Can Cats and Birds Live Together? A Guide to Peaceful Coexistence

If you’ve ever watched Looney Tunes, you know that Tweety Bird was perpetually pursued by Sylvester J. Pussycat Sr. In fact, this show was the reason I’ve grown up having it engrained in my head that birds and cats absolutely cannot coexist. Now, there is some truth to this statement. Cats and birds don’t necessarily make the best roommates. I mean, in the wild, birds make a nice little treat for feral cats. However, there is hope if you own a cat and want to add a bird (or birds) to the family, or vice versa. I, personally, have found myself in a cat-bird cohabiting arrangement. Keep reading to find out how cats and birds can successfully live together and even have a peaceful coexistence!

Note: I am not a medical professional, and this article is not to be taken as medical or veterinary advice. Always contact a veterinarian regarding your pet’s health. Additionally, Caitycat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

Understanding the Relationship Between Cats and Birds

Before I get into how best to make a cohabitating situation between your pet cat and bird successful, let’s first understand how cats and birds interact in the wild.

We already know that cats tend to, ahem, invite birds over for dinner from time to time. This is not limited to feral cats. In fact, according to the American Bird Conservancy, predation by domestic cats that are outdoors is the leading direct, human-caused threat to bird in the United States and Canada. Even if a domestic cat is well-fed and cared for, it may still hunt and kill birds. You know how cats love to chase after laser pointers or small, quick moving toys (such as hair ties)? Well, this is because they stimulate their predatory instinct. Of course, some cat breeds may be less predatory than others, but you will be hard-pressed to find a cat that doesn’t have at least some predatory instinct in them.

You might be thinking, well then why would anyone allow cats and birds to live together in their house? Well, sometimes people might just end up in such a situation. For example, maybe they already owned birds but decided to rescue a kitten. They now need to figure out how to make this arrangement work for both the kitten’s and the birds’ sake. It wouldn’t be fair to put either animal in a dangerous situation without preparing ahead of time. So, let’s get into how to make this work!

How to Successfully Have Cats and Birds Live Together

When I first brought home my two zebra finches, I had to consider how my cat Luna would react. I needed a plan for how I was going to ensure the birds’ safety, while also making sure the addition of the birds didn’t stress Luna out too much. How you’re going to prepare the environment in your home is the first thing you should consider before introducing birds to your cats, or vice versa.

Preparing the Environment

First things first: where is the bird cage going to be located? Whether you are bringing home finches, like me, or a bigger bird, you’re going to need a ‘home-base’ that is separate from your cat. Some birds will be in their cages majority of the time, such as finches. Others, like parrots, will need substantial time out of their cage for their health and happiness, according to parrotbliss.com.

It is vitally important to consider where best to place the bird cage so it is away from your cat. In my home, I have a room in my basement where I keep my finches’ cage, as keeping the door closed keeps my cats Luna and Hazel from trying to get to them all day. This helps prevent a Tweety Bird and Sylvester situation from happening!

Ensuring Your Cats and Birds Stay Separate

Now that you’ve figured out where you’re going to keep the bird cage, you need a plan for how to keep your cat out of the room it is in. This can be a real struggle (I can attest to this) because once your cat gets a whiff of the bird, they will keep trying to sneak in. My cat Hazel still manages to squeeze by me when I go to feed my finches. She’s a clever little one!

The best thing you can do to keep your cat from trying to get to your bird(s) is to distract your cat before entering the room with the bird cage. You can accomplish this by planning your cat’s mealtime to be when you go in to visit your bird, for example. This way your cat will be too busy chowing down on their yummy dinner to even think twice about following you in. Make sure you close the door behind you, and always check the room when you go to leave just in case kitty managed to get in and hide!

Watching for Signs of Stress

Even if you successfully keep your birds and cats separate, they may still sense each other. This is especially true for your cat, since birds tend to be very vocal throughout the day. Therefore, it’s important that you watch for signs of stress in both your cat and bird.

PetMD outlines key signs of stress in cats, some of which include increased vocalizations, excessive grooming, and urinating outside their litter box. In birds, signs of stress can be excessive plucking of feathers, trembling, crouching, appetite changes, and others, according to Avian Bliss.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s best to consult a veternarian to determine how to reduce stress in your pets. It might be as simple as making a few tweaks to your home environment. Other times, a hard decision may have to be made regarding if your home is the best place to house both cats and birds simultaneously.

Should You Ever Introduce Your Cat to Your Bird?

While it’s clear that cats and birds need to be kept separate, you might be wondering if you should ever briefly introduce your bird to your cat while under supervision. The short answer is, no, you should not.

The best thing to do is to not ever let your cat and bird get face to face. Of course, this is sometimes unavoidable if your cat manages to get into your bird room (as sometimes happens in my home). However, you should ensure this does not become a regular occurrence, and you should definitely never voluntarily bring them together. This just causes undue stress, moreso on the birds since they are the prey in this scenario.

In Conclusion

While it can be a bit of a challenge, it is certainly possible to have a successful cohabitating arrangement between cats and birds. Ensuring your bird cage is in a separate space that your cat can’t get to is crucial. Keep an eye out for signs of stress in either of your pets, and contact a veternarian if you notice any. With these things in mind, cats and birds can live together peacefully. It doesn’t always have to be a Tweety Bird-Sylvester drama!

Additional Resources

If you’re looking for a bird cage for smaller birds, such as canaries or finches, I highly recommend this one from Amazon: https://amzn.to/43txRIC. It has plenty of horizontal space for your birds to fly back and forth, and it comes with a divider for the middle if you ever need to separate them for any reason. It also has a shelf underneath which is perfect for storing your bird supplies, such as a food and toys.

Additionally, if your cat is skilled at opening doors and you are worried about them getting into your bird room, door handle locks are your friend. You can get childproof (and thus pet-proof) door handle locks such as these on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZbYwXJ.

Quick Recap

✔️ Cats and birds have a predator-prey relationship in the wild ✔️ If you will be keeping both cats and birds as pets in your home, keeping them separate is key ✔️ Ideally, you will have a separate room for your birds with a door that closes ✔️ It is not a good idea to introduce your cats and birds to each other ✔️ It is important to watch for signs of stress in your cats and birds, and contact a veternarian if needed

Did you find this article helpful? Let me know in the comments!

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