Closing the distance...without a pet

[Michia]

Ok, so I've changed my avatar to a picture of my sweet cockatiel, "Lil' Buddy". I made the very hard decision to leave him with my parents when I move. My SO has a cat. She's barely a year old, and not spayed.(grrrrrr) I'm scared to even try to have these two animals in the same house. I would be heart-broken if his cat were to harm my bird. I've never had cats before, only dogs and birds. Maybe I'm overreacting, but even my SO said if I were to bring Lil' Buddy with me, he would need to be closed off in a room where the cat couldn't get to him. I just can't shut my happy, vibrant bird up into a room with no company.

Have any of you left a pet behind when you closed the distance? I feel guilty, but leaving Lil' Buddy in Alabama is probably for the best.

[Brieasaurus]

I'm sorry you had to make that choice. I can only imagine how sad it is to have to leave him behind.

I haven't closed the distance or had to leave a pet behind but I just wanted to tell you that I have cats and birds (an African Gray and a yellow headed amazon, so bigger birds) and they all get along fine. The birds stay in a room shared with our dogs (the birds stay in their cages) but the door is open and you can usually find the cats snoozing on top of their cages. Even when we let the birds out to play, the cats don't mess with them. I think it really depends on the cat to be honest and if they have a high hunting instinct. If your SO's cat is lazy like ours then I don't think it would cause too much of an issue between your bird and her (of course with you monitoring both of them when they're together/properly introducing them).

https://community.discovery.com/eve/...8/m/3981942578 and https://www.cockatielcottage.net/cats.html are two websites that talk about cockatiel safety with cats. Of course, you know your bird best. Maybe it's a better choice for him to stay at home where he's not confined because of a cat. A tough choice to make. :/

[Haley53]

I agree with Brieasaurus.

I own cats, dogs, and a rat (used to be rats) and though it took some time and careful introductions between the prey driven cat and the rats, and the prey driven dog and the rats, and though it took time between the prey driven dog, who had never been around cats before, to get used to the cats, we still managed it with no harm done. Though the process does take time and I would never leave my prey animals with my prey driven ones alone (e.g. the rats would never be out of their cage, free roaming, around my sister's cat or either of the dogs), it is doable. It really is a personal decision and up to you whether or not it'd work for you and your bird, but with some careful dedication, it can definitely be done, and both the cat and the bird could learn to at least respect one another, if not get along.

[lucybelle]

It's always sad to leave a pet behind, but you have to think what's best for them.

We had lots of birds growing up and my dog didn't bother them at all. They would land on her and she'd just get up and walk away. But, my mom's current dogs have killed 3 of her chickens no matter how much she yells at them. And I know my dog could never be trained to not hunt. So even though sometimes predator and prey can get along, they can't always. I think you made the right decision leaving Lil Buddy behind. Hopefully you'll learn to love the new kitty. (and get her fixed!)

[DemonxOisin]

On the subject of birds, my two boys who are indoor-outdoor cats, LOVE bringing home birds for us -.- So I wouldn´t be willing to trust them with a bird in the house (though strangely enough, they get along famously with our chickens O.o)

On the topic of leaving pets, I will have to leave my two boys behind when I move I love my cats so much, it´s ridiculous. One of them is always up in my room with me, trying to lie on my head or do other silly things when I´m having a bad day, and I´m going to miss him (well, both of them) so much! I think I´ll have to rent a place with a resident cat, because it will be so weird for me being without them :S I know the new kitty can never replace your Lil Buddy, but maybe you will learn to love her too as another pet? And remember, you will still get to visit him when you go back to see your parents

[princessmeg1328]

That must have been so hard! It always breaks my heart when I have to leave my two dogs to go visit my SO. Even when I had just a fish, it was hard to leave her. I haven't closed the distance yet, but I can understand the feeling. I hope you learn to love the new cat. She can't ever replace Lil' Buddy, but maybe she can help.

[notyourexgirlfriend]

It's sad that you have to leave your bird behind but I think it's a good choice considering the cat.

About the cat though, unless she is a registered purebred and is going to be used for breeding she NEEDS to be speyed (I was a breeder of Burmese cats but life circumstances changing meant I had to put that on hold indefinitely). Cats are not like dogs that can come in and out of season and be perfectly fine. Cats do not release eggs from their ovaries unless they are mated. That means the more the cat comes into season the more eggs build up in the ovaries that cannot be released. This leads to polycystic ovarian syndrome in cats and can also lead to vaginitis as well as uterine infections.

There are medications that can be used to delay estrus in cats but this is only used short term and mostly by breeders to space out litters so the queen isn't being overbred. I really do think you should talk with your SO and encourage him to get the cat speyed ASAP as leaving it will cause more harm than good.

[Michia]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I just spent five days in our house with him and the cat, and she's so sweet! He hadn't even named her yet, so my sister named her "Kitty" for us, lol. I'm feeling better about leaving Lil' Buddy with my dad. He already has a Cockatoo and dogs that are accustomed to being around birds. Dad is also retired and home most of the time. He likes to take the birds outside on the patio, in their cages. when the weather is nice. Lil' Buddy is in good hands!

As for spaying "Kitty", yes....if he hasn't taken her by the time I move down in seven weeks, I'm going to take her myself. I've been on him about it for months.

[notyourexgirlfriend]

I think that's a very wise move to get Kitty speyed if she's not done by the time you get there. I hope it all goes well for you.

[Glassforest]

I'm sorry you had to leave your bird behind. I am making plans to move to Montana and me and my SO have agreed I can bring my two cats but my parents have a dog and my dog has lived at their house because the two dogs are very close and inseparable. The problem is my dog is a standard poodle that requires a lot of grooming which I do since I am a groomer. The dog is pretty much attacked to my dad more than me as well. I know he would be happier with my dad and my dad's dog but I worry about his grooming up keep and missing him.