Playing Negotiator: Kitty meet Birdie

So I'm introducing Astrid to Grover and Sasha. I figure I should do this before we introduce her to the rest of the apartment.

I have the birds in their travel cage up near the printer (their usual spot when I'm doing homework, though normally the door is open.) OF course Astrid took interest in them right away.

I let her devise her own way of getting up to them. The whole time I split my attention between the birds and the cat; alternating whom I was telling I loved them so much. When Astrid figured getting on the computer desk was the beset idea (which didn't take long) I let her get close and look. I kept my on hand on the cage and one hand free to deal with Astrid if lunged or something. I found out last night that Astrid doesn't like orange peels, so I hung one on the side of the cage, so that she can start associating that "icky" smell with them. This perplexed her a little, but of course instincts are stronger than "icky" smells.

I let her look, continued to talk to the birds to keep them calm, put on some slow 50's 60's music. I let them be, talking lovingly to both. Each time Astrid put a paw up in a "swatting" or "claws out" motion I told her no firmly and pushed her away. If she was merely rubbing her head along the bottom or propping herself up to look I allowed it. I didn't pet and encourage her except for when she wasn't touching the cage, but I didn't scold unless she tried to get at them.

Sasha began to get a little nervous after a few detered swats and walked along the bottom. Grover instead got comfortable (Haha cat! You tottally can't get me) and started ruffling her feathers and jumping to the side of the cage to give me kisses. Both changes in the birds re-perked Astrid's interst. She went up and down a few times.

Eventually she lost interest in them and went to look out the window and lounge by the bookshelves. Now she is playing with the rabbit hut (something I don't understand since it took 2 years for the rabbit to take interst in it haha)

I know I can never trust them alon together. And I'm only going to let the birds out in the office with the door shut. Or in the living room, with Astrid shut in the office. Their main cage is large and sturdy considering. Plus there's not a lot of routes (tables or chairs) near them that put her at their height out there.

Knowing all of this I decided the best approach was head on head acknowledgement of the matter. Look there are birds here. They're my friends just like you. You are not allowed to touch them. Look Birds, there is a cat here. I will protect you, but don't do anything stupid.

Hopefully they will grow to ignore eachother. For now I feel this first aknowledgement of existance went well.

Astrid is interested in them again. So I'm going to end here. :)

[Edit: Grover is a bold little buster. Astrid had her face pressed on the side of the cage and Grover jumped on it. The cat didn't swat at her just kept her face still and Grover went away. It was wtf moment. haha. So I guess I can't trust Grover either the little instigator!]