Opinions please on kitty.

[lndscpsam]

I'm kind of in a quarry as what to do. I have birds and one in particular, a green cheek conure, has had more than a few close calls with Pandora, my manx mix kitty. Now Pandora has a tremendously high hunting instinct unlike my Persian. I almost found Pandora a home once before because of this. She had killed one of my canaries. I'm really torn between finding her a new home or not. Deep down I knew I should have stuck to persians because of their more sedate personality. Pandora has sooo much personality though. My teenage sons friends love to play with her. I have a couple people that said they would give her a good home if I do decide to give her up. The friend of mine who bred my persian Sluggo is willing to take Pandora as a house kitty and would give me a persian kitten in return. I just need some opinions here on what you guys would do. I'm very fond of Pandora, but I'm really concerned for my birds!

 

[mercymanic]

What a heartbreaking decision. There are a lot of factors to take into account here. How bonded with your family is Pandora? Could she adjust to such a switch? Are there ways in which you could keep her completely seperate from your birds?

A kittens breed doesn't always mean it's level of hunting instinct is predictable. I've seen purebreds who were excellent hunters. A kitten raised around birds is less likely to try and snack on them, but playing could still get out of hand fairly easily.

I hope a solution that works well for everyone presents itself.

 

[lndscpsam]

What a heartbreaking decision. There are a lot of factors to take into account here. How bonded with your family is Pandora? Could she adjust to such a switch? Are there ways in which you could keep her completely seperate from your birds?

I love Pandora, hubby hates her. Kids play with her, but don't care too much about her. She's MY cat. Pandora has a very HIGH hunting instinct. I've seen it in action. She's always trying to run out the door to get outside and she spends countless hours watching the birds at the feeder from the windows. And she's always trying to scale my bird cages. She'll climb my legs to get to my conure sitting on my shoulder. She's obsessed. I just fear for my birds. Hubby told me recently he had a dream she killed my conure, Chico

 

[sharky]

I know some cats live with birds easy most dont... do you birds have a room of there own>?? can they??? that is the safest way...pss I have no experience since I am highly allergic to birds... but I know friends that have lived with birds and cat s and best thing is birds getting there own room..

 

[lndscpsam]

Originally Posted by sharky

I know some cats live with birds easy most dont... do you birds have a room of there own>?? can they??? that is the safest way...pss I have no experience since I am highly allergic to birds... but I know friends that have lived with birds and cat s and best thing is birds getting there own room..

The birds all have their own room, BUT it's a HIGH TRAFFIC room! It has the computer which everyone in the house uses! I've tried keeping the door shut, it doesn't work when you have kids. Someone is always on the computer.

 

[badenzoo]

My personal experience with having both cats and birds is that some cats have a particularly high prey drive with birds, and can never quite be trusted.
Out of my 8 moggys, I have only 1 that I could never trust. But that 1 would be enough to kill a bird, quick as a flash.
We now concentrate on the cats and don't have birds any more, (we have too many cats to do birds justice!)
Since you only have 2 cats, it would seem to me that you could work something out so that you could keep both cats and the birds... but if you need to place the kitty with the high prey drive, that might be best for all concerned, especially if your birds are important to you.
Robyn

 

[carolpetunia]

I love conures! I had a wonderful conversation with one in a pet store a couple of months ago... such a responsive little bird!

I think you've got to either secure the birds' room (maybe with a screen door, so it's not totally isolated, and a MAJOR family meeting about keeping the cats out of that room) or let Pandora go to a new home. If she killed the conure, you'd probably never be able to feel the same about her. And it's not fair to the birds to make them live in fear.

Can you put the computer somewhere else, to cut down on traffic in that room?

 

[lndscpsam]

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

I love conures! I had a wonderful conversation with one in a pet store a couple of months ago... such a responsive little bird!

I think you've got to either secure the birds' room (maybe with a screen door, so it's not totally isolated, and a MAJOR family meeting about keeping the cats out of that room) or let Pandora go to a new home. If she killed the conure, you'd probably never be able to feel the same about her. And it's not fair to the birds to make them live in fear.

Can you put the computer somewhere else, to cut down on traffic in that room?

I love my conure and he's very leary of Pandora. She's gotten some tail feathers in the past. There's no way the family is going to help with this. Hubby doesn't even like Pandora. He calls her "the Rat". And you know kids, they never close anything behind them, so trying to get them to keep a door shut is impossible. That room is set up for the computer so there's no where else it can go. This is sooooo hard! I know I have a good home for her if I need it, it's just trying to part with her that's so hard. She's such a sweet kitty so full of personality!

 

[menagerie mama]

If I had to choose, it would be the birds that go. I used to have zebra finches until my cats knocked the cage over, spilling out all the contents, including a nest full of babies. Luckily, the cats were too engrossed in the flying adults and didn't notice the babies. None were hurt, but I brought the birds to work and never got any more.

 

[lndscpsam]

Well the birds aren't going. My husband adores his canaries and hates Pandora. And I really love my little parrots. That's why it's so hard. I wish I didn't care for the birds, that would make this a no brainer decision.

 

[nebula11]

Oh that is completly awful.......If it were me I would give the birds the boot before the thought even crossed my mind to give up one of my kits....

(But this maybe because i worship my kits and am not a fan of birds)

It just seems like a trade in..and thats so sad sounding...."ah well the cat didnt go well...lets trade her in for a better model".....so sad....

I am so sorry you have to go through this.....How incredibly awful...I couldnt even imagine such a thing....

However I guess if poor pandora is going to a loving home where she can be as wacky as she want to be I guess its ok

Good luck

 

[beckiboo]

I say send Pandora to a new home where she isn't in danger of harming a fur (feather) baby. Maybe because I foster, I understand that you can love an animal, and yet let it go. It sounds like there is no simple way to ensure the bird's safety. If you can't let the birds go, I think Pandora should be rehomed.

We had two akitas, who would fight whenever they got together. Although they were both beloved, we sent one to live with Grandma and Grandpa for the safety of the dogs. Sometimes you just have to admit a situation is not conducive to family harmony.

If I had a dog who was terrorizing my cats, and could possibly kill them, that dog would have to be rehomed. Its not like you are taking Pandora to a shelter, just finding her a place where she fits in.

I disagree with Nebula, that it is like trading her in on another model. If you were rehoming her because she didn't match your couch, or because she got in the garbage, I would say you're nuts. But it is for someone's safety. That makes it totally different.

 

[nebula11]

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

I disagree with Nebula, that it is like trading her in on another model. If you were rehoming her because she didn't match your couch, or because she got in the garbage, I would say you're nuts. But it is for someone's safety. That makes it totally different.

I understood why she has to do this...and I completly feel for her believe me...

It was the way she worded it that put me off a bit...thats all......

Sorry if i offended anyone

 

[wellingtoncats]

One of my Persian kitties killed my lovebirds ten years ago. I know Persians are laidback for the most part but not all of them.

 

[percysmom]

I have parrots and luckily they are large so the cats don't mess with them but years ago I bred budgies and siamese. My male Oogie would kill the budgies by pulling their legs out of the cages. I had a bird room with a lock and he still managed to get a few more birds before I gave them away. He never even paid any attention to the cockatoo or amazon.
Don't feel badly about having to make a choice, just find a good home for the cat, as hubby dislikes her. But all cats are hunters by instinct so another kitten may have just as much drive.

 

[lndscpsam]

Thanks for all your advice!! You guys bring up great points. I thought about what Nebula said all night "trade her in on a newer model". It's not like that, really. I've come to the conculsion that she's going to stay. I just can't part with her. I watched last night as my 12 yr. old zipped through the house with string flying behind him and Pandora hot on his heels. It was fun to watch. My persian doesn't do that. Pandora is just so "alive" and has so much personality. I just LOVE so many things about her. She is so full of life and has such character. She's really what I wanted in a cat, except for the hunting part. I will just be more aware of where she is when I take a bird out to play. I've also learned to close the door when I'm cleaning cages in case someone escapes - that's how the last poor canary got caught. So once again Thank You for all your valuable advice. I really thought about it all to come to this decision. I made a commitment when I adopted Pandora from the Humane Society and I'm going to keep it!