Sleep on a stand?

[KatherineI]

I have heard of Macaws and large birds (not cockatoo's) living in homes while not having a cage, so I'm curious about something; Could it be possible for a cockatoo to sleep on tree stand at night while having a cage to go to during the day while I run errands or go otherwise out?

 

[PortaPerch]

Greybeard sleeps on a 1" dowel in an open cage, and now Chewbaca sleeps right beside him. I would take pix, but the flash would be very rude. Their feet are made for clasping branches, and their bodies accept angled branches just as well.

 

[BillsBirds]

Years ago, most larger birds were not kept in cages. They lived on T stands & Ring stands. Generally birds will settle down wherever they are when it gets dark. As long as you have made the area bird safe, there should be no problem.

 

[KatherineI]

Years ago, most larger birds were not kept in cages. They lived on T stands & Ring stands. Generally birds will settle down wherever they are when it gets dark. As long as you have made the area bird safe, there should be no problem.

Well, here's the thing; Sugar likes her cage - during the day. She plays in it, gives me no trouble about going in and having the door shut when I have to go somewhere. Yet, she will NOT settle down inside her cage at night. She keeps us up (we have the cages in the bedroom as that's where we spend the majority of our time right now) at night by constantly moving around and not settling in. Loki has never done this, he has always had a predictable sleeping spot (highest perch in the back of the cage with either a happy hut or a snuggle buddy). Sugar doesn't.

The other night I fell asleep and forgot to close her door. Hubs came up and found her sound asleep, on the top of her cage, just above the door (dome top cage). He didn't bother putting her away because he didn't want to wake her. We got a full nights sleep for the first time since she came home. The next night we put her away and after three hours of waiting for her to settle down, I finally went over, opened up the platform opening and she crawled back up to the top of her cage and slept soundly. We've stopped putting her away at night, as she just settles into that one spot.

We've also been having some expected jealousy issues with Loki, who eats on top of his cage. He will crawl from his cage, across the top of the dresser that's between them and hop on to her cage and then chase her around, whether she's inside or outside the cage. Whether we're there or not. So what I'm thinking I want to do, is move the tree perch into the bedroom where her cage is and let her sleep on the tree perch at night, and then move her cage downstairs and have her downstairs during the day, where she can climb in and out all the time, unless I leave and I have to lock her up. This way, Loki can go back to our old routine of being in and out of his cage freely to play and eat at his leisure, so then even if he goes over to the tree stand it will be fine because Sugar won't be there for him to bother.

I'm just apprehensive because I've never had a bird that wasn't caged at night.

 

[Mozzie]

It sounds like you have a good plan worked out. Peppers is not caged at night. However, we do have a bird room that is bird proof. So she can't get in to any trouble. She sleeps on top of her cage. When we first got peppers we put her in her cage at night, but she would pluck during the night. So we started letting her sleep on top of the cage. She never plucks now. She sleeps really good there. it sounds like Sugar might like it better not being caged to sleep. It should be fine as long as there is nothing for her to get in to.

 

[cdog]

I have the same problem, Sully doesn't like being in his cage so he doesn't go in until about 11pm and then he only goes in to eat so I have to catch him right when he goes in otherwise I cant lock him up. If I don't catch him I have to chase him around the room(he can fly), until he flies into his cage, which can take 1/2 an hour. I would just leave them unlocked all night except Bella likes to sit with me and one morning I woke up with her on my chest. That was when they had the cage they came with.. Petco Designer Green Dome Playtop Parrot Cage at PETCO, and she could unlock it so I woke up with her on me. Needless to say they have to be locked up now.
Anyway, in your case as long as the room is bird proof I say just let her sleep out of the cage.

 

[Remy]

When I was at my apartment, I left Puck's cage door open whenever I was home. He did sleep inside his cage, but he did just fine hanging out on his cage whenever I was home. I just put him in when I left.

I recently moved to a different situation, and I put him away if nobody can be in the room to supervise him. He's been sleeping in the living room, but I'd like to figure out a furniture situation where he can sleep in my room again, but without me having to move a whole big cage in here.

 

[KatherineI]

Yeah, she definitely seems happier, more lively, not being caged at night. I find it funny that she goes in on her own, will even let me put her away if I have to go somewhere, but when it comes to settling down to sleep - FORGET IT!

She tends to stay in one of two spots during the night; she's either at the very front on the top of her cage, or on the door platform. She doesn't move from those two places unless she decides to grab a midnight snack. I'm really starting to think this method will work.

Only roadblock is Hubs. He wants to keep the cage where it is, keep things as they are and just move her to the tree stand downstairs during the day. That way, if I/we have to go somewhere, both birds get music (I play music when I leave) and can "talk" to each other and get some semblance of interaction :-/ So now I'm not sure.

 

[Mayden]

You can always try both ways and see which the birds seem the happiest with?

I leave Merlins cage open at night, means he goes to bed when he wants (usually 10:30 on the dot) and means he can come out when he wants in the morning too, usually he flies straight down to our bed for cuddles with me and my other half before he goes work.

 

[KatherineI]

You can always try both ways and see which the birds seem the happiest with?

I leave Merlins cage open at night, means he goes to bed when he wants (usually 10:30 on the dot) and means he can come out when he wants in the morning too, usually he flies straight down to our bed for cuddles with me and my other half before he goes work.

I'd love to, but we move in 2 months (as of right now), 1500 miles away. And I only brought Sugar home a week and a half ago. I'm thinking about the stand in the bedroom for after we move, I'm leaving everything the way it is until then. I could try it then and see which I like more, which she seems happiest with, but with all the changes, I think it'll be hard to tell for a while.

 

[Mayden]

You can always try both ways and see which the birds seem the happiest with?

I leave Merlins cage open at night, means he goes to bed when he wants (usually 10:30 on the dot) and means he can come out when he wants in the morning too, usually he flies straight down to our bed for cuddles with me and my other half before he goes work.

I'd love to, but we move in 2 months (as of right now), 1500 miles away. And I only brought Sugar home a week and a half ago. I'm thinking about the stand in the bedroom for after we move, I'm leaving everything the way it is until then. I could try it then and see which I like more, which she seems happiest with, but with all the changes, I think it'll be hard to tell for a while.

Oh, ouch, that's quite a move!

I think you're right with keeping everything the same, poor Sugar might have a heart attack if you move her around 24/7

Good luck with the move, I think stand training will work out great for her, if she enjoys just sitting on top of her cage then I don't see any harm in the stand.

 

[KatherineI]

You can always try both ways and see which the birds seem the happiest with?

I leave Merlins cage open at night, means he goes to bed when he wants (usually 10:30 on the dot) and means he can come out when he wants in the morning too, usually he flies straight down to our bed for cuddles with me and my other half before he goes work.

I'd love to, but we move in 2 months (as of right now), 1500 miles away. And I only brought Sugar home a week and a half ago. I'm thinking about the stand in the bedroom for after we move, I'm leaving everything the way it is until then. I could try it then and see which I like more, which she seems happiest with, but with all the changes, I think it'll be hard to tell for a while.

Oh, ouch, that's quite a move!

I think you're right with keeping everything the same, poor Sugar might have a heart attack if you move her around 24/7

Good luck with the move, I think stand training will work out great for her, if she enjoys just sitting on top of her cage then I don't see any harm in the stand.

Thanks. It's going to be a huuuuuge adjustment for the whole family, so until then, I'm trying not to upset the balance of things here too much if I can help it. I really am thinking the stand in the bedroom will be ideal for her, otherwise, she'll probably be on the stand in the living room and the cage will kind of go to waste :20:

 

[henpecked]

I'd place his "travel" cage on top of his cage and let him get used to it. Open it up and let him sleep there if he will. Place food dishes there and let him hang out on it.

 

[Tammy]

Mr. Precious only goes in his cage if I have to run to the store. He sleeps on his Java tabletop tree stand from MSBS or on his playgym. (Both are in my bedroom). I don't have room in the bedroom for his cage & he doesn't like to be alone at night. I've never had a problem with him this way.

He used to sleep on the ceiling fan above the bed but I got tired of washing the quilt if he woke up before me & had to go potty. Also, he sometimes would poop on the dog because he was jealous!

 

[KatherineI]

I'd place his "travel" cage on top of his cage and let him get used to it. Open it up and let him sleep there if he will. Place food dishes there and let him hang out on it.

She and she's already used to the travel cage as she plays on it whenever I'm in the kitchen. That's not really a concern. Not to mention, she has a dome-top cage.