Cage placement help pls :)

Hey as everyone knows I am getting my baby sometime in the next month or so and have begun deciding what to buy.

We have a small house but could put him/her in the living room which would be the most heavily used room in the house. Be able to see the TV and us while we are going about life but if I decide to place it in my bedroom instead (which is just off the living room) then the cage could be a little bigger possibly and birdie would still be able to hear everything happening in the other room though not see it directly. Also the bedroom has a door so I could close it if needed so we won't distrub birdie when we are watching TV late night.

The reason I ask this now is where I put it will determine which cage I get because of the space available also I have read that they don't like their cages moved so wanted it to be a permanent home for it.

I was thinking a nice compromise is the bigger cage in the bedroom but a play tree type thing in the living room when we are able to supervise the out of cage time everyday but not sure. Probably will end up getting a playstand regardless but was thinking I would need a bigger or more elaborate one if I put the cage in another room.

Also do any of you travel with your bird? I have read how to set up a travel carrier and such for road trips and everything so I am guessing I would just get a large one and use it while in a hotel room or a tent when camping rather than board my bird and him feel neglected.

We don't travel much at all so I am only talking a few times a year if that but it is still something I was thinking about and wondering what all of you do when that type of thing comes up.

So what do you think?

They are usually happiest being with their people as much as possible. But, they also need 10-14 hours sleep per day as well. How late are you up at night? You may want the cage in the living room, but if you are up late, go watch TV in your bedroom once it is birdie's bedtime. You could also put the cage in the bedroom and use a portable parrot tree of some type to take into the living room, or in whatever room you do your work in as well.

roxynoodle said:

They are usually happiest being with their people as much as possible. But, they also need 10-14 hours sleep per day as well. How late are you up at night? You may want the cage in the living room, but if you are up late, go watch TV in your bedroom once it is birdie's bedtime. You could also put the cage in the bedroom and use a portable parrot tree of some type to take into the living room, or in whatever room you do your work in as well.

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We only have one TV and its in the living room. My house is like 600 square feet and I have always thought we watch to much as it is lol. My hubby got a 42 inch for his bday last year and I think its way to much TV for my house so never got another one.

To answer your only question I am up to 3am almost everynight because I work at night so I guess the portable tree idea is a good one.

I can work in either room but usually in the living room.

Regardless he is going to need a playgym or tree stand. Its good to practice interaction with your bird while it is away from its sleep cage or territorial agression could be a potential problem. I have a large cage in my dining room away from noise from late night living, and a playgym that rolls into whatever room I want when its his out of cage time. And as far as the travel carrier, its best to have one on hand whether you travel or not because emergencies aren't plannable and you may need to transport your feathered friend in a hurry. roxynoodle's suggestion is a good one on the little portable tree stand until you can make plans on a bigger one.

Mitchell said:

Regardless he is going to need a playgym or tree stand. Its good to practice interaction with your bird while it is away from its sleep cage or territorial agression could be a potential problem. I have a large cage in my dining room away from noise from late night living, and a playgym that rolls into whatever room I want when its his out of cage time. And as far as the travel carrier, its best to have one on hand whether you travel or not because emergencies aren't plannable and you may need to transport your feathered friend in a hurry. roxynoodle's suggestion is a good one on the little portable tree stand until you can make plans on a bigger one.

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Thanks for the input, it helps to hear from bird owners .

I will probably just do as mentioned and get a bigger cage to keep in the bedroom with a portable playstand/gym to roll into the living room area. I have seen some online that look like I could attach several toys and things to it to keep him entertained along with just being social with us.

Thanks

Yes, the more interesting the play gym, the better for most birds I think. And the kind you can attach toys to usually have cups for food and water. Sounds like the bedroom would be the best place for the cage, and taking the bird with you to the other rooms during it's waking hours will work best for you. I forgot you did that one night shift for your job.

And yes, get a carrier soon. When you have an emergency, you have an emergency. The little plastic cat carriers work fine. You can put a towel or old shirt in it so the bird isn't sliding around on the plastic floor and feels more comfortable. With birds it seems like when you have to go to the vet, you have to go right NOW! They often try to hide illness, so once they show you signs, they need to go.

You will probably actually need the carrier to pick up your baby from the breeder won't you? If it is being shipped it will come with one. That's generally part of the shipping cost that the breeder charges you for, and then it is yours.

roxynoodle said:

Yes, the more interesting the play gym, the better for most birds I think. And the kind you can attach toys to usually have cups for food and water. Sounds like the bedroom would be the best place for the cage, and taking the bird with you to the other rooms during it's waking hours will work best for you. I forgot you did that one night shift for your job.

And yes, get a carrier soon. When you have an emergency, you have an emergency. The little plastic cat carriers work fine. You can put a towel or old shirt in it so the bird isn't sliding around on the plastic floor and feels more comfortable. With birds it seems like when you have to go to the vet, you have to go right NOW! They often try to hide illness, so once they show you signs, they need to go.

You will probably actually need the carrier to pick up your baby from the breeder won't you? If it is being shipped it will come with one. That's generally part of the shipping cost that the breeder charges you for, and then it is yours.

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yeah all good points thanks . Actually he is being shipped to me from IL on Delta but I meant the travel kind I see on the net that have like a perch and stuff for road trips. Or maybe that is what they send it in? I don't know. He did say there would be a carrier he would buy for the flight and I would pay that.

It's going to be the plastic cat type then because those are airline approved. You could always drill a hole in each side, low to the floor and add a perch if you'd like.

roxynoodle said:

It's going to be the plastic cat type then because those are airline approved. You could always drill a hole in each side, low to the floor and add a perch if you'd like.

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Oh ok cool, and good idea about the perch. Certainly cheaper than the 100 or so for the bird carriers online I have looked at.

Definitely! And if you've been looking at the acrylic ones, some here have reported their birds getting overheated in them. They may not have good enough ventilation, and then the sun hits them through the car windows, and the birds get too hot.

Now while you are actually in the car, I think it might be hard for the bird to perch, with the bumps in the road and what not. But you could add the perch once you get to your destination. I think that is what I would do.

Sounds like you've already got a plan figured out but I thought I'd add that we have our Pionus' cage in the livingroom and keep odd/irregular hours and Tate does just fine. He actually puts himself to bed, crawls inside finds his sleeping spot and does a cute little whine to be covered up. We just use a sheet to block out the light and he sleeps just fine. I just feel that you and your bird would be happier if he/she was caged in the livingroom. That way it can eat, play, entertain himself, and you comfortably. In my experience they tend to bore easily w a playstand.....just my two cents : )

Thanks for the additional input! I appreciate it alot. I had no idea there was so much to figure out when I started on this road to being a birdkeeper

Just to offer a different perspective:

Some people get a nice little travel cage & use it as a sleeping cage, too, and then either use a playstand or a 'day cage' where the bird will spend its time.

If the sleep cage can be used as a travel cage, the bird should not be as stressed when putinto the cage to go to the vet, or elsewhere.

My Pionus came with 2 brush boxes as portable perches (about 14" x 8" rectangular wooden boxes with a wooden dowel for a handle running lengthwise about 12" above the box - people with horses carry their brushes, hoofpicks, etc., in them to groom their horses - sort of like a rubbermaid caddy, but wood). They sit on tables or chairs or on the floor & can be carried with you to keep the bird with the family, without taking up permanent floor space.

Also if you have a small space & you own your home (so are allowed to put eyebolts through the ceiling) you can get hanging perches or cages or boings. (We have a boing that hangs above a bird-safe plant - if the bird gets to the plant, no harm to the bird. If the bird poops into the plant . . . less clean up for me!) And it takes up no floor space, so you can fit more into a small room. [Although as a baby, you probably would want a hanging cage or just the travel cage, until his balance is good enough to perch up high & he is bonded enough to stay with you.]

Just some thoughts on other ways to house your bird.

Thanks for the thought, I can see where the travel cage would be less stressful this way and that would be a good thing as well. It is so much to learn and think about

And I don't know if it s a "Pionus thing" but Beaker puts himself to bed, too, as the mood strikes. He is flighted, so he will fly to his cage, crawl onto his sleeping perch, and make little noises - if you listen closely, he is doing his verbal repertoire - "Beaker!" "Whatcha doin?" "He-he-he-he-he" and stuff like that, before tucking his head behind his wing & sleeping.

It is awfully cute. If you read my posts, you'll see me talking about the birds & often calling him "Bad Beaker" but he really IS a love.

I think the travel cage is a great idea actually! A Pionus is a small enough bird to have one. My sister had one for her Meyer's now that I think about it. She was doing a lot of weekend trips and things with her then bf, now husband and she would bring him to my house in the travel cage. I think she also used to take him to work in it. She headed a dementia ward then and the patients enjoyed having the bird there. I used to take Rowdy to work on teacher work days and used my carrier and brought along her little table top play gym that could just sit on a desk. I never took here there when I had students though as I figured it would be really disruptive to the learning process. She also has a tendency to swear sometimes at strangers who approach her too quickly. I didn't want that at school, lol! The kids probably would have loved it, but I bet I would have gotten calls from parents.