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Cage alternatives?

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Cage alternatives?

Postby CaketheParrot » Wed Jun 10, 2020 7:33 am

So basically in another thread I asked about redirected aggression and was advised that since Cake can’t fly, there’s no need to keep him in a cage as he doesn’t get enough exercise. So the question now is, if not a cage, then what? I should note he is kept in the basement so half of it, the side he’s in, is fine, but there’s nothing keeping him from wandering into the dangerous side if we completely get rid of all barriers and don’t replace the cage. Hence, cage alternative as opposed to just “getting rid of cage, how to make the transition” or something. It would have to be relatively cheap bc money.
Thanks and love from Cake :gray:
CaketheParrot
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 46
Location: NJ
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: African Gray, Finch, Canary
Flight: Yes

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby banuvatt » Wed Jun 10, 2020 7:40 am

Well, I would put more perches so at least he would be able to climb his way around. Also, around the outside of the cage as well.
banuvatt
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 78
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Types of Birds Owned: I don't own any birds currently.
Flight: No

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby CaketheParrot » Wed Jun 10, 2020 8:46 am

He does like going around the outside of cage every now and then, I guess a few more perches and food bowls around it to incentivize some extra exercise might help. Thanks!
Thanks and love from Cake :gray:
CaketheParrot
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 46
Location: NJ
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: African Gray, Finch, Canary
Flight: Yes

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby banuvatt » Wed Jun 10, 2020 8:56 am

No problem, if you haven't already seen Michael's(The Parrot Wizard) videos on Santina this may help. She couldn't fly either so he had to make some adjustments to accommodate for her inability to fly. I would also suggest ladders you can easly and cheaply make climbing structures from PVC or untreated pine.
banuvatt
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 78
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Types of Birds Owned: I don't own any birds currently.
Flight: No

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:58 am

OK, first of all, no parrot should have to live in a basement UNLES his human has no choice but to live there and, even then, the human should make a big effort to get himself a room or an apartment because basements don't get enough natural light.

Cake should be moved upstairs, to the room where there is always people during the day as long as it's not a kitchen were people cook (they can't be exposed to cooking, it damages their lungs). They crave company, light and open spaces that have height to them (basements have low ceilings and are usually oppressive places) so put a nice 'tree' in the living room or the family room or wherever he can see and hear people during the day. You can bring his cage upstairs and put a couple of tree branches sticking up and out for him to climb up and down (you can tie them to the cage with untreated sisal rope), you can hang toys from the smaller branches and even skew raw produce on the ends of the tiny branches.

Now, the climbing up and down is not really exercise for a bird. Birds evolved to derive all their exercise from a single activity: flying. Every single muscle in their body is used directly or indirectly for flying so having him climbing, walking and even running around is not going to 'do it' in terms of exercise (there are studies on this) BUT it will make him feel better - and that's super important!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby banuvatt » Wed Jun 10, 2020 10:20 am

I do agree that keeping any animal(except maybe for a fish or a reptile) in the basement is somewhat cruel. Especially with whatever is kept in the basement if it leeches out toxic fumes. This can harm your bird's lungs, keeping him in the basement can also make them very sluggish and inactive.

I only mentioned putting more perches because of her bird's inability to fly. If her bird is disabled I am not sure what else she could do besides either taking him to the vet(which I am assuming she already did) or putting more perches. Now sure walking and climbing will not entirely compensate for the loss of flight, but it's better than nothing.
banuvatt
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 78
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Types of Birds Owned: I don't own any birds currently.
Flight: No

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:16 am

Yep, it is MOST DEFINITELY better than nothing!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby CaketheParrot » Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:52 pm

Thanks for all of this great advice! I’m not going to respond to every single point because it would mostly be just me going yes, great idea, thank you a million different ways, but the point I wanted to ask about:

-moving out of the basement. Natural light isn’t a concern as there are two huge glass doors right by his cage, so until we can move him up, that should help make it not the entire worst life possible. One problem with moving him up is my dad is not the biggest fan of animals, to say the bare minimum. The parrot is my uncle’s. As a high schooler, I don’t get much say in these types things in the house, since the parro isn’t even mine and it’s much older than me and all.. My dad’s main concern is the mess. African Grays are just so, so messy. If there’s a way to contain the mess, I could probably get dad on board, but he just hates mess. Mess is basically the only obstacle left, my grandma has been wanting Cake upstairs for literally years so we can, as you said, keep him company and he can keep us company. But yeah the mess
Thanks and love from Cake :gray:
CaketheParrot
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 46
Location: NJ
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: African Gray, Finch, Canary
Flight: Yes

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby banuvatt » Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:12 pm

You could put a seed guard at the bottom of his cage to prevent food from falling out when he is eating.
banuvatt
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 78
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Types of Birds Owned: I don't own any birds currently.
Flight: No

Re: Cage alternatives?

Postby CaketheParrot » Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:17 pm

We have boxes and stuff surrounding his cage already but sometimes he’ll bit into a seed clump and it’ll bounce multiple feet away. He east outside his cage as the bowls are attached that way. We could.. try more boxes?
Thanks and love from Cake :gray:
CaketheParrot
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 46
Location: NJ
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: African Gray, Finch, Canary
Flight: Yes

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