around 103 degrees Fahrenheit, much higher than humans, and largely thermoregulate through their feet. Because of that and their small body size, they can get hyper or hypothermia fairly easily when compared to humans. In hot months it’s important to provide them with a shallow dish of water they can cool off in, and in cold months, a heating pad or perch they can sit on to keep warm. Parrots do best in a stable, relatively warm environment; while they can take slight changes, drastic changes in temperature can be very detrimental. Non-tropical/arid birds are a bit different from what I hear, so can’t really talk about them.
Parrot beaks constantly grow, so it’s important to provide lots of chewing fodder (I like to call them sacrifices) for your parrot to chew on or get their beaks trimmed by a professional.
These can be hard calcium treats, wood, and other natural materials. Some can be plastic but I wouldn’t recommend those as they can be swallowed and impede digestion or become a choking hazard.
Birds are prey animals! They’re typically very nervous because they’ve been hardwired for centuries to be on the lookout for things that want to eat them. They’ll get nervous around new things, strange noises, and new people. They can learn to overcome some fears by careful desensitization, lots of social interaction, and a calm, careful owner. It’s VERY important to keep them away from predatory animals (dogs, cats, etc.), as it can cause unnecessary stress on the animals. If they absolutely have to interact, do so in a controlled environment and with one or both in separate carriers, cages, or pens. Know your animals, pay careful attention to their body language, and be prepared to step in if either looks stressed or aggressive.
My parrot Apollo meeting my friend’s cat, the right way.
Just like humans, birds have dietary needs that must be met if they’re to remain healthy. A few of the most important are Vitamin D (sunlight!), calcium (especially important in hens), and protein (required to grow healthy beaks, claws, and feathers). The easiest ways to take care of the first two is to provide your bird with lots of sunlight (direct or indirect depends on the bird) and a constant supply of cuttlebones or calcium treats. There are several different diet plans out there for all kinds of birds, but all agree that birds CANNOT live off nothing but seeds. This can cause fatty liver disease and early death, even in otherwise healthy birds. All parrots are usually fed a diet of pellets, fruits, and vegetables, but the ratios really depend on who you ask.
Here’s a few food pyramids for parrots:
Birds absolutely CANNOT be fed:
Avocados
Caffeine
Chocolate
Any greasy, salty chips/popcorn or any processed “human food”
Dairy
Alcohol (I shouldn’t have to say this)
Apple seeds
Feel free to add on
Before you feed your bird ANYTHING, please look it up and make sure it’s safe!
this bird imitating r2d2 is the cutest thing ive ever seen
What a nerd
He’s even the right colors.
do you realize this bird is a fan of R2D2. this bird heard R2D2′s sounds & decided it sounded like something that should be imitated. this bird is a star wars fan and made the choice to do a bird equivalent of cosplay
today's bird 