Why go cage less?

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Why? Doesn't a bird feel their cage as their safe spot, their home, their bedroom?
What's the benefit, for both bird and human?

 

[KimKim]

I've been thinking about this too, how do you keep a bird from flying/walking Around the house if cageless?

 

[KimKim]

Oh and if your bird is cageless, can you post a pic of its set up?

 

[QuakerMom]

While my bird isn't cageless, she is rarely shut in. She maybe spends 5 minutes every week or two shut in her cage while I mop. She HATES the mop and it's just safer if she's shut in.
She never leaves her cage by herself. Even before she broke her wing, when she could still fly.

I think some birds are this way and others want to explore. I would imagine the cageless birds are either happy to stay on a play gym or a stand, or they have their own room devoted to them and therefore no cage.

 

[TessieB]

I wouldn't go cage-less because there are too many dangers for an unsupervised pet bird. What if that beak got to work on the nearby lamp? Grab a wire and get electrocuted. I've seen too many birds with heavy metal toxicity due to chewing on drawer pulls. Not to mention the ones that come in with wounds from the family cat or dog. Then there are the injured who were attacked by the ceiling fan. Also, the poor souls who drowned in the toilet are very sad to see.

No, I wouldn't go cage-less unless I lived in a shack with no power, no indoor plumbing, and no windows.

 

[getwozzy]

I believe there are some members here who do cageless, but then you would have to station train them (train them to stay put) so they don't wander.

I personally can't do cageless with Chili because she's such an inquisitive trouble maker and tries to eat anything and everything lol I can't trust her unsupervised. But my amazon I could've probably done cageless...but he was a perch potato and hardly got himself into trouble. I could trust him unsupervised.

I think it depends on the individual birds, the household environment, etc.

 

[Sc0tt]

Cage-less doesn't make any sense to me. Being in a cage is more beneficial I would think to a domestic parrots health rather than being without one. This obviously isn't the same for parrots living in the wild, but your home is not like the wild..

 

[Birdman666]

1. Some birds behavior improves, and they are happier, if they are outside the cage.

2. Cages take up a lot of room. Especially if you have Ginormous play stands, like I do. (My big playstand DWARFS my macaw cages.)

3. Playstands are sometimes easier to clean than cages.

Frankly, my cage doors haven't closed in ten years. Other than a place to go to eat, and occasionally to play with their own personal toys, my birds pretty much congrigate on the big playstand.

EXCEPT the GW macaw, who has her own playstand, and cage top,

and my red lored amazon, who has her own playstand, and has not been back to her cage except on cleaning days in probably five years...

OTHER than feeding and cleaning days, where I can lock them up and keep them from getting into stuff they shouldn't, mine never get caged. And frankly, half the time I just put them outside on the tree and prop the front door open so I can see them, and they can see me...

 

[SoCalWendy]

Rio certainly enjoys her time outside her cage, but I wouldn't feel it safe for her if she was unsupervised. Too many things to investigate and get in to. Then there are those moments when I just need for her to be inside her cage. Like when I am cleaning, cooking, or trying to use my iPad, like now.

 

[Jayyj]

Alice has her cage door open as long as I'm home and out of bed. If I leave the front room without her though she always takes up station at the cage entrance, ready to retreat if danger presents itself and I'm not around to protect her - so the cage obviously serves a purpose for her as a safe place. Normally she has 5-7 hours with me during the day and she'll spend the bulk of that hanging out with me whatever I'm doing, but after a few hours she often gets bored, and then she'll wander back to the cage to play with toys. I've come to think of it more as her bedroom than a place of confinement.

She likes her java tree but only for ten minutes at a time, then she wants to be back with me or back around the cage - and she panics and calls frantically for me if I leave the room whilst she's still on the tree, so she doesn't seem to feel secure there.

I guess a lot of it is down to what the bird is used to. I do like the idea of birds that are free to come and go as they please, but I'm happy enough with a bit of a compromise.

 

[nyspy]

I've always done cageless. Never had a problem, but then again, my house is about as birdsafe as it can be.

Parrots in general can never be completely domesticated. It's not their natural environment. Even when I had my conure, the cage was never closed; the top of the cage was open and there was a ladder down off the cage onto the floor.

For me, it was about freedom for the bird. It just didn't seem natural. Then again, it's up to the individual owner on what he/she wants to do.

If you have small children, dogs, or cats, cageless won't be safe for the birdy.

Mine have free run of the house. Do they make a mess? Occasionally, but if you're the type of person to clean up as you see a mess, it's not a big deal.

For the most part, Duke hangs on the perch all day and doesn't go anywhere and Pretty Birdy walks all over the place. Both birds are super happy and their rehabilitation is progressing very quickly.

It is completely up to the owner which way they want to do it, but if your birdcage has a door that's completely open all the time, you might as well replace the cage with a perch / playstand and be done with it.

Just my .02

EDIT: I'm also super tolerant about things getting destroyed.. like my brand new tablet that I had for 3 days. I have a 3 year old little girl so I'm used to getting things destroyed, lost, etc. For me, I'd rather the bird be happy. It's also super fun to see a bird waddling around the house.. makes it feel less empty.

 

[tab_xo]

How can anyone at all go completely cageless in a house?

Because there would be the kitchen which is not safe, plus all the electrical appliances ?

Unless there was a full room with nothing but bird things then it couldn't be 100% safe right?


I could never go without a cage, although Fargo is barelyyyyy in it, he doesn't sleep in it either!

But when i go outside and ride horses, or go to horse competitions, i could never leave him out!

He wouldn't eat the computer, but i would be more worried he would eat through the window or door hhahahah


I think they like having a cage, if it is full of fun things then they shouldn't have a problem

Fargo absolutely loves his cage! He never has a problem going in it, provides him time to forage through all his foraging toys !


In december my parents are most likely buying another house, which i will live in, so the space is alot bigger than my room.. So Fargo will have a whole new space to fly around and play in.. And the bathroom will be seperate, so he can't get access in there..

He could even just have a room to himself, but i will still have his cage!

If a bird loves their cage, then i don't see a problem with them having a cage!

 

[henpecked]

I've been on both sides of the fence. My mother had a amazon that lived cage free and often in a tree in the yard. My zons (pets and rescues) live in cages with doors open 24/7. That said, i sometimes close them in when i leave or having issues with them going "walkabout". IMO there's times when a cage is necessary to move them or keep them safe. The cage is more about their safety then their "happiness". I need for their cage to be a sanctuary in a time of need or emergency. Think power outage,flood,fire, hurricane or a vet visit. I find it is helpful to have them happy to be in their cage and not trying stuff them into something when the kitchen catches fire. I put toys and dishes on top, have play stands they can reach with out my help, but balk at them not having a cage. many of my zons (almost all) spend almost all day out of their cage but sleep inside. My long time hen nape hasn't had her cage door shut in ,, years.And if i locked her in all day it wouldn't cause her any stress. If you want to keep them on a perch,,, mount it to the outside of their cage that has their travel cage sitting on top.Most of my birds have more perches on the outside than the inside of their cage. Just my old fashioned .02 worth.

 

[nyspy]

There is definitely no right answer except for what's right for you. Cageless is a whole new load of responsibility though. The last week, I've had a cleaning crew in my house and I can tell you I played "move a bird" the whole time.

Pretty Birdy attacks everyone except for my daughter and I. So that was a fun experience.. lol. He spent quite a bit of time on the bathroom counter, because it was the only place in the house he hasn't figured out how to get down from yet.

If you're asking the question, I would honestly have to say you're not ready for a cageless experience. There are times when it makes sense (overly cage-aggressive bird that needs massive rehab), but for many, a cage-optional lifestyle is the proper balance.

I'm *literally* in my house more than I am outside of my house. I *might* spend 12 hours a week out of the house and that makes me a good candidate, because I'm always with my birds. (They're like velcro to me).

The big problem with going cageless is once you do, getting the bird back into the cage is going to be traumatizing for them if you need to switch back.

 

[cstambaugh]

I went cageless with my Greenwing. Why?....

1. He was cage aggressive during the adoption. He would climb to the top of his cage and never come down, ever. Its harder for you to gain trust when you are chasing the bird around.
When he went inside of his cage, he would lunge if you tried to change his food or water.
All of that went away when he went cageless.

2. He has his boundaries that we wont cross when he's not in the mood. That way he doesnt feel threatened or that he doesn't have his own personal space. He has unquestionable rule over his area. Its so much easier to step-up and step-down also.

3. You have no idea how easy it is to clean. I treat it like a big kitty-litter box. I just break out the kitty litter shaker every now and then and rake up the clumps. It takes maybe 2-3 minutes if its been a long while. No newspaper, treys, etc. Also, the kitty litter hides most of the mess so its a little more bearable to be around.
Also, food and water is just right there.

4. Safety isnt a concern for Zeus. He never gets down on his own. He really could if he wanted to, but he hasn't, and I doubt he ever will. He feels 100% safe on it.

5. Cages look like an old zoo. A nice perch with a beautiful macaw on it is much more appealing than looking at a bird in a box.

 

[shawn]

like some said. it all depends on the bird and if its trained. some birds are trained or dont bother going anywhere else besides their area of their home. cageless is a great idea. it gives it more freedom and i would say the bird would feel better. i would love to do cageless, just have a corner with some perches/toys for your bird. but that would work if you have a couch potato bird or its trained.

 

[tab_xo]

Just because a bird has a cage doesn't mean its a bad thing like they are in a zoo

So many people say cages are horrible, but for Fargo, a cage is just another play area he spends a bit of time in..

He LOVES his cage, from day one, he never has a problem going in it, never screams whilst in it..

He even goes in it himself during the day and plays with toys..


There is NOTHING wrong with having a cage, as long as your bird likes it too!



I just don't understand if you have to leave for a full day, or something happens and you are sick, is the bird to roam free around the house, even if they are trained? Birds are cheeky things, they are likely to go for a wonder every now and then


I will never ever ever go cageless, and Fargo is fine with that, he has a brilliant room to play in most of the time...

I would rather a bird having a room full of toys and gyms, and occasionally going in his cage





Sorry my room is messy, middle of the day, not time to clean yet

 

[mrgoogls]

cooper is in a cage, but i also have dogs/cats and such. maybe if i didnt have other animals or could devote an entire room to bird i would go cageless.

Tab- all of the things you have for Fargo never ceases to amaze me

 

[kq_fan]

It might be ok in a bird room with little budgies, love birds, parrotlets etc. in the summer when there's no heater so they don't burn their little feet. But then you need to be carefull about little wanderers behind the door! I don't because I worry to much.....

 

[tab_xo]

I dont understand, in the wild, birds fly from tree to tree..

They dont sit on the one perch...

They aren't trained to just sit on one gym..

So how can anyone say, teaching a bird to stay on one gym only, any better for the bird?!?!?



I would rather a bird who flies around the room, plays on all the gyms... and go in his cage for 2 hours a day...

Rather than a bird who doesn't have a cage, but he spends his day just sitting on one gym?


I know Fargo is much happier with his whole room rather than just being taught to stay on that gym ^




If you teach your bird to just stay on one gym, isn't that basically exactly the same as a cage? Just without bars? :S


Just like, if i had to live in a specific area, it wouldn't bother me if it had walls/bars or even a hedge around it... It is still one tiny area i am stuck in....




NO ONE can provide the right environment for a bird in their house, i just try and give Fargo as many different things to play on so he doesn't get bored sitting in one spot.