How to keep a parakeet IN its cage?

Our newest addition, Sunny, REFUSES to stay in his cage. He can’t get out through the food doors anymore (thank you to the very helpful person that suggested boat stuff, the hatch latches I found have worked wonders), but EVERY time we open his cage to add fresh food or water he escapes. He manages to fly right out the door. I have to give it to him, he is obviously super smart and motivated. The other side of that is...cats. The cats are not in the same room, and I’ve taken to locking them in the basement when I have to change the food and water to be safe. But long term...that’s just not realistic, and it’s not really fair to the cats either. When both Skye and Sunny have been to the vet I plan to put them in the same cage, but that’s quite a ways off. At least another month. How in the world can I convince this little escape artist to stay in his safe place? He’s super curious and just wants to investigate the room (probably to try to find Skye, but Skye is in a difference room) but I’m terrified he’s going to end up injured. He’s so bold. Like a toddler that has no sense of danger. It’s quite comical in a way, but not safe for him.




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They can be determined when they want to be! Kudos for taking the precautions with the cats. Does he get out to fly for some time each day at this point? If not, letting him have some free fly time while it’s safe might slow down his launch out the door when it opens. If there’s a treat that he really likes - you might try popping that into a spot in the cage to occupy him while you change his food and water. Other than that...I hope others have some ideas .

Sunny certainly lets himself out, but no, we have not intentionally let him out yet. Mainly because he’s not tamed, and we have cats. My one condition to letting them freely explore is needing to know I can reliably get them either onto my finger or a perch for safety. The house has been bird proofed, but we do have the cats and as far as I’m concerned the cats can not be trusted with birds.

Skye, who we have had for 5 weeks refuses to even think about leaving his cage. Sunny is the exact opposite and refuses to stay in his cage. Skye will step up onto anything except for a finger. I can work with that. I can get him onto an arm or stick no problem. Skye is even good with the broom handle. As long as it isn’t a finger or hand he will gladly step onto it when we say “step up”.

We haven’t found any treats that Sunny likes because we have only had him 6 days. Tomorrow makes 1 full week. I’m keeping him on the food the pet store had him on for at least another week before I start to change it. I have offered veggies but he won’t touch them yet.



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I wonder if cage size has anything to do with it? My budgie Val shares an ENORMOUS cage with my cockatiel Fang. Fortunately for my birds i don’t have cats or dogs so I don’t need to keep the cage door closed during the day so my budgie Val is pretty much free to roam around the house whenever he pleases, yet he still chooses to spend a big chunk of his day in his cage. It is also his only source of food and all his toys are in there too, and he will play and sing to his little heart’s content for hours inside his cage, probably because he feels comfortable there and knows he can come and go as he likes.

Either that or budgies are like toddlers and always want what they can’t have!

LaManuka said:

I wonder if cage size has anything to do with it? My budgie Val shares an ENORMOUS cage with my cockatiel Fang. Fortunately for my birds i don’t have cats or dogs so I don’t need to keep the cage door closed during the day so my budgie Val is pretty much free to roam around the house whenever he pleases, yet he still chooses to spend a big chunk of his day in his cage. It is also his only source of food and all his toys are in there too, and he will play and sing to his little heart’s content for hours inside his cage, probably because he feels comfortable there and knows he can come and go as he likes.

Either that or budgies are like toddlers and always want what they can’t have!

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I’m sure the smaller cage size plays a part but Skye was in this same cage for a few weeks and never tried to escape. Then again, Skye won’t try to leave his new much larger cage either. It’s probably part personality and part cage size. But unfortunately I just can’t have him roaming around unsupervised and untamed. That and I don’t think having to herd him back into his cage isn’t going to do us any favors in gaining his trust.


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