Hello All! I haven't posted here in awhile, but guess what? I'm getting a cat this summer (not for sure, but pretty sure!) I haven't owned a cat before and I'm psyched! I really wanted a ragdoll, but today I thought it over, and after watching some of the "Animal Heroes" show on AnimalPlanet, I decided that I NEED to adopt! There's just way too many homeless cats and too many in line to be euthanized that I'm sure are just as friendly as any ragdoll! Anyways, I might have a few issues, that I was hoping you guys could help me out with. I need the cat to stay off of the kitchen counters, and the dinner/breakfast tables. I'm planning on getting the cat at least one cat tree, and a few scratching posts. What is a good way to go about training a cat to stay off of the counters? Have you had success with this method? What kinds of things should I look for when selecting a cat tree for my cat? Another one of my concerns is that I have a pet cockatiel bird. He has his wings clipped, and isn't flighty. I never leave him out of his cage unattended, and I'm going to move his cage to a corner, where there's no furniture that the cat could get get onto to get to his cage, at the cage level. What other precautions should I take? How can I train my cat to leave my bird alone and ignore it? Are there any breeds that you think I might want to look for in rescues that would be better with my bird? (I realize that cats are natural predators of birds, and no amount of training will ever curb their instincts.) Also, I have a dog that's sort of "wild," (although she's left my bird alone for the time that I've had her!) What kinds of things should I teach my dog before getting a cat, and what traits should I look for in a cat that would make it better adapted to life with a dog? Thanks so much for your help, and I'm sorry that this is so long, and there's so many questions! Even if you can only answer one question, of just help me out a little, please do, all advice is appreciated! :-D

Sincerely,
SpookyScales

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