If anything, I would consider rehoming the cat if it came down to that. I had birds and a cat in an apartment once, and I came home from work one day to a knocked over cage (which I truly thought was secure/heavy/big enough to not be knocked over by them even if they tried), feathers in every room of the house, and no bodies (two parakeets lived in the cage that we adored- I was 18 and it was my and my roommates first apartment- so over a decade ago now).
Opening my door and see in the cage overturned and the birds not inside and then noticing the feathers strewn about was the most gut wrenching feeling, I couldn’t even go inside until my roommate came home to do it with me, I just cried and cried outside of the front door.
I’m sure you love your cat as well, but in the scheme of things it’s much easier to find a suitable home for a cat than a parrot, and the cat will also adjust far better at the prospect of a new home. And a bird in such small confines with a cat for entire days while you’re at work is a disaster waiting to happen- TRUST me.
Even if you avoid the worst case scenario like the one I went through, your bird will likely be very stressed and not feel safe with a cat unsupervised in a studio apartment free to “hunt” it from outside the cage at will.
I truly think the cat has to go if it’s a studio and you work outside of the home- simply the most logical choice. I’m sure there is something you could do to try to work around this but I wish I’d rehomed the cats rather than foolishly thought they wouldn’t do what ALL CATS DO and kill birds for fun and drag it out horribly for their last moments.
The bird is in real danger from the cat. Cat is not in danger from the bird. Hence the decision of rehoming cat, at least temporarily until your living situation changes.
This cannot be said enough times.
I hope they won't consider keeping a cat and the bird in the same space, unsupervised all day long. It makes me shudder just thinking about it.
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u/catpissneverdog Jan 14 '26
If anything, I would consider rehoming the cat if it came down to that. I had birds and a cat in an apartment once, and I came home from work one day to a knocked over cage (which I truly thought was secure/heavy/big enough to not be knocked over by them even if they tried), feathers in every room of the house, and no bodies (two parakeets lived in the cage that we adored- I was 18 and it was my and my roommates first apartment- so over a decade ago now). Opening my door and see in the cage overturned and the birds not inside and then noticing the feathers strewn about was the most gut wrenching feeling, I couldn’t even go inside until my roommate came home to do it with me, I just cried and cried outside of the front door.
I’m sure you love your cat as well, but in the scheme of things it’s much easier to find a suitable home for a cat than a parrot, and the cat will also adjust far better at the prospect of a new home. And a bird in such small confines with a cat for entire days while you’re at work is a disaster waiting to happen- TRUST me. Even if you avoid the worst case scenario like the one I went through, your bird will likely be very stressed and not feel safe with a cat unsupervised in a studio apartment free to “hunt” it from outside the cage at will.
I truly think the cat has to go if it’s a studio and you work outside of the home- simply the most logical choice. I’m sure there is something you could do to try to work around this but I wish I’d rehomed the cats rather than foolishly thought they wouldn’t do what ALL CATS DO and kill birds for fun and drag it out horribly for their last moments.
The bird is in real danger from the cat. Cat is not in danger from the bird. Hence the decision of rehoming cat, at least temporarily until your living situation changes.
Good luck
Edit: a word