Is it okay to get birds if there's a cat in the house?

Hi and welcome to the forums,

Good to see you're doing some research before just diving in and getting birds

To answer your question, the above posters are absolutely correct. As Cody mentioned, even if the cat wasn't hostile towards the birds at all, even the presence of a predator is enough to cause stress to budgies. Many members have cats on the forums but the best way to do that is to keep the budgies in a room where the cat is NEVER allowed. This is for not only the budgies's safety but additionally prevents the stress of having a predator around, even in the off chance that the cat doesn't initially seem too fussed about them.

So no, there's not really any way to "test" if a cat is hostile or not, since many cats will instinctually act a certain way around live birds that they won't in other situations. Additionally, even if for some reason you could determine that they aren't hostile towards the birds, as I mentioned, the stress on the budgies from being able to see and fear a cat is totally preventable and unnecessary.

Therefore, if you do get a cat, please make sure to never let the cat in the same room as the budgies and ensure the budgies are in their own cat-proof room

krystof.chabrik said:

You actually were nice about it, thank you tho. Can I ask, is there a way to test if the cat would be hostile towards the birds? (obviously other then getting the birds). Cause like, I would just love to get the birds, and I think they would be happy and content in my home, if it wasn't for the cat.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't call a cat going after a bird to be hostile behavior. It's simply cat behavior. For this reason, a cat should never be punished for going after a bird. It's a cat being a cat. It's deeply impeded in their DNA. It would be like punishing someone for having curly hair. As was mentioned, having a cat (or dog) in the same room will stress the bird. A predator will stare intently at its prey. They can't help it. That's how they hunt. This sets off an instinctive fight or flight response. Incidentally, this is why when we look at our birds we blink slowly or shift our gaze away from them. Staring at our birds like that causes them to see us as a predator.

A mixed spieces household is possible, but as StarlingWings said, they should be in a room in which the cat is never, ever allowed in... even for a second! Also if the cat punctures a bird with a tooth or claw it can be deadly. You more than likely won't see a puncture wound as it would be masked by the feathers. Actually, puncture wounds are the most dangerous of all. A cut or laceration will bleed and and in effect wash away some of the contaminants. A puncture, will constrict at the surface of the skin retaining any pathogens that happen to be present within the body. It can be done but takes a HUGE amount of attentiveness on our part. My room mate has two cats. When I leave the room for more than a minute I latch the hook and eye lock that's installed about two feet from the floor. The lock at this height makes it harder for the cat to possibly push the lower part of the door open.

Two cats live in my house. They are never allowed in my room where my LoVey is. She does not seem to be effected by the cats being on the other side of the door. During free flight time, always keep the door locked on the inside. As Cody mentioned, other family members need to be aware of the rules, and if they want or need to enter the birds room they need to accept that you will, under no circumstances, open the door until birdy is safe in the cage. I will add that when you have a mixed spieces household, allowing your bird to be fully flighted (meaning not clipping the flight feathers), gives them a better chance should a face to face encounter with the cat take place. Being fully flighted allows them to escape to a location that is hopefully out of a cats reach. Another thing to bear in mind is the unique personality of the bird. My LoVey for example is very curious and to brave for her own good. I could imagine her thinking she could beat a cat in a fight. If your cat goes outdoors make sure you wash your hands and if the cat gets near your clothing change them before touching your bird or anything its in contact with, such as food dishes or toys etc. You never know what types of diseases might be picked up. This is something you should do even if there are no other animals in the home! One last thing to think about... Tragedies like a cat killing a bird only happen to other people; but to the rest of the world we are other people! Vigilance is key!

My advice may be less practical and a little more realistic than some of the others but I would never trust any other cat but the one I've raised and loved her whole life which is my elderly 15 year old, Beep Beep. She was raised with and around rats for 10 years of her life so she's very desensitized to prey species movement, doesn’t even glance their way when she's on the way to the litterbox across the house! She sleeps 80% of the day and really only eats early in the morning before the birds are up and after they are already covered for the evening. If she's not eating or sleeping, she's in my lap getting pet. I'd also like to note that I'm a stay at home wife so I am always watching the birds during the day. If there's ever a reason I need to leave for more than a few hours I will make my plans for as close to birdie bed time as possible or the birds are put to bed early just for that day as I'm unable to keep a seperate room (like you absolutely should if you are planning to keep both prey and predator as pets). I think as long as you keep your animals separated as mentioned and stay vigilant with a healthy dose of common sense and the perspective of your prey pet in mind, it's very possible but it also comes with great risk. Risk you will have to assume responsibility for if something should happen. The easiest way to avoid that danger is to not create the situation it can thrive in. Just my two cents.

Please read the information in the first link below:
Cats and Dogs are Predators - Birds are Prey

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being
Locating an Avian Veterinarian

A Healthy Diet for your Budgie
Quality Seed Mix
CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses
Safe Foods for Budgies
The Truth about GRIT

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Additionally, please be sure to read the thread "Posting on the Forums" which is linked below.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

SITE GUIDELINES
Posting on the Forums
Let's Talk Budgies!
FAQ
Articles
Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense
Avian First Aid
Quarantine - Is it Really that Important?
Quarantine Your Birds
A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
Tips For Discouraging Breeding
Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies
Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads
Cage sizes.
Essentials to a Great Cage
Dangers to Pet Birds
Resource Directory