Should we get a cat? How do we keep the birds safe?

[❤ Rosette ❤]

We've been having rodent problems recently - just this summer we had a terrible rat infestation in a wood pile at the back corner of our yard. The neighbors had literally dozens and dozens of poultry and other birds crammed onto a half-acre lot, which allowed for an awful bloom in rat population. It was awful!

Now we're having vole/mole issues in the yard. Earlier in the spring we had a mouse come in and steal the birds' food off of the floor and make a hoard and a nest in the toy-bin.

We're not necessarily looking for a cat to kill all rodents and small birds within a quarter-mile radius. Quite the opposite, actually, I hate seeing animals die unnecessarily. Songbirds and finches especially. But I think having a feline roaming around would definitely inspire any critters to pack up and move out of our yard


So here's the thing! We don't want having a cat to interfere with our ownership of our four birds. They are our priority. We don't want to cause them any unnecessary stress or, God forbid, cause them any harm.
However, it would be nice to have a kitty around. We haven't had one in ages, and we recently just lost our dog over the summer. We'd love to have a furry friend again.

If we get a cat, it'll live partly outside and partly inside. We'll have a large kennel complete with litterbox, bed, and food/water bowls for him/her to stay in at night or whenever it's rainy or cold. We'll be able to let him or her hang out around the living room (where the birds are, but they'll be locked in their cages) during some evenings, totally supervised by at least one person.
As of right now, there are no other cats in the neighborhood, and nobody lets their dogs run lose on a regular basis. (Except for two tiny chihuahuas which sometime patrol the street and bark at people, but they're so small and such total weenies that they would never harass a cat.)
The cat will be neutered/spayed, microchipped, and will have a reflective stretchy collar complete with identification.

Every single door on each of the birdcages will be locked, some of them twice. Two of our cages are big sturdy ones sitting high atop a stand - a cat wouldn't be able to knock it down. The parakeet cages are a tad flimsier but are sitting on top of a table 3-4 feet from the ground.
The cat's kennel would be in the kitchen, away from the view of the birds.

Opinions? Would we be jeopardizing our birds' safety? Does anyone else have stories about having cats and birds, or maybe just some success tips? Is anything unethical about our plan?
Thanks!

 

[sunnysmom]

I know there are members here who successfully manage cats and birds. I personally couldn't do it. We found the nicest stray cat a few years ago (or he found us) and both my fiancé and I loved him. But we decided there was no way we could keep him in the house with our cockatiel since our tiel spent the majority of his time out of the cage. So we took him to a rescue where he was quickly adopted because he was just so nice. As for cats and rodents.... I have 2 feral cats that I feed outside. They semi-live on our back porch. I have a squirrel that regularly hangs out. The cats leave him alone. I came home to a skunk on my porch 2 weeks ago. The cats left him alone. I came home to a raccoon on my porch this weekend and the cats WERE SITTING BESIDE HIM. I know these aren't rodents but clearly not all cats are interested in keeping animals away. And sadly we have had members who have had tragedies with their birds/cats. You just have to be super cautious and diligent. It would be too stressful for me.

 

[saroj12]

Don’t

 

[Mizzely]

I've had cats for 17 years and it's never detered mice or rats. And, mine never kill them when they find them!

It's not impossible but you just have to be careful and then more careful. Cats can kill birds through the cage bars, or knock over cages and get to them that way. 3 to 4 feet is not a deterrent, but a welcomed height for most cats. I've seen one of mine swat a bat mid air in a room with an 8 foot ceiling when she was younger!

I'm very fortunate that I've never had an issue. Mine are also older now and indoor only but I never trust them. They spend their days sleeping in the bedroom while my bird is out. Cats Allowed outside tend to be more of a risk to pet birds simply because they work on those hunter skills more and are overall more athletic.

A male pet mouse or a set of pet male rats would be more of a deterrent since both are territorial and rats are a natural predator for mice, but rats are also a predator of birds. But even the best deterrent won't stop mice completely. Removing the food source and points of entry into the home are going to always be the best bet

 

[Mizzely]

Also, indoor cats tend to live much longer, to their late teens or early twenties. Cats let outside live an average of two to five years.

 

[Farlie]

You will hear different opinions but remember this... cats are a birds enemy, period. Turn your back for a second and disaster could reign.
It's not a good idea. Don't do it.

 

[tka]

In addition to what everyone else has said, cats won't avoid killing songbirds or finches because you don't want them to. I've known some cats to develop hunting preferences; some cats prefer hunting birds and will ignore rodents entirely.

When I lived with cats, they regularly brought in live mice which they wouldn't kill - there would then be a mouse running around the house and doing all sorts of unwanted mouse-y things. This is, I imagine, the exact opposite of what you want!

There are things you can do to make your home more unfriendly to the mice and rats. Block up any holes with wire wool, even really little holes. Mice can squeeze through surprisingly tiny holes! I would also remove the woodpile and think about how you can store your wood in a way that doesn't invite rats to set up home. Thinking about how you deal with your rubbish is also important, especially if you compost food waste.

 

[soleaux]

If you do end up getting a cat, don’t let it outside. Outdoor cats are detrimental to the wildlife and fauna, not to mention indoor cats are healthier and live longer.

Echoing others, however, to say that I wouldn’t risk it at all. I would try traps first if the rodent control is the main motivation for getting a cat.

 

[Brittany0208]

Having an indoor-only cat and a bird at the same time, I can say that the paranoia is always there. My cat isn't old and she's very much a biter, so I have to have eyes in the back of my head and triple-check everything to make sure Java is safe from her. There is now a second cat in the house, which has upped my anxiety, but I can't do anything about it. The truth of the matter is: it's possible for the two to co-exist but it's not something I will make a habit of doing. Once my cat passes on, I have decided not to have anymore cats as long as I have a bird. It's very hard for me to accept this since I've had cats since I was an infant, and I love cats dearly.
So, to answer your question, it can be done, but it's playing with fire.

 

[Distaff]

I've had cats for 17 years and it's never detered mice or rats. And, mine never kill them when they find them!


....
A male pet mouse or a set of pet male rats would be more of a deterrent since both are territorial and rats are a natural predator for mice, but rats are also a predator of birds. But even the best deterrent won't stop mice completely. Removing the food source and points of entry into the home are going to always be the best bet

Mizzely, I wish!
I keep ten rats in three separate cages in our bird room, and we still have mice chewing through the adobe wall to get into that room. The bird feed is always put up in the evening, and I bait traps constantly. I keep the place clean and vacuumed. So gross! Maybe I should start breeding mice in cages too, they are more stinky. Sometimes I think I would have better luck removing the traps, wheel out the bird cages, and letting the Sonoran Gopher snake cruise in there for a few nights.

 

[Mizzely]

Mizzely, I wish!
I keep ten rats in three separate cages in our bird room, and we still have mice chewing through the adobe wall to get into that room. The bird feed is always put up in the evening, and I bait traps constantly. I keep the place clean and vacuumed. So gross! Maybe I should start breeding mice in cages too, they are more stinky. Sometimes I think I would have better luck removing the traps, wheel out the bird cages, and letting the Sonoran Gopher snake cruise in there for a few nights.

The reward is worth the risk for them, clearly!

The thing about deterrents is that they don't work a lot of the time

 

[Birdbabe]

I'm sorry,,I'm honest,,NO! Find another alternative to rid yourself of the rodents ,,humane is best, but then if that dosent work..well you know..rodents can carry hantavirus in theyre feces..not good for anyone. Some cats are " mousers, some are not "

 

[keikoasmom]

I know there are members here who successfully manage cats and birds. I personally couldn't do it. We found the nicest stray cat a few years ago (or he found us) and both my fiancé and I loved him. But we decided there was no way we could keep him in the house with our cockatiel since our tiel spent the majority of his time out of the cage. So we took him to a rescue where he was quickly adopted because he was just so nice. As for cats and rodents.... I have 2 feral cats that I feed outside. They semi-live on our back porch. I have a squirrel that regularly hangs out. The cats leave him alone. I came home to a skunk on my porch 2 weeks ago. The cats left him alone. I came home to a raccoon on my porch this weekend and the cats WERE SITTING BESIDE HIM. I know these aren't rodents but clearly not all cats are interested in keeping animals away. And sadly we have had members who have had tragedies with their birds/cats. You just have to be super cautious and diligent. It would be too stressful for me.

I've had cats since I was about 7. That said, when I was an adult, I got a cat before my oldest son was 2, so I feel like I'm a little bit of a expert. Most cats love to play, and their play is practice for catching prey, ie, food.
Cat lovers love to play with their cats, because they're funny when they're chasing toys. But any bird smaller than an Amazon or African grey is in danger.

When I was a kid, we had parakeets. Sooner or later someone forgot to put the bird back in the cage and although the bird deaths weren't all cat related, enough for that I decided not to combine cats and birds. I love cats and we've always had two to four.

We got Keikoa, who is a blue front Amazon, about 15 years ago. We had two cats. We got Bubo ( means owl) (Goffin) about a month later. The cats were only marginally interested because the birds are so loud and one cat got her tail bit when Bubo climbed up on the bed where she was sleeping.
In general, we never leave the birds where the cats could possibly get to them. They are not free flight, although they are free to climb around on their cages all day, but I close the door to the bird room when we are gone. We now have two Amazons and two cockatoos and one macaw. They are terrified of the macaw, and the yellow nape, who is large for her species.
She is over 30, and doesn't go far, but even our new kitten (14 months old) has no interest in messing with her.
Anything that flutters, or walks slowly on the floor, or bounces around or hops, or flies causes an instinctive response in a cat.
If you think that you can keep your birds locked up around the cats, or your birds are big enough that they scare the cats, you should be fine.
On the other hand, if you have never had a cat and don't understand their behavior and quirks, it's probably not a good idea to get one unless you have large birds and are dedicated to learning how cats behave and what they need, and are committed to both cats and birds.

 

[Donna turner]

This forum has a number of people who have cats and have so far kept them from their birds. This forum also has had a bunch of sad people who thought they had it handled and their cat killed their bird. Don't do it

 

[nu2birds]

I have to say "no" as well. It's just not a good idea. First off not all cats are that good at mousing or even care. And MOST cats will want to get to the birds and they will be patient and they will lie in wait for you to make that one fatal slip up mistake and they will get the birds. It will be fast and it will be over before you even know what happened. Sorry, just being honest.

 

[Sylvester]

If you want a cat than I think you should get one. I have had cats, rodents, dogs, and birds, all living under the same roof when I was growing up, and there were no problems. In fact, one of my dogs was more of an issue because he would snap in the air at my parakeet who would come out for exercise.

It already sounds like you will be a responsible cat owner with wanting to get her/him fixed, micro-chipped, and collared. You have scoped out the neighborhood and have stated that your birds safety will be your first priority, all which tells me that you are not approaching this decision lightly or haphazardly.

You keep them safe by keeping them separated.

And cats can be a great determent for not only mice, but snakes as well. And they make the purrrrrrrrrrrrfect companion.

 

[hrafn]

I have to agree with the others; it may not be worth the risk. Outdoor cats are put in danger, are a danger themselves to local fauna, are a risk even to caged birds, and may not even deter the mice. Mice are ballsy little things!

Traps, blocking access indoors, and keeping food well secured are probably your best bets for reigning in a rodent problem.

Best of luck!

 

[Sylvester]

Rosetta, you are an intelligent person with common sense, so I know you can make this work.

Of course cats deter mice, that is what they have been doing for thousands of years. I don't know the size of your birds but if they are small just keep them separated. A good friend, who is also a member, has multiple cats and birds and had the same concerns you are expressing, but she had made it work.

Your future feline might not even be interest in your birds,so use your own judgement.

Life is too short, if you want a kitty cat, get one. They are great animals.

 

[Donna turner]

How soon we forget. You know who you are

 

[Sylvester]

This forum has a number of people who have cats and have so far kept them from their birds. This forum also has had a bunch of sad people who thought they had it handled and their cat killed their bird. Don't do it

I have read those tales too, and yes, they were indeed, sad. But I also noticed that there were significant differences in their situations compared to the OP's.

The OP is talking about having just one cat who will be an indoor/outdoor cat as oppose to five indoor cats. Combine that detail with the fact that Two people will "handle" the situation, as oppose to just one.

But you are right, they were SAD tales and that is why we must never, ever, exploit them. As I always say, not all cats are the same,... nor are all situations.

Have a nice day, Donna.