Kitty problem

[desertrain]

I'm new to birds and I've recently acquired two zebra finches. I also have two rats and two cats. I have always had cats. The cats don't bother the rats, BUT my kitten is completely fascinated with the birds! I am aggravated by the fact that my kitten keeps jumping up and hanging on the side of the bird cage. Sometimes she will even manage to climb on top of it, before I discover her. I'm sure that the birds don't like it much, either.

I have a nice cage that keeps the messy seeds inside of the cage, but it does not hang. I really don't want to buy a new cage. I don't have anywhere higher to place the cage, outside of the kitchen. Yesterday, I brushed some vegetable oil on the bars outside of the cage to see if that would make it slippery and too difficult for the cat to hang on the cage, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to her. She hangs on like a champ.

Aside from keeping the birds in a bedroom with the doors closed, I haven't any other ideas. Perhaps someone has a suggestion?

[B CAMP]

Well I don't have any idea how to keep a cat from wanting to eat a bird thats natural instincts you have to keep the two separate or eventually the cat will win or make the birds very unhappy

[cindy]

Cats of course are delighted to watch little birds, lizards, fish for hours.

You can try this, a spray bottle, when she shows the slightest interest in the birds do not give her any warning but spray a hard stream at her telling her a firm "no". The only issue with this is it is not effective when you are not home. When you aren't home you may need to confine her to another room during that time, as well as at night. You need to be consistant. Cats are stubborn, sounds like she using her natural instincts. You may want to consider mounting the cage higher on the wall.

Cats are clever and can be taught to leave your birds alone. My cats used to sit in my lap while I fed lovebirds out and allowed them to climb on my shoulders. If a finch got out they left it alone and stayed down while I caught it.

I would avoid the vegetable oil on the bars, it can turn rancid over time and might not be good for the birds. I would clean the bars off well.

Is your kitten declawed?

[desertrain]

Hi Cindy

No, she is not declawed. I can't bring myself to do that.

The spray bottle might work. Right now, if I catch her, I run toward her, clapping my hands and shouting "No!" - I'm sure the birds don't like this any more than the darned cat climbing their cage.

Every time I leave the house, I put the cage in a bedroom with the door closed, because it's easier than rounding up the cats. And at bedtime, I do herd the cats into their own bedroom, although the older cat does not care for the kitten very much (she's too playful for his tastes).

I will probably end up going to Home Depot to find some sort of shelving to install. I love having those finches around, and I don't want to have them be stressed out by the kitten, or anything else for that matter. It sounds like people can have birds AND cats simultaneously, co-existing peacefully, I'll just have to figure out how to do it.

Thanks!

[lovemyfinch]

Sounds like you are off to a good start to the kitty problem I have just one word of warning. Our kitty now 1 year old still has to be locked down at night. You know the old saying when the cat is away the mice will play. Well...due to the fact that they play at night, if they can find access, they will use it.

[cindy]

The reason I asked about declawing was that if the cat climbs the cage, the nails may be helping her hold on. Try trimming them, just tipping them to take the points off them, making it difficult for her to climb the bars or hang onto the side. It will also be safer for any startled bird that gets to close.

Mounting your cage might be the best solution. Try the spray bottle or get a really big super soaker...just kidding! You can also try a can with coins in it, if you catch her ready to jump, toss the can gently next to her, the noise and can may startle her and distract her from her actions. She might not like it much, try this with caution especially near the cage...the birds might startle also. This also works for dogs that bark a lot. I did this with ours now all I have to do is lift the can or say "I'm going to get the can" and my littlest dog comes and sits next to me putting her head down, as quiet as a mouse.

Years ago I could trust my cats in a closed bedroom (studio room) with my finches and lovebirds. My sister's cats got in once and knocked the cage over, I walked in to find her cats jumping around chasing my finches, my cats curled up on the bed and were just watching.

[JezeKat]

i have 3 cats with my birds. They all used to LOVE my birds...
they would try and get on the cage sit by the cage and all sorts of things.

after being water hit smacked and bean caned (you shake a jar with beans or coins the cats dont like the loud noise i do not hit my cats with it lol) they got bored i guess they just leave them alone.

two of the 3 would love to get their hands on them if they ever got out. but the 3rd just watches them and their crazy mom try and catch them..

we do have the cage on a clasp hook that's on the wall just in case one of them gets a crazy idea...

[cindy]

I think with you "discouraging" her and time she will out grow it.

Good Luck, keep us posted.

[franny]

My cages have always been sturdy home made cages. Big enough and sturdy enough that my cat could actually climb up the side of the cage and lay on the top of it! (It was made from 1/2 inch hardware cloth.)

My societies actually raised babies with my cat watching from above.
But as she got older and fatter, she quit climbing the cage.

My current cat is 14 and she sits on the back of a chair in front of the cage and watches the birds a lot, but no longer has the energy to try to climb it.

If I were you, I'd be sure to use twist ties to make sure all doors are secure, and somehow secure the cage so that it can't be knocked down. Other than that, the squirt bottle, and time, should make the cat lose interest. Good luck.

[Ursula]

I think you're doing the right thing by putting the cage in another room!

I lost a canary who was in a cage mounted on the wall (about 4-5 feet up!) because for once the door to the room that the cage was in wasn't closed and our cat jumped up and managed to insure the bird through the cage bars. The canary died in my hands a few hours later and ever since then I am a firm believer in the rule that cats and birds don't mix! If the cat likes to watch fish, so be it, as long as you have a cover on the tank nothing can happen. But cage bars are only so narrow and as long as you don't have an acrylic cage I would never, ever - at any time - leave a cat with the cage in the room, no matter how high the cage might be mounted on a shelf or a wall, or even the ceiling...

You can't blame the cat, she's just doing what's natural. And it also depends on the cat's nature and instincts. Ours couldn't care less about the hamster that my daughter had, but she was an absolute bird hunter all her life.

[franny]

... But cage bars are only so narrow and as long as you don't have an acrylic cage I would never, ever - at any time - leave a cat with the cage in the room, no matter how high the cage might be mounted on a shelf or a wall, or even the ceiling...

This is why I make my cages with hardware clothe and not bars. There's no way a cat can get their paws, or claws through a 1/2 inch or 3/8 inch square. With bars, they can squeeze their paws through, as with some cages the bars will spread.

[Ursula]

That's a good idea, Franny!

However, cats still could freak and stress birds unnecessarily. Of course that depends on the bird's temperament too...

[the.puppeteer]

Here are some home-made cat repellents you can try for near/around the cage: http://www.ehow.com/how_4546406_make-ho ... llent.html

There are also the motion-activated spray things to keep animals out of gardens, you can try pointing one at an angle from the bird cage so when kitty gets too close she gets squirted even if no one is around. http://www.amazon.com/Havahart-5265-Spr ... B000BO71NY You'll have to be creative to set one up in your kitchen (duct tape? lol).

Good luck.
-Julie

[franny]

Don't give up. I've had birds and cats for many years, and living in a very small one bedroom apartment, had no way to separate them long term. The only choice was the living room. So I made a cage that worked. I've never lost a bird to a cat, yet, knock on wood!

Cats and birds can live relatively peacefully together. If you have to, then get a bigger, better cage, or make one like I did. Here's the link:

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3356

[desertrain]

Franny, that is a really nice cage you have made! I wish I was handy enough to construct a cage that nice.

The automatic sprayer is an option that I might try, as well as the home made cat repellent. Those are great ideas!

I would really like to thank everyone for their input.