Keeping my indian Ringneck in her cage while at work

[Bubbatheparrot]

Hi everyone,
Just wondering if it's safe to leave my bird in her cage in the morning when I go to work.
I live in a unit complex and getting ready at 6:30AM I don't think my neighbors would appreciate her chirping.
She usually is free out of her cage all day when I wasn't working.

Thanks

 

[Flboy]

An unsupervised toddler alone, loose, can get into fatal actives in a heartbeat!

 

[Scott]

Are you returning to work after lengthy absence due to Covid or other issue? Definitely safer inside the cage! Many folks are in similar dilemma and may have to evaluate larger cage and/or enrichment toys in their absence. Parrots are highly visual, computer monitor or TV may be great source of entertainment.

 

[Kaytana22]

Are you returning now or in a few days? If you have some time maybe adjust your birdie over time to spending time in it's cage?

 

[noodles123]

You must cage her because the alternative is far too risky. Try to start with short caged absences. I say "going to the store" if I will be gone 1-3 hours and "going to work" if the absence will be longer. Using key phrases helps them anticipate and judge time. This can decrease anxiety...Key phrases are huge for everything (including household routines).

If you are worried, you can also get a baby monitor that streams video online, or use a laptop to create a live (but private) youtube stream. Send the link to the stream to yourself so that you can pull it up on your phone or on work computer to see how she is doing. You can run it all day in the background and it will also give you an idea of the noise level, as well as any odd/anxious behaviors or injuries.

Do make sure you have a large cage and try to start leaving for short periods of time before leaving for full days.


I would also consider a fallback plan in case the screaming is too much. This is one reason why it can be very risky to keep birds in apartments. In the event that your neighbors complain, make sure you have somewhere you can stay or consider renting a house or a duplex if you have the funds. You don't want to wait and have to scramble in the event that your landlord ends up getting frustrated with the noise.


**Make sure you remove any huts/tents etc (that should happen no matter what for parrots, even if you weren't returning to work, due to hormones) but they can get tangled in them as well. I would consider taking out any frayed rope toys or rope toys in general because they can get toes caught in them and if you aren't home, you can't help.

 

[Ria.345]

Hello,

I believe you are okay in this situation as long as your indian ringneck is in an enclosed, yet big enough, space where the door is securely locked. Especially since parrots could be great escape artists, it's important you are securing the cage properly in any way so that he or she will not destroy your house or cause any trouble by the time you're back from work.

It's also important to have lots of enrichment in his or her cage so that they are distracted by something else while you are away.

Keep in mind of your schedule though. Lengthy and/or excessive hours away from your bird is not always going to suit your bird's needs. Maybe have someone watch your bird on certain days? That may not always be possible, but just a suggestion. You can even try a pet camera so you are sure that your bird is safe in their cage and not doing anything destructive.

Besides these things, you should be fine if the cage is secure and you are not working such long hours.

Have a great day!