Shallow cage for amazon/ways to adapt cage?

[ravvlet]

So, my vet and I have been working on this with supplements for arthritis and his heart, as well as starting enalapril, but Kirby has poor grip and that sometimes results in him taking a spill from a perch.

His favorite cage perch, which is at just above the level of his food/water bowls, is about 2-3ft from the floor of the cage; there is a terrible THUNK when he slips and falls. I’ve been discussing with her the possibility of adapting his cage or getting a new one (the one we have came with him almost 3 years ago, and it wasn’t in great shape then - I know for a fact now that I’ve got Sammy’s newer A&E to compare it to, that the paint on it attracts way more dust and is harder to clean). I’ve been thinking about replacing it anyway, so I’m trying to find out what my options are here.

I’ve seen some people report success in “lifting” the cage bottom by inserting stuff higher up - but he does sometimes go on the floor of the cage and I don’t want him eating fallen food that might be spoiled or shredding poopy paper, etc (I change the paper every day, but he does get chop in the cage in the AM and I don’t want to be obsessively changing the paper every time he poops!).

He doesn’t seem to have problems with falling on his tree - possibly because the branches he likes to sit on are thinner.

His vet and I also agree he still needs to be able to do SOME climbing. Has anyone here made a cage for an amazon that still allows climbing, but for which the cage bottom isn’t so deep that they can hurt themselves? Rabbit cages tend to be too shallow, and ferret cages are about the same height as his current cage, and the bar spacing is off for all of those.

I feel like the better solution would be to get a newer A&E of the same size (basically the same cage we have for Sammy, which also has narrower bar spacing that might be easier on him as well) and figure out how to put something in so he can’t fall the whole way - maybe a rope net made of sisal? Would be an absolute pain to clean though. If anyone has a clever idea I’m all ears.

 

[HeatherG]

I had a very old arthritic Quaker, Lucy, and for her last five years (of 25) we just didn’t use the top third of the cage. I gave her ladders laid horizontally to perch on, triangle corner perches, a large heated perch wrapped in vet wrap, and chuck pads on floor of her cage. She didn’t often fall if every thing was tested out, the right size, easy to grip and very steady. Lucy had a bad leg and couldn’t fly, both due to injuries as a young bird.

Does your bird like to rest on his tummy? Ladders work well for that. Flat perches (like a board), corner porches made of dowels or wire, and way oversized perches that are easy to grip work well with that. Warmth is also nice and seemed to make my older Lucy feel better. She liked to have her feet rubbed and would moan and groan. And I was glad to hold her and cuddle her.

Lucy found some comfort in meloxicam. It took the edge off and limbered her up. She also liked to lay on my lap or pillow or chest and get her weight off her feet.

I just tried MANY MANY perches and watched her carefully to see which worked and which didn’t, or which she didn’t like and wouldn’t use because she couldn’t grip. Before her second leg injury, she really liked big rope perches. After that she could not grip with her foot and they moved too much so we went to ladders and porches.

For travel I had a rat cage, wire top and sides, plastic bottom. I took the wheel out and added a low perch so she could perch if she wanted. I lined the travel cage with chuck pads, too.

If your guy is falling, I can tell you you can use upholstery foam under the chuck pad, a flat pillow, or layers of towel, I could get Lucy’s cage set so she would not fall. And she liked to walk around on the bottom of her cage playing with foot toys and sticks and you can’t fall off the floor.

If you have any specific questions I would be happy to troubleshoot. I have had a number of older or disabled birds and I got them all set up pretty comfortable. Of course, I have had arthritis since I was a kid so I know what makes ME painful and I could watch Lucy and fix her problems pretty well.

Lucy was my best friend. She had an incredible, sweet, naughty personality. She loved music and singing and attention. She’s been gone two years now. I miss her and think of her often. I am glad she is not painful any more, though. Enjoy your time with your little old man. Thank you for caring for him while he is old and creaky.

P.s. you can spot clean chuck pads by picking up wet food or heavy poop with a tissue. I was able to use them usually for two days, but not always.