Cage location.

saurian · Nov 28, 2019

I know Greys love socialization, so would it be a good idea to have a cage in your bedroom, if the parrot was only there during sleep time/when you aren't around etc? All other times it would be around the house, with family members. I'm just wondering if it would have any effect on the bird? (I don't have the bird yet, I'm planning.)

SailBoat · Nov 28, 2019

Parrots love to be where the family activity is occurring. So, it is not uncommon for them to be moving around the home.

Our Amazon is free roaming and it is interesting see how his choice closely follows where the family or his favorite girl friend are roosting.

bill_e · Nov 28, 2019

The only problem with having only one cage and having it in a bedroom is that there will be plenty of times when you're going to want the parrot safely in the cage while you go about other things or have other pets etc and in the bedroom, even with people home, it will be segregated from the family.

If possible, I think it best to have a cage in the main family area, perhaps one with a play top, and another sleeping cage in the bedroom where it's quiet.

saurian · Nov 28, 2019

bill_e said:
The only problem with having only one cage and having it in a bedroom is that there will be plenty of times when you're going to want the parrot safely in the cage while you go about other things or have other pets etc and in the bedroom, even with people home, it will be segregated from the family.

If possible, I think it best to have a cage in the main family area, perhaps one with a play top, and another sleeping cage in the bedroom where it's quiet.

Thank you, Bill! This is helpful! Could you possibly suggest a size for both cages, or a link to two suitable ones and specify which is which? If not, that's fine. Don't go out of your way to do it!

riddick07 · Nov 28, 2019

I tend to be opposite on this than most people. I like keeping the cage in separate rooms not main living room area. My macaw has a cage in a spare bedroom & everyone else stays in the downstairs bedroom. I’ve found it keeps them quieter, when they can’t be out, to be away from the main area. We have stands all over the house for when they are out, so they can follow us around just fine.

Titan is doing fine with arrangement & so are the other birds. My only problem child is an abused rescue that came with issues & he would probably die of a heart attack in the main living room area lol. He’d spend the time constantly yelling at other people in the house & trying to lure them in to bite & shaking toys in anger & attacking the side of the cage at them. He’s very chill downstairs where there is less activity & he does all of the above most of the time when people walk through my room. He still yells crap at us from downstairs when we are too loud upstairs & startle him or get him agitated with noise thumping around. Usually it’s him cackling like a demon or asking whatta you want or hey Folgie.

You could always try him in the main living area first or in a bedroom first to see how he does than move him if it isn’t working. I bounced cages around before deciding on my current arrangement.

saurian · Nov 28, 2019

riddick07 said:
I tend to be opposite on this than most people. I like keeping the cage in separate rooms not main living room area. My macaw has a cage in a spare bedroom & everyone else stays in the downstairs bedroom. I’ve found it keeps them quieter, when they can’t be out, to be away from the main area. We have stands all over the house for when they are out, so they can follow us around just fine.

Titan is doing fine with arrangement & so are the other birds. My only problem child is an abused rescue that came with issues & he would probably die of a heart attack in the main living room area lol. He’d spend the time constantly yelling at other people in the house & trying to lure them in to bite & shaking toys in anger & attacking the side of the cage at them. He’s very chill downstairs where there is less activity & he does all of the above most of the time when people walk through my room. He still yells crap at us from downstairs when we are too loud upstairs & startle him or get him agitated with noise thumping around. Usually it’s him cackling like a demon or asking whatta you want or hey Folgie.

You could always try him in the main living area first or in a bedroom first to see how he does than move him if it isn’t working. I bounced cages around before deciding on my current arrangement.

I love varying opinions. Seriously. It's great to see how every Parront does things differently, and how each bird responds to it.

bill_e · Nov 28, 2019

Yes, every bird is different. I could probably have cages half the size I have because Nike is only in her cage to sleep (or when we're not home) She isn't very active while in the cage and mostly sits in one spot. I have never seen her outside the top 1/3rd of her cage except to eat or drink.

During the 10-12 hours she's up she is out of the cage 100% of the time unless we go out so she really doesn't spend much time in her cage and when she is in it she seems mostly quiet and content.

Whatever you decide, the bird will let you know if you made the right decision

noodles123 · Nov 28, 2019

Having a cage in a bedroom is a bad idea in most situations (my opinion).

1) because people tend to do things carelessly if they can't see the bird's cage etc (e.g., burn food, use polishes, spray chemicals etc). The illusion that a door or even different floor is going to protect them should be avoided. No matter where the bird is located, no Teflon/PTFE/PFOA etc or harmful cleaners should be used anywhere in the home.

2) The bird is going to produce A LOT OF FINE/STICKY DUST (especially an african grey--A powder-down bird) and sleeping in the same room with that dust is not a good thing for either of you. You can get "bird keepers lung" if you breathe a lot of it (and there isn't much air flow in a bedroom). It also is bad for a bird to breathe its own dust in excess. An area with more air-flow is preferable. I slept in fairly close proximity to my cockatoo for a good length of time and I'm still alive, but it can be harmful (we never shared a bedroom, but my place was small and she was in the main room which was right outside of my bedroom--this was not the healthiest choice for either of us).
Currently, we are in a decently-sized 2 story house.. If I pull my elastic pants/leggings away from my leg and let them snap back against my body, a poof of visible dust comes out (even though my pants look black)!!! I am a clean person with a billion filters running, lots of sweeping/vacuuming and freshly laundered clothes---After one day of wearing these pants (most of which was spent at work) they poof repeatedly and it is disturbing lol...It is just crazy. Cockatoos are probably worse than greys, but they are both powder-down birds. When she puts her head on my chest and I am wearing a white shirt, it looks like someone with flour on their hands high-fived me there.

3). If you get sick, you could potentially pass on certain germs to your bird (and vice-versa) when sharing a sleep space. There are also certain things that birds can pass to humans and if you are cleaning the cage (as you will be) and the bird is pooping in it, then some of that dust (as well as the powder down) will be in your airspace--- it does get into everything.

4) Your bird will inevitably be shut off from certain activities if in your room (even if your intent is to keep him included). For instance, my bird has a fear of stairs and narrow hallways---if you start your bird in your room on another floor, they may be somewhat resistant to joining the rest of the house (depending on how social they are and how scared they are of random things). I would establish the safe-place (cage) in the social place, because that is where your bird will feel more comfortable and you don't want him/her to adjust to your bedroom initially during that "I won't step up" period that occurs with most parrots.

In an ideal world, I would have one cage for the main living room and another cage in a separate room (not an occupied bedroom though) for the bird to sleep in. I currently do not have this setup, but it is what I strive for. Instead, I have a very weird old house with a lot of rooms and doors on the first floor (which can be opened or shut). At night, I close the rooms to her door, but during the day, the doors are open so she can see me in most locations from there---plus, she has a stand perch in the room that separates her room from the kitchen.
Like I said, there was a time when I lived with her in a smaller space and my room was very near to her cage. That having been said, I am glad I didn't have her in there with me because the dust situation was insane (even with a purifier) and she sneezed a lot more there.

No matter where your bird is located, I would strongly suggest purchasing a high-quality air purifier (non- ionizing, or with an ionizing setting that can be shut off).
I recently "splurged" on quite a few (due to house changes) and I am very glad that I did...I had to get on a payment plan for the "Alen BreatheSmart HEPA Air Purifier for Allergies, Chemicals and Cooking Odors with a HEPA-FreshPlus filter" BUT the difference is NOTICEABLE and if I could go back, I wouldn't have wasted my time on cheaper models. I also bought 2 other smaller purifiers from a different company, but in a house, the dust gets into your hvac system and it helps to do whatever you can to minimize it. Look for a true hepa purifier that handles mold, dust, VOCs, etc and try to find something that covers as many square-feet as possible. Don't skimp on the filter, as it is the heart of any good system. I think mine was like $700 when all was said and done, BUT I only have to pay $50 something each month and the approval process for that plan was super easy.

5) rooms often do not provide much sunlight.

Scott · Nov 28, 2019

I have a sleeping cage in my bedroom and generally the same bird sleeps in it every night! That is Gabby, my first Goffins offspring and most closely bonded. He doesn't get along well with the rest of his family, so winds up with me every night. Extremely quiet as I am a light sleeper!

Cage is about twice the width of his outstretched wings, plenty sufficient for sleeping only.

ScottinSoCal · Nov 28, 2019

saurian said:
Could you possibly suggest a size for both cages, or a link to two suitable ones and specify which is which?

I know I'm not Bill, but Scooter has a day cage and a sleep cage, inherited from her predecessor Boo (BFA).
The day cage is very large, has a playtop, and lots of branches inside for her exploration. The night cage was originally bought as a travel cage, and it's just big enough to sleep in. She's gotten very comfortable with the arrangement, and makes no fuss at all when I put her to bed at night. At first I had to back her into it, or she'd grab the bars around the door of the night cage and wouldn't go in. Now I sit her down in front of the door, and she climbs in herself.
The night cage isn't in my bedroom, it's in the guest room closet (walk-in size) and I've put a heater in there, to keep it at 75F while she sleeps. It's quiet, out of traffic areas, and she gets a solid night of rest. She holds it during the night, so I've learned to hold a small hand towel under her while I bring her downstairs. Most mornings she holds it till I get to her day cage, but sometimes I'm glad I have a hand towel.

saurian · Nov 28, 2019

noodles123 said:
Having a cage in a bedroom is a bad idea in most situations (my opinion).

1) because people tend to do things carelessly if they can't see the bird's cage etc (e.g., burn food, use polishes, spray chemicals etc). The illusion that a door or even different floor is going to protect them should be avoided. No matter where the bird is located, no Teflon/PTFE/PFOA etc or harmful cleaners should be used anywhere in the home.

2) The bird is going to produce A LOT OF FINE/STICKY DUST (especially an african grey--A powder-down bird) and sleeping in the same room with that dust is not a good thing for either of you. You can get "bird keepers lung" if you breathe a lot of it (and there isn't much air flow in a bedroom). It also is bad for a bird to breathe its own dust in excess. An area with more air-flow is preferable. I slept in fairly close proximity to my cockatoo for a good length of time and I'm still alive, but it can be harmful (we never shared a bedroom, but my place was small and she was in the main room which was right outside of my bedroom--this was not the healthiest choice for either of us).
Currently, we are in a decently-sized 2 story house.. If I pull my elastic pants/leggings away from my leg and let them snap back against my body, a poof of visible dust comes out (even though my pants look black)!!! I am a clean person with a billion filters running, lots of sweeping/vacuuming and freshly laundered clothes---After one day of wearing these pants (most of which was spent at work) they poof repeatedly and it is disturbing lol...It is just crazy. Cockatoos are probably worse than greys, but they are both powder-down birds. When she puts her head on my chest and I am wearing a white shirt, it looks like someone with flour on their hands high-fived me there.

3). If you get sick, you could potentially pass on certain germs to your bird (and vice-versa) when sharing a sleep space. There are also certain things that birds can pass to humans and if you are cleaning the cage (as you will be) and the bird is pooping in it, then some of that dust (as well as the powder down) will be in your airspace--- it does get into everything.

4) Your bird will inevitably be shut off from certain activities if in your room (even if your intent is to keep him included). For instance, my bird has a fear of stairs and narrow hallways---if you start your bird in your room on another floor, they may be somewhat resistant to joining the rest of the house (depending on how social they are and how scared they are of random things). I would establish the safe-place (cage) in the social place, because that is where your bird will feel more comfortable and you don't want him/her to adjust to your bedroom initially during that "I won't step up" period that occurs with most parrots.

In an ideal world, I would have one cage for the main living room and another cage in a separate room (not an occupied bedroom though) for the bird to sleep in. I currently do not have this setup, but it is what I strive for. Instead, I have a very weird old house with a lot of rooms and doors on the first floor (which can be opened or shut). At night, I close the rooms to her door, but during the day, the doors are open so she can see me in most locations from there---plus, she has a stand perch in the room that separates her room from the kitchen.
Like I said, there was a time when I lived with her in a smaller space and my room was very near to her cage. That having been said, I am glad I didn't have her in there with me because the dust situation was insane (even with a purifier) and she sneezed a lot more there.

No matter where your bird is located, I would strongly suggest purchasing a high-quality air purifier (non- ionizing, or with an ionizing setting that can be shut off).
I recently "splurged" on quite a few (due to house changes) and I am very glad that I did...I had to get on a payment plan for the "Alen BreatheSmart HEPA Air Purifier for Allergies, Chemicals and Cooking Odors with a HEPA-FreshPlus filter" BUT the difference is NOTICEABLE and if I could go back, I wouldn't have wasted my time on cheaper models. I also bought 2 other smaller purifiers from a different company, but in a house, the dust gets into your hvac system and it helps to do whatever you can to minimize it. Look for a true hepa purifier that handles mold, dust, VOCs, etc and try to find something that covers as many square-feet as possible. Don't skimp on the filter, as it is the heart of any good system. I think mine was like $700 when all was said and done, BUT I only have to pay $50 something each month and the approval process for that plan was super easy.

5) rooms often do not provide much sunlight.

Noodles, you're extremely good with advice. Thank you. This may sound like I have ignored your points, but I haven't, I promise. If I did decide to have the bird in my room for whatever reason, would a few purifiers around the cage help with the dust/lung issue? I never had Mister in my room and I never slept near him so I don't know. After what you've said, I've pretty much ruled out having it in my room. I only wanted to do that so we could be together more often and hopefully have a better bond, you know?

And, where would you suggest putting the cage? Could it sleep in the spare bedroom next to mine, where I could put a larger cage, or would it develop problems from that?

riddick07 · Nov 28, 2019

African Grey dust isn’t nearly as bad as cockatoo/cockatiel dust. Greys barely give off dust compared to those dust monsters haha. I have 3 Cockatiels & one half bald cockatoo. I help keep dust down with a filter humidifier & an air filter. When both are running the dust is barely noticeable. I also have a fan that runs in the room to keep air moving. I’m also not big on dusting and only have to do it once a month if the dust is really collecting. I have black snake racks & bookcases in the room so dust is pretty noticeable.

I’ve never passed anything along to a bird. It’s not really that common to either. Test your bird for the diseases they can pass to us and you won’t have to worry about that either. All my birds are diseases tested. I suggest you do the same with your grey for peace of mind.

I deliberately shut off my birds from activities which is the point of separate rooms for me. Like I had my macaw up in his cage for 2 straight days recently. No screaming no tantrums no plucking. He just threw stuff around in his cage and looked out the window some. I’m big on my birds being independent enough to stay inside their cage away from us & chill without losing their minds. I’ve posted plenty of my macaw around & you can see he is a well adjusted happy content macaw. So you kind of have to decide what schedule works for you both. I’m not big on routines, steady schedules, certain out times, out everyday all day or anything else along those lines. I literally tend to do the opposite of the usually recommendations lol. It works well for me and mine but might not for you necessarily!

DRB · Dec 3, 2019

I think the largest cage possible is best for a CAG, I have a King’s Cage. But for a sleep cage I think a much smaller cage is fine, maybe 1/3 the size of the main cage.

Cage location.

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