You could speak to your friend and see what type of cage he has now. Find out how destructive he is. And ask his advice on the cage you bought for him. I know that my Macaw prefers to be outside of his cage anyway. If I am at home with him he is rarely in his cage. His cage dosen't have really thick bars and he has never damaged his cages. I do realize that he could if he set his mind to it. Anyway IMO the most important thing is he will be well taken care of and loved very much. Congrats on getting one of the most beautiful birds in the world. I am so happy for you.