Did you know that there are a number of reasons why birds should not have any form of interaction with predator pets like cats and dogs?
There are quite a few cases of people saying that they have had many successful interactions between their birds and cats/dogs. However, there are a lot of risks involved and it is simply not worth taking a chance.
Birds are prey animals
Birds are categorized as prey in terms of biology, and animals like cats, dogs, ferrets, and even rodents are predator animals and can inflict a significant amount of damage to a bird in the blink of an eye.
One reason for not allowing these interactions is the fact that different animals have different playstyles. That can cause serious harm; a dog might not know its own strength, especially compared to a bird and it might pounce or try to roll around with a bird leading to injury, or death.
Mammal saliva is toxic to birds
Mammal saliva is toxic to birds (even humans’ saliva) and that is cause for concern. If your bird ingests this, or a wound is inflicted (whether intentional or not), it can prove to be fatal.
If a predator pet plays with a bird, it can lead to wounds/scratches that go unseen underneath a birds’ many feathers; even a small scratch can be lethal due to the possibility of bacterial transfer going unnoticed. Coupled with the fact that birds will always try to hide their injuries or illnesses for as long as they can; chances are you won’t know something is wrong until it’s too late.
Predator animals often react on instinct
Predator animals often react on instinct and impulse – and for some dogs, coexisting may be very challenging. Many cats and dogs enjoy pursuing a nearby bird purely out of instinct. You might have had great interaction between your pets and then one day it might seem like a dog (or other predator) just ‘snaps’ and lashes out. Although it can be argued that instances like these are out of character for a specific pet – especially one you might have known for years, one has to remember that it is still instinct.
We have had numerous cases of birds coming into our care after an incident in a multi-pet household where they were left unsupervised and the bird has sustained some serious injuries. In these cases, whether the birds are surrendered or not, the vet bills can be staggering.
In closing
It is entirely possible to have a multi-pet household, however, predator and prey animals should never be left together unsupervised – even if a bird is locked in a cage or you trust your other pets unconditionally. Accidents can still happen.
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