This parrot knows exactly what to say to his cranky cat friend.
Parrots are smart birds that can develop big vocabularies. They learn to talk by listening to humans, and the neural mechanisms in their brains give them the ability to imitate sounds. They may only be repeating what they hear, but many bird owners swear their pet parrots know exactly what they're saying.
This seems to be the case with an African Grey parrot and his feline friend. African Greys are one of the most intelligent species of bird. Research suggests they have the mental capacity of a five-year-old human child and the ability to develop impressive vocabularies. The bird in this video knows at least one word, and he puts it to good use.
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The cat in the video doesn't appreciate her feathered companion invading her personal space, and she deploys defensive maneuvers to get the bird to back off. The encounter turns into a brawl between cat and bird. Lacking paws to fight back, the parrot resorts to verbal scolding. He says "No! No!" but the cat continues to swat him in the face.
The temperamental cat doesn't back down at the scolding, but she also doesn't use her skills as a predator to cause the parrot harm. The two appear to have a strained relationship, but maybe, deep down, they actually love each other.
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This article was originally published November 17, 2017.
