Hi all,
A family member of mine is urging me to take on the family parrot, they’ve had him for 12 years and are out of their wits due to their lack of bird knowledge. I’m a wildlife fosterer so because I often have wild birds in my care they want me to take him.
He’s lived in the same musty unclean cage for his entire life so I’m setting up a brand new cage for him so he is getting a completely fresh start.
I’ve refurbished out a 3 tier cat crate I have so he has much more room than his current cage. It’s not quite a parrot cage but I’m adjusting it to suit his needs.
I know parrots are incredibly different from the birds I usually care for (wild garden birds usually) and he will need a lot more stimulus and climbing apparatus, I’m in the midst of setting it up.
Here’s what I currently have on hand - I know it’s barren. I’m looking for suggestions on what else to add to the cage. Even though I want more perches I’m worried about overcrowding - what’s the point of he can’t hop from perch to perch if half of them block his wing span?
I’m also looking for suggestions for safe bedding. Most bird cages have wire bases but of course - being a cat crate - that isn’t available. Would simple newspaper suffice? It could potentially act as enrichment to tear up as well? I know the tray may not be long term since it’s plastic and I know a parrot’s need to chew everything, but that’s a current stand in for food and water bowls as I don’t have anything that fits against the cage’s bars.
Next suggestions I’m looking for are toys. I know cardboard is a birds best friend, and I can DIY most toys with my own cardboard extras around the house. But I’m looking for toys I can hang to potentially fill out the cage better. Non-painted/dyed wood is a safe chew correct?
Thank you for any and all suggestions - trying to work on a time crunch to get him into a better environment ASAP.
A family member of mine is urging me to take on the family parrot, they’ve had him for 12 years and are out of their wits due to their lack of bird knowledge. I’m a wildlife fosterer so because I often have wild birds in my care they want me to take him.
He’s lived in the same musty unclean cage for his entire life so I’m setting up a brand new cage for him so he is getting a completely fresh start.
I’ve refurbished out a 3 tier cat crate I have so he has much more room than his current cage. It’s not quite a parrot cage but I’m adjusting it to suit his needs.
I know parrots are incredibly different from the birds I usually care for (wild garden birds usually) and he will need a lot more stimulus and climbing apparatus, I’m in the midst of setting it up.
Here’s what I currently have on hand - I know it’s barren. I’m looking for suggestions on what else to add to the cage. Even though I want more perches I’m worried about overcrowding - what’s the point of he can’t hop from perch to perch if half of them block his wing span?
I’m also looking for suggestions for safe bedding. Most bird cages have wire bases but of course - being a cat crate - that isn’t available. Would simple newspaper suffice? It could potentially act as enrichment to tear up as well? I know the tray may not be long term since it’s plastic and I know a parrot’s need to chew everything, but that’s a current stand in for food and water bowls as I don’t have anything that fits against the cage’s bars.
Next suggestions I’m looking for are toys. I know cardboard is a birds best friend, and I can DIY most toys with my own cardboard extras around the house. But I’m looking for toys I can hang to potentially fill out the cage better. Non-painted/dyed wood is a safe chew correct?
Thank you for any and all suggestions - trying to work on a time crunch to get him into a better environment ASAP.