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Does My Cockatiel need a cage?

Armin

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Hi
My Cockatiel hasn't any cage and She/he be in my home freely.
Does My Cockatiel need a cage?
 

Jas

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Well if you have other pets or live with others then, absolutely yes. Or you work and the bird is left unsupervised they can get hurt.

A night time cage people often use. It's only for the bird to sleep in.

It gives the birds its own space, if you don't like the idea of A cage, then perhaps providing a room that is made safe for your bird. With lots of toys,. No cables, covered windows, play stands, perches and gyms food and water etc. But this needs to be the birds space.
 

sunnysmom

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It really depends on your living situation. My cockatiel lived cage free during the day. But I had bird proofed a room that had doors that I could shut for when I wasn't home. So he didn't have full access to the house when I wasn't there. He did sleep in a cage. He preferred to as I think he felt more secure in it at night and I also felt better having him sleep in a cage.
 

tka

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You need to think very, very carefully if a bird can be left unsupervised in your home.

First of all, is there any way it can escape? What will you do if you want to open a window or a door? A bird can be out of a window or a door before you know it and you will definitely be too slow to do anything about it. Do you live with anyone who might forget and open a window or door and allow the bird to get loose? The solution is not to clip the bird's wings - this causes completely unnecessary stress to the bird and has long term effects on their health. Flying is the best form of exercise they can do. The onus is on us to adapt our environment to the bird, not to clip them as an easy solution.

Secondly, is there anything in the house that can cause harm to a bird? Birds will investigate and potentially chew on anything. If there are any painted things, it needs to be non-toxic paint. All wood must be bird-safe - so no toxic woods and no wood that's been treated with preservatives, stains etc. Is there any fabric that a bird could chew and ingest, or get tangled up in? Remember that your bird won't always be supervised, so you won't always be there to stop them from chewing something or to rescue them if they get themselves into trouble.
Related to this, if you have any other pets then your bird will have to be kept apart from them for its own safety.

Thirdly, is there anything in your house that you don't want a bird to chew? Any books, art, clothes, furniture, ornaments, papers, electronics, cables etc? Again, you won't always be around to rescue your stuff so there's every chance you'll come home and your bird has made its own entertainment. Too bad that awesome shredding toy was one of your books or an important letter!

Fourthly, how much do you care about bird poo? Birds cannot be toilet trained to poo at certain times. Their bodies aren't designed to hold it in for long periods - poo adds unnecessary weight which is bad for flight. So your bird is going to poo while living free and you don't have much control over where it decides to poo. Could be on a carpet, could be on your clothes, could be on your computer...

Most people on here either have a cage or a bird-proofed room for their birds. It means that we can leave the house, go to work, go to sleep etc and KNOW that our bird is in a place that's as safe for them as we can make it. Leia, my bird, is out of her cage when I'm at home but when I'm not in the house or asleep, she's in a big cage full of toys for her own safety.
 
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painesgrey

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You need to think very, very carefully if a bird can be left unsupervised in your home.

First of all, is there any way it can escape? What will you do if you want to open a window or a door? A bird can be out of a window or a door before you know it and you will definitely be too slow to do anything about it. Do you live with anyone who might forget and open a window or door and allow the bird to get loose? The solution is not to clip the bird's wings - this causes completely unnecessary stress to the bird and has long term effects on their health. Flying is the best form of exercise they can do. The onus is on us to adapt our environment to the bird, not to clip them as an easy solution.

Secondly, is there anything in the house that can cause harm to a bird? Birds will investigate and potentially chew on anything. If there are any painted things, it needs to be non-toxic paint. All wood must be bird-safe - so no toxic woods and no wood that's been treated with preservatives, stains etc. Is there any fabric that a bird could chew and ingest, or get tangled up in? Remember that your bird won't always be supervised, so you won't always be there to stop them from chewing something or to rescue them if they get themselves into trouble.
Relatedly to this, if you have any other pets then your bird will have to be kept apart from them for its own safety.

Thirdly, is there anything in your house that you don't want a bird to chew? Any books, art, clothes, ornaments, papers, electronics, cables etc? Again, you won't always be around to rescue your stuff so there's every chance you'll come home and your bird has made its own entertainment. Too bad that awesome shredding toy was one of your books or an important letter!

Fourthly, how much do you care about bird poo? Birds cannot be toilet trained to poo at certain times. Their bodies aren't designed to hold it in for long periods - poo adds unnecessary weight which is bad for flight. So your bird is going to poo while living free and you don't have much control over where it decides to poo. Could be on a carpet, could be on your clothes, could be on your computer...

Most people on here either have a cage or a bird-proofed room for their birds. It means that we can leave the house, go to work, go to sleep etc and KNOW that our bird is in a place that's as safe for them as we can make it. Leia, my bird, is out of her cage when I'm at home but when I'm not in the house or asleep, she's in a big cage full of toys for her own safety.


A thousand times, this. Cages aren't there to be prisons, they're there to provide a safe space for the bird to be a bird. Cage-free living is great if you have a bird-proof dedicated room and the proper home. Most people don't.
 

TikiMyn

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Agreed with the other posts:) They already explained very elaboratly why cages are important. I have two cage free birds in their Own room, the third is caged in that room. She is blind and being out unsupervised is not safe for her (yet):)
 

janicedyh

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Yes, even if you hardly use one. Unless you have a dedicated room with a door (which technically is just a huge cage). There is danger in your home...electric wires, wood that is not safe, paint etc. My guys are out the most of the time. I think they enjoy having a space to go into when guest come over or if they want some time "alone". If my IRN sees me pick up my purse or a coat she automatically goes in her cage. At night I tell her its night night time and she goes in. I think she likes the routine.
 

Lady Jane

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Pet birds and parrots are particularly sensitive to several of household dangers. There are several reasons for this, including a bird's small body size, a fast metabolism, and a hyper-efficient respiratory system.

What parrot isn't curious, though? Many pet birds love to explore everything with their beaks. It is up to you to be vigilant about protecting your bird from the dangers in your home and to be prepared for unexpected emergencies. Two MUST HAVE bird supplies that will allow you to prepare for parrot emergencies are Dr.Burkett's important Avian First Aid DVD and The Bird First Aid Kit.

But, how about learning how to prevent many potential accidents in the first place. Do you know the top household dangers for birds? Hundreds of pet birds experience household accidents each year but you can take steps to protect your bird now.

1) Poisoning
A bird's health is endangered by a wide variety of toxic substances that are commonly found in the home. Parrots can be poisoned through ingestion (eating) or inhalation (breathing them in). One of the most common poisons for pet birds are insecticides or pesticides. Don't use chemicals around your bird. Control Insecticide is safe for use around birds.

Other poisons include ammonia, bleach, many glues, nail polish remover, oven cleaner, paint, perfumed candles, and heavy metals (e.g. lead and zinc). Poisonous plants are also dangerous, especially holiday plants. Learn about safe plants for your aviary here.

2) Non Stick Coatings (when overheated)
Nonstick coatings demand special mention because so many household products contain this fatal product. When overheated, non stick coatings emit several extremely toxic fumes that will kill birds in minutes.

Birds are particularly susceptible to teflon toxicity due to their hyper-efficient respiratory system. Teflon is found on non stick cookware, waffle irons, and bread machines. It is on irons, ironing board covers, curling irons, space heaters, blow dryers, self cleaning ovens and other appliances. NEVER boil water on the stove top to add humidity to the air. It is way to easy to forget about it and kill your bird.

3) Open Water
Toilets are the most common source of open water in your home. A lot of us put our pet bird on a shower perch in the morning for a quick bird bath and quality time. Don't forget to put the toilet lid down! Other water dangers to watch for are sinks, bathtubs, buckets, and your dog or cat water bowls. Hot pots of water on the stove are a frequent cause of death in pet birds.

4) Unhealthy Foods
Unhealthy foods might kill a bird. Birds can't digest foods that are high in sugar or salt so they end up with Fatty Liver Disease. Some foods are imminently dangerous, meaning they will quickly result in death. Avoid avocados, chocolate, caffeine and alcoholic beverages. Read this article to learn about the foods that are deadly for birds.

5) Electrical Cords
Birds explore with their beaks and for some reason, they enjoy electrical cords or exploring uncovered outlets. Electrical burns are extremely critical and frequently deadly. Nasty, painful throat burns take months to heal- IF your bird survives. Please conceal electrical cords as much as possible or if possible, hide them in ordinary PVC pipe. Cover all outlets with child safety devices. If you use an electrical bird heater or bird light, insure that the cord is safely concealed. Again, common PVC plumbing pipe will do the trick.

6) Bird Toys
Make sure your parrot is not able to break off or remove any toy parts that it can choke on. Strong beaks can break some plastics into small parts that may be swallowed causing choking or digestive blockage. We hear about small toy parts getting stuck in the beak, too. Stick with very reputable bird toy manufacturers like Super Bird Creations, Planet Pleasures and several others found on this website.

Always provide your bird with the correct sized toy for its species. If you think you can save money by purchasing a smaller version of a cool bird toy, think again. No one wants to come home to a bird that has choked or injured itself on an inappropriately sized bird toy.

Rope toys should be examined at least weekly because birds love to pick and preen the string. String or rope bird toys are dangerous if they have frays that are long enough to tangle around toes or your birds neck.


7) Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans pose a serious danger when unclipped birds fly into them. Being animals of prey, birds are inclined to feel a little anxious about moving objects above them and many birds find a ceiling fan to be stressful. Afterall, hawks fly over wild birds in the hunt. Make sure that your pet bird is well supervised when your ceiling fan is on.

8) Windows, Doors, and Mirrors
A bird that flies into a window or mirror may experience a concussion or broken neck. Frightened birds naturally fly toward the light to escape. It could be a window or a door, but mirrors reflect the light in the room, too. Hitting solid glass at full speed can easily break your birds neck or cause a concussion. Keep your birds wings clipped to minimize this risk. Even interior doors can be risky. If your bird likes to sit on the top of an open door it could be injured when the door is closed.

9) Other Pets
While birds often live happily with other family pets, you should always be careful when your bird is around them. Even though ypu may think it is very cute for your bird to cuddle up to a dog or cat, the fluttering motion of birds attracts the prey instinct in cats, ferrets and dogs and the bacteria in a bite or scratch can be fatal to you bird within hours.

10) Air Quality
Birds are especially sensitive to contaminants in the air. Aerosol products of any kind should not be used around your bird. Cigarette smoke has been implicated in respiratory disease in pet birds. Even nicotine from your hands can transfer onto your birds feathers and cause illness. Carbon monoxide is also dangerous to birds, so use a carbon monoxide detector in the home and be careful not to run your vehicle in an attached garage.


Common Household Products That Kill Parrots:


Aluminum cooking bags
Automatic dishwasher detergent
Avocado
Bleach
Carpet freshener
Cigarettes and cigarette smoke
Cleaning solutions
Coffee grounds
Chocolate candies
Epoxy glue
Essential oils
Ethylene glycol (antifreeze, film)
Flea collars and sprays
Furniture polish
Homemade play dough (toxic levels of salt)
Leather protecting sprays Linoleum (contains lead)
Matches
Mothballs
Medicines (both prescription and over the counter)
Oven cleaners
Personal care products
Pesticide strips, sprays, foggers
Pine oil cleaners
Plant spikes and all fertilizer
Plug-in air fresheners
Potpourri oils
Poisonous plants (inside and outside)
Spray starch
Tea tree oil (Melaleuca)
Teflon cooking pans
Thermometers (contain mercury)
 
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Tara81

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bird proof room or a cage yes :] Remember if you get a cage to let her out at least 3-6 hours a day as much as possible ;] 2 hours minimum in case of a super busy day / special event. I'm sure one or two days of her being in the cage all day isn't TOO bad as long as it is a rare occurance, but it has to be a good size cage. (When I was sick I left my tiel in the cage for a day but I moved the cage near to where I was resting so she didn't feel lonely ).

If you don't have a cage or bird proof room, the bird could fly out the door when you come home from shopping / work / visiting etc. If you cook the bird could fly in the pan and die !
 
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Armin

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Well if you have other pets or live with others then, absolutely yes. Or you work and the bird is left unsupervised they can get hurt.

A night time cage people often use. It's only for the bird to sleep in.

It gives the birds its own space, if you don't like the idea of A cage, then perhaps providing a room that is made safe for your bird. With lots of toys,. No cables, covered windows, play stands, perches and gyms food and water etc. But this needs to be the birds space.
Thanks for the answer.
No, I just have CoCo. In fact, CoCo sleeps in the lunchroom. He/She gets a place for sleep.
 

Armin

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You need to think very, very carefully if a bird can be left unsupervised in your home.

First of all, is there any way it can escape? What will you do if you want to open a window or a door? A bird can be out of a window or a door before you know it and you will definitely be too slow to do anything about it. Do you live with anyone who might forget and open a window or door and allow the bird to get loose? The solution is not to clip the bird's wings - this causes completely unnecessary stress to the bird and has long term effects on their health. Flying is the best form of exercise they can do. The onus is on us to adapt our environment to the bird, not to clip them as an easy solution.

Secondly, is there anything in the house that can cause harm to a bird? Birds will investigate and potentially chew on anything. If there are any painted things, it needs to be non-toxic paint. All wood must be bird-safe - so no toxic woods and no wood that's been treated with preservatives, stains etc. Is there any fabric that a bird could chew and ingest, or get tangled up in? Remember that your bird won't always be supervised, so you won't always be there to stop them from chewing something or to rescue them if they get themselves into trouble.
Related to this, if you have any other pets then your bird will have to be kept apart from them for its own safety.

Thirdly, is there anything in your house that you don't want a bird to chew? Any books, art, clothes, furniture, ornaments, papers, electronics, cables etc? Again, you won't always be around to rescue your stuff so there's every chance you'll come home and your bird has made its own entertainment. Too bad that awesome shredding toy was one of your books or an important letter!

Fourthly, how much do you care about bird poo? Birds cannot be toilet trained to poo at certain times. Their bodies aren't designed to hold it in for long periods - poo adds unnecessary weight which is bad for flight. So your bird is going to poo while living free and you don't have much control over where it decides to poo. Could be on a carpet, could be on your clothes, could be on your computer...

Most people on here either have a cage or a bird-proofed room for their birds. It means that we can leave the house, go to work, go to sleep etc and KNOW that our bird is in a place that's as safe for them as we can make it. Leia, my bird, is out of her cage when I'm at home but when I'm not in the house or asleep, she's in a big cage full of toys for her own safety.
Thanks for the answer.
In fact, CoCo poo on my head, my laptop, carpet, my desk, My paper, my hand and anywhere. :)))) I haven't any problem with poo.
In my house isn't open windows because I'm living tropical regional and most of month use AC. and in winter isn't open windows.
I want to get a cage for CoCo's home. I think CoCo should have a home like me.
What do you think?
 

Armin

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Yes, even if you hardly use one. Unless you have a dedicated room with a door (which technically is just a huge cage). There is danger in your home...electric wires, wood that is not safe, paint etc. My guys are out the most of the time. I think they enjoy having a space to go into when guest come over or if they want some time "alone". If my IRN sees me pick up my purse or a coat she automatically goes in her cage. At night I tell her its night night time and she goes in. I think she likes the routine.
Does your bird obey from you for sleep?
 

Armin

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Does CoCo eat in the cage?
I want CoCo only eats in the cage.
 

tka

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I think getting a cage for CoCo is a really good idea. S/he won't be in the cage all the time and you must give him or her several hours out of the cage every day. However, cages are very useful to keep CoCo safe when you aren't around.

It's important that the cage is big enough for CoCo. It should be at least 1.5 to twice the length of her/his wingspan to give CoCo enough room to stretch, move around, and play.

Which country are you in? Perhaps we can help you find a good cage.
 

Armin

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I think getting a cage for CoCo is a really good idea. He/she won't be in the cage all the time and you must give him or her several hours out of the cage every day. However, cages are very useful to keep CoCo safe when you aren't around.
Thanks.
Do I learn to CoCo that eats only in the cage?
 

tka

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If you place the bowls in the cage, CoCo will probably eat there.

Sometimes my bird likes to fly with pellets in her beak to eat them somewhere else. However, the cage does contain quite a lot of her mess!
 
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