cats and birds

Question
Finally someone that has cats and birds...I have a male moluccan cockatoo. He's 9 years old. My husband wants a Siamese cat, maybe two! (they will both be females)  I won't lie to you, I don't like cats! I'm more than a little worried about my bird. What kinds of health problems do I have to worry about? Can a cat make a cockatoo sick? I'm almost sure that Max could win in a fight with a cat. He can be very mean! But I've heard that one bite from a cat can kill a bird fast, is that true? I plan on getting a couple more birds so I really need to know what I'm getting myself into...There will be NO cat if I have to worry about the health of my bird/birds! I also plan on getting a pair of yorkies someday. Thanks

Answer
Hi Jackie! That is so funny...my husband and I are planning on getting a Moluccan Cockatoo!  They are BEAUTIFUL!  There is one up for adoption that has really captured our hearts.
Anyway...
Well, there definitely is rivalry between cats and birds since the beginning of time.  Point blank...cats are hunters...and they do hunt birds.  If you get the cats as kittens and bring them up around the bird, they will befriend it.  Cockatoos are much too large for a cat to think about hunting and usually there aren't any problems.  I have rescued all my cats, and most were adults when rescued.  I can't have them around my birds because they WILL attack.  I have small birds though, and I do have to say that on more occasions then I can count, I come home from work to find my houdini of a parakeet out of the cage and my cats are oblivious to it.  I can't imagine a cat wanting to hunt a bird as large as a cockatoo.  If anything, the cats will be afraid of the cockatoo!  Like I said, though, if you bring them up with consistant contact with the bird, they will become accustomed to it and befriend it.
I hope this helps!
I have two siamese cats and I do have to say, in my opinion they are the most intelligent and most loyal of all cat breeds.  In my life I have had a total of 5 siamese cats, and every single one fits the description.  If you do get those siamese kitties, you will definitely be a cat lover!  Just ask my husband.  He absolutely hated cats before we got married.  Now, because of a siamese cat, he is the biggest cat lover.  We have 6 cats right now...2 in which he rescued and brought home himself!  I'm sure those kitties will end up capturing your heart too!
Best of luck!
Hilary