CAG with one leg

[LADyver]

I'm watching my friend's one-legged CAG for a month in our home. After watching her move around her cage and looking at her foot, I made a few changes and would like to make more. Hopefully when the owner comes back she likes what she sees. :-/ The first change I made was to steal my Caique's corner shelf and add it to the CAG's cage. It was a total hit with her. She's always on it, and spent the first few days preening all day long. She was probably getting to feathers that she couldn't get to previously without risking a fall from her perch! I was also delighted when she completely shredded one of her toys...and it was the only toy by the shelf. She has the latex-bendy perches in her cage, which I'm a bit worried about because they are no longer sold, I'm hoping they don't pose a threat. It's certainly a better material to cushion her foot. I'm going to get some vettape and wrap up some of my caique's half-sized manzanita perches so I can create a gradual ladder from one shelf to another. The second shelf I purchased isn't as nice as the first, I think the wire would be too thin to stand on with one foot. Any ideas of a safe material I can use to cover it? I do have a sewing machine, so it would be no problem covering it with something. I just don't know what. Fleece? Fleece with cardboard underneath? The owner says she pretty much stays in one place all day long, but I'm thinking if I do this right, she'll probably be motoring around the cage in no time flat. BUT, I don't want to change things on her too quickly, either. I'm assuming the change from her house to ours is enough of a shock. It took her about 3 days to start talking. Has anyone done anything to vertical cage bars to make it easier for a one-legged parrot to climb? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[AmnGus]

I don't have any experience with handicapped birdies but I wanted to say kudos for trying to make her life better <3

 

[TikiLola]

I think antipill fleece would work! There's got to be something that can be weaved through the bars that would work, but what? Hmmm....

Thanks so much for doing this for her!

 

[LADyver]

I will have to say that I never would have opted to own a one-legged bird, but after playing with this sweetheart, I'm hooked. There's really nothing she can't do for herself aside from get those pin feathers on the back of her neck, but my able-bodied caique has issues with that, too! Plus she's used to being carried around like a football, there's just something hilarious about that.

 

[Teasha]

You can hang up a net or weave sisal or hemp rope through the bars.

 

[Daisy's Mom]

I have a disabled birdie who is missing his toes on one of his feet. And how nice of you to help your friends little one. You could definitely use a piece of fleece or sherpa fur (I get mine at the local fabric store) and like you mentioned put a piece of cardboard under it... I have a long shaped flat perch that extends across his cage and I use extra padding and wrap and tape it at the bottom but then luckily my little guy isn't much of a chewer so he doesn't bother the tape. You could also get a happy hut like this one Kings Cozy Hideout Large - HUTS/TENTS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE or Betta Bed© Snuggly Hut Large - HUTS/TENTS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE so she can rest her footie at night. If your crafty you can probably make one..

 

[AmberMuffinz]

It's not hard to make little tents. I made a triangle one with openings on both sides with fleece and a piece of cardboard in the middle. You could also use cutting boards from the dollar store for the middle as well, that way it has less chance of being bended.

I also second the fleece idea. You could put a piece of cardboard too and two layers of fleece if you want it to be softer. I just fashioned a make shift platform perch with a ladder and fleece wrapped around it, although my cockatiels are much smaller and weigh much less than a CAG lol! How nice of you to make these changes too.

 

[Parrotadise]

what about using a platform I think Delta sells them with fleece on them just a sugguestion

 

[Anne & Gang]

I am also thinking you can make her o ut of cage time more fun.....we have a handicapped tiel....he cannot perch at all...he does fly though.....we made flat surfaces from boards....we put a board on top of our other tiel's cage, put papers and food etc on top and toys and he can go up there if he likes...he can also go on top of his own cage which is a huge rodent cage..we made a board for up there too, with papers down, toys and food and water etc...I bet if you made an area for the bird outside of the cage and provided toys, it would give the cag more to do and more to explore.

 

[Birdy_in_VT]

We use fleece in Zazu's cage but it is of higher quality and doesn't pill at all. He can't perch either and if he's not using the top bars like a monkey, he's pulling himself on the fleece. So far no problems related to rubbing.

What we do is constantly clean up the poop and change it on a nightly basis. We made enough covers to last a couple weeks and just wash them regularly.

 

[Marlene]

That is a lucky birdie! Hope the owner likes the changes you make.

 

[LADyver]

Wow...great suggestions! I have to move a little slower....I think I got lucky when I put in the corner shelf. She took to it with NO issues or hesitations. I bought another shelf with a thinner wire (to thin for her to put all her weight on IMO), so I dug out the sewing machine, took a trip to the fabric store, sewed a pad (batting sandwiched between canvas...washable) to put on top of the wire and sewed a really cute flamingo anti-pill fleece cover that can also be removed and thrown in the wash. I liked the flamingos and final product. Spike on the other hand, not so much. I forget that sometimes colors and new things are a little freakish for our feathered friends. I put in a ladder and the newly modified shelf, and she didn't move at all day, didn't even touch her food. So I took both the ladder and the new shelf out. I might just have to be happy that she took to the corner shelf! I know she likes her latex perches, but the wire is rusty and exposed on parts and they don't have much life left. And I don't know who else sells them. She really doesn't bite on things, so vet wrapping a perch wouldn't be a bad idea, but the latex is still softer and cushier, and she's used to it. The UK and Australia still sell the latex perches, but I can't find them in the US! MY PET Latex Bird Perch 24" - Pink Green Or Blue - Budgie etc - Safer than Rope! | eBay Maybe I'll have to track down the manufactuer. She's in a small cage (not too small, but small enough where adding perches and shelves is logistically tricky), so it's a challenge to add things while keeping her normal paths free and keeping toys available to her without them getting in the way. Gosh, I'm in love with her, I always had this idea that greys were kinda nasty if you didn't happen to be "their" person (I've been bitten by quite a few), and this one breaks all the molds.

 

[Parrotadise]

have you thought of putting memory form under the fleece for comfort?

 

[Tay05]

Just be careful he nails don't get too long and the fleece trips her!

 

[LADyver]

That's why I made a canvas pad with light batting to put under the fleece cover. It's enough cushion to prevent feeling the shelf wires, but not enough to sink in. The owner chooses to keep the nails and beak long and sharp (but not overgrown) to help her grip the perches. I put the shelf back in the cage today, but didn't place it in her normal pathways like I did last time. She can still go about her normal routine and doesn't have to cross its path, but hopefully she'll get used to it and maybe even explore it.

 

[LADyver]

.....so Spike's owners just came over last night and picked her up. We've been bird-sitting her since early July and she's such a sweetheart cuddlebird with me. In the beginning, I made a ton of changes to her cage set up and revamped her diet....her feather condition went from a bit tattered to perfect, and her one foot (which was a bit irritated on the bottom from standing on it 24/7) went from pinkish to normal. Her current owners are phenomenal and took on the task of rehabbing Spike to make do with what she's got when her original owners told the vet under no uncertain terms that they didn't want a one-legged bird. I've spoiled Spike rotten (in a good way, not in a way to cause issues) while I've had her and the owners asked me last night if we would consider keeping her because they feel we can offer her so much more . I 'm not sure how to approach that with my husband and it would completely derail my plans to add a Hyacinth to the family (max two-bird limit in this household, not enough time or cage space for more than two birds). My question to you all would be......are there any medical/arthritic issues I might have to work with in the future with a one-legged parrot? I wouldn't be afraid of taking that on, but I want to go into it with eyes wide open. She isn't fond of men and tried to attack my husband through her cage. To his credit, while we've had her he's kept his distance and hasn't antagonized her in any way, so he's still a clean slate. I'll probably bring this up on a behavior board, but with a lot of hard work would it be possible to get her to tolerate my husband? I've always known greys to be one-person birds, but Spike didn't even have to warm up to me, somehow she considers both me and her current owner as "her people" and I can handle her freely without concern. She's very unusual for a grey! Thank you for any advice. I don't make impulse decisions too well!

 

[Anne & Gang]

you have already done most of the work and given her a wonderful home in the last little while....I think you can handle this..in fact, I know you can.....of course you would have to deal with arthritic issues later on..but you might have to with a two legged parrot as well...and so what if it derails your plans to get a hy.....isnt looking after this beautiful girl and giving her a wonderful chance at a fantastic life reward enough? I say keep her...

 

[Birdy_in_VT]

You sound completely able. We didn't know what to expect with our first special baby and it's just like having kids. You improvise, worry, cry, make mistakes and in the end, you make progress if you are open to change and rolling with them.

With regard to your husband, all I can say is keep trying. We adopted a sun who lost all it's toes to frostbite. The prior owners kept him in a laundry room and the male of the house hated the bird. It screamed constantly and the husband would go in, bang and shake the cage and yell at him. He HATED men. I wasn't used to scared birds and owned a several conures, one day I asked for a kiss and he latched onto my lip so hard I thought he split it wide open. I walked away without reacting.

I didn't push him but I also didn't ignore him. I would let him out, sit on the other side of the room by myself and he eventually would come closer and closer. It did take a year, but now he'll let me pick him up, pet him, he crawls in my shirt just like the sun's we've had since they were babies.

Good Luck and let us know what you decide!

 

[Lexii]

You can do this! Besides it sounds like you're head over heels for her already . Let us know what you decide!

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

You need to ask yourself what you would get out of owning a Hy compared to what you would get out of helping this little one. Which one of these would you rather do right now? Are you really sure you can live with a Hy? What would be so special about having a Hy and is it so much different than what you could get by helping this little lady?