Kitty problem

[Queen_Bee]

Franny that is an awesome cage. My husband has offered to make a cage for me and I think we'll be using some of your ideas! Just out of curiosity, how many birds do you keep in there? I would like space to keep a pair each of Gouldians, Owl Finches and Cordon Bleus... I can't see us going much bigger than the cage you have. What do you think?

Jacqui

[franny]

Franny that is an awesome cage. My husband has offered to make a cage for me and I think we'll be using some of your ideas! Just out of curiosity, how many birds do you keep in there? I would like space to keep a pair each of Gouldians, Owl Finches and Cordon Bleus... I can't see us going much bigger than the cage you have. What do you think?

Jacqui

I would only put 2 pairs in a cage this size, myself. And only if you are OK with the likelihood that they may not breed successfully. It's fine with my 4 (a pair of gouldians, one society female and one GB female who are a "pair". ) But I don't provide a nest. If I did, I'm afraid they would squabble over it, or try to chase the others away. And then you have to think about how crowded it would get, if they did manage to raise any babies to fledging!

If you really want to breed, then this cage is just right for one pair.

[Rhonda]

We have cats and though 2 have no interest, 1 is overly interested in the birds. We started with a conure years ago and never fully trusting the cats my husband installed a screen door on the bedroom turned birdroom. It works perfectly. The cats can't get in but the birds are visible in their cages and still part of the household. Plus the temp stays regulated right along with the rest of the house. We left the solid door in place so that if the oven needs to be cleaned or something that would produce dangerous fumes is happening, the solid door can be shut and the birds be protected from that as well.

Rhonda

[Lauravdm]

I am glad to hear that their are so many of you with cats and birds, I thought I was being mad bringing birds into a place with my cats....
But my husband and I are putting special cat deterrents to stop them from harassing the birds..... Also to keep my puppy out of the garden, as I quite frequently step in her mess when gardening and I have had it!!!
I am crazy about my animals !!!!

[can]

Hey Laura,

I'm new to the forum, so I maybe a little late in replying. I have three cats and 12 finches, and three things have made our home peaceful and helped me from not worrying. First, I replaced the cages my husband had for the birds with free standing flight cages. The cages are solid enough that our cats can't pull them over, and are also 1.5 ft. off the ground, so our cats have to stand on their hind legs to look into the cages. Which is important, because it means our cats can't position themselves like their going to attack and helps stop the mental processing of "I'm going to catch a bird!" (I would not trust my cats with a wall mounted cage, a cage on a shelf or a hanging cage, because cats are magical creatures and they will find a way, normally when their being very quiet. A light/weak cage can be knocked off a shelf and break open, or have the bottom pulled off by the weight of the cat hanging from it. A knocked over cage can seriously injure birds.)

Second, we separate our cats and birds in the evening and when we're not home. We keep our cages in my husband's office, he works in there almost every evening on his music and it's easy for me to slip in and out with fresh food for them. Every animal deserves to feel safe and not always watched! Another thing is, for our cats my husband and I are their colony, their world! They need constant interaction with us (when their not asleep), more then the birds. When our cats start acting up and getting into things, it's normally because they are bored or are needing more attention. I don't think you can train the bird-impulse out of a cat, they are born hunters. And every animal is more happy when it is in balance with its instincts, for cat that means (hopefully) play-hunting.

Third, time. All of our cats have gotten better with time. Things still get intense with them sometimes, but we can always shut the door, which is less stressful for the cats, birds and us. We also have a bird feeding on our balcony, and most of the time our cats would rather watch the outdoor birds, over the indoor birds.

Candace. (Sorry, for the lateness. I know you have already gotten a lot of responses, just its an issue dear to my heart. It's been my biggest struggle over the past year.)