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Broken Tail Feathers and Acting Stressed

I just purchased a pair of canaries yesterday and the owner stated she believed her cat had pulled out the tail feathers on the male. He is molting as well. After bringing him home we noticed he is fluffed, breathing has increased and he tends to sit with his head cocked. They are currently in a small cage as the larger one arrives today. My question is, Should we leave him in the small cage with his mate or separate them. He is eating and we are monitoring that he is drinking but have not seen that yet. Although he may have drank over night. We have moved them to a quieter place in the house.

Hi,

The bird may simply be sick. Unfortunately there are dishonest people who sell birds. If the cat scratched the canary, it is probably dying from infection. A cat scratch or bite is deadly to a bird if not treated immediately. What you describe is a bird that is very sick, stressed, injured or all of the above. He is not healthy right now. I definitely would not move him to another cage. As for his mate, it depends on how bonded they are. Sometimes a mate will bully a sick mate. The best thing to do would be to take him to an avian vet.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda