Michael wrote:Yeah, don't clip the bird. Then it could fly over where it wants to go without having to walk on the floor to get there.
i totally agree with this. read Michaels blog (click on top left corner icon) and go to the sitemap on bottom of page, and read through the whole thing. you will get a sense of what a lifestyle with a flighted parrot is like. it will be really enjoyable for you, and very healthy mentally and physically for the bird, provided you bird proof your house properly. michaels blog has guidelines on how to train your bird towards a flighted lifestyle.
now, you mention cats and a dog. the opinions on this forum are mixed about how closely cats/dogs (predators) and parrots (prey species) can interact. personally, if i were in your exact same situation, and i had a CAG, and cats and a dog at the same time, I would allow the CAG to be fully flighted, and i'd place the cats and dog in a separate room away from the bird when the bird comes out of his cage. that way, the bird gets to be a bird and not feel the stress of having predator animals around when its flying about, training, and enjoying itself, and can go whereever it wants to go, and basically be itself. while the bird is in the cage, MAKE SURE (even now, when your CAG is clipped) you have a lock for the cage, esp. if the cats and dog will be in the same room with him. CAGs are extraordinarily intelligent and generally figure out how to let themselves out of their cages if left unlocked.
flight also offers the maximum defense against accidental death/injury for your CAG, because he will be able to escape in case for some reason the animals are able to reach each other. even if all the animals SEEM like they all like each other, letting them interact has its hazards, because each of the animals definitely has the potential to get into moods, to get touchy, etc, and can provoke each other. even a playful scratch from a cats claw is toxic to birds because of the cats saliva residue on the claws.
also, another reason that CAGS should not be clipped, and why flight exercise is ESSENTIAL for their health: the plucking, self-mutilation, and screaming and biting problems that one often hears CAGs being susceptible to generally tends to happen to clipped birds. so if you want to prevent these problems in the long run, and save yourself a broken heart, I would totally recommend working toward setting up a safe environment for your CAG and letting him grow out his feathers, and offering him vigorous daily flight exercise. i am sure both you and your bird will enjoy the experience!
all the best with your