Hi Brandy,
The term “rare” when it comes to parakeets means the color is not as common. Parakeet colors are achieved by breeding birds with certain mutations to get colors other than the natural color. So very often the more exotic or rare colors result in much smaller birds. As for the tail feathers, those will eventually be molted. Birds will go through a heavy molt once or twice a year.
The most serious thing here is the cat. You must find a place for the bird cage that the cat cannot access! Cats can jump very high and can be very determined once they set their mind to catching something. And since a parakeet is a prey animal, it is extremely stressful for it to be exposed to a predator all the time. The poor bird will feel constantly threatened by this cat. The cage needs to be in a room that the cat can’t get into. But at the same time, the bird can’t be isolated all of the time. Aside from the stress, a cat has deadly bacteria in his mouth and claws. One tiny scratch is enough to kill a bird. The bacteria acts quickly and the bird is usually dying by the time you can get him to a vet. If you can’t protect the bird from the cat, you may need to find the bird another home or take him back to the pet shop. Many people have both cats and birds, but usually they start with a kitten that can still be trained. Since your cat has already attacked the bird once, he is unlikely to stop. He may pretend to ignore it, but is likely to attack again the first chance he gets, when nobody is around.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
