The cats in this household are somewhat frightened or at least a little bit uncertain about their parrot friend who has, through observation, learned to meow just like them and in doing so intimidates them. I suspect he does that because the cats simply cannot understand what is going on. What they’re seeing is a strange creature that should be a cat but is not. I suspect that that creates uncertainty and therefore they back off. It’s a bit like the cucumber story. You put the cucumber behind the cat then when the cat sees the cucumber they are startled and frightened because they’re uncertain what they’re looking at.
Some people who commented on the video say that the parrot is in danger of being attacked by the cats. And that the parrot should never have been raised with cats which appears to be a case. I don’t believe the parrot is in danger as he has probably been rasied with the cats and therefore the cats don’t see him as prey.
Perhaps the parrot wants to be a cat. Perhaps he thinks he might be a cat. Perhaps he’s a bit confused. He may feel a bit left out of the group and wants to participate within the cat group and has learnt to meow to be one of them and not be an outsider. Perhaps that’s a bit far fetched 😉 .
Parrots are very intelligent. They’re probably more intelligent than cats if that is not an unfair thing to say and it quite possibly is because it is very hard to measure intelligence. If the parrot is more intelligent it would seem that he is more confident and is dominating the group of cats through his intelligence.
Note: this particular parrot is a cockatoo as I understand it.
we are all doing well, Michael. . . hope you are as well. . . BTW, on facebook, check out Mimi the Bengal Girl’s page — that is one of my babies that I got when a dear friend of mine passed suddenly. . . most of my *kids* are on there someplace. . . I adopted Mimi and her sisfur, Venus, to add to my *Clan* taking me back up to 12 kitties. . . ♥♥♥
Yes, I agree with all you say. Thanks Diane. Hop you and yours are well.
Michael, PURRsonally, I do not think the parrot is in danger. There has been much evidence to my knowledge that any anipals raised together do not see the other as *prey* or a danger. . .I had guinea pigs at one time, and none of my cats saw them as prey. . I even had my Siamese (Lilac — now deceased) who would keep them from going under something and getting stuck while I would be cleaning their cage. I used to tell Lilac to watch over them — and it seemed to me she understood as she never tried to hurt or attack them in any way. So, yes, I do believe that anipals of different species can get along — especially when raised together. I think the video is very cute!! ♥♥♥