Housing For Your Parrot This for people who wish to cage their parrot; I don’t believe in caging my parrots for humanitarian reasons. If you decide in caging your parrot, here are the best tips I can offer you.

When you decide to house your parrot is a very important factor to keep these things in mind; it is the difference to between a healthy parrot with normal behavior and a parrot with behavioral problems. You really need to keep in mind the life expectancy of your parrot. Parrots have the ability to live beyond 20 years of age. That is why it is important to create a happy, healthy and fun home for your parrot.

Your caging should be considered carefully. You must allow enough space for exercise, entertainment and self-expression for your parrot. Remember it will be in a cage for a large part of the day while you are out. Buy a cage that fits into your home. If you want to buy a macaw, ask yourself, “Do I have room for that large of a cage,” if the answer is “No,” then it is probably a good idea to rethink as to what kind of parrot will fit best in your home. Get a parrot that fits into your home in cage size, then a parrot that you have no room for. You will both benefit from this decision.

Dimensions of Your Cage Get a cage that offers a comfortable environment for you and your parrot and is suitable for your home. At minimum; the dimensions of the cage need to be considered, from the bottom of the cage to the top of the cage. The size of the cage should be twice the size for your parrot to fully expand its wings and one and half in length for room for its tail.

Bar Spacing on the Cage The cage spacing is critical as it could be a difference between an injured parrot and a healthy parrot. It should be narrow enough so it cannot get its head through. The bars should both be vertical and horizontal so they have both bar spacing to climb around on. If you cannot find a cage with both bar spacing, get a cage with vertical bars; as it is easier for them to navigate on. The thickness of the bars is very important to keep in mind. Parrots have very powerful beaks. It is usually recommended that you get a wrought iron or steel cage. Though they are costly, you will benefit and be grateful in the long run.

Design of the Cage and Perches It is best to get a rectangular cage, as it fits best in your home, it may take up a little more room but there is more room for your parrot to hop from perch to perch and play. Tall cages are impractical as parrots do not fly up and down. Round cages lead to a situation of constant cleaning because the droppings will fall on the lower perches and into their food and water bowls. Also a round cage is ineffective because your parrot can only climb the bars and move from only one perch comfortably.

The perches should be of hard wood like Manzanita or iron wood. I prefer Manzanita as it is easy to clean and it is difficult for your parrot to chew through. Getting a softer wood is costly and you have to replace them more often. Sand paper covered perches is not recommended because they can lead to serious foot irritation, sores and deep infections. Get different widths as it will be comfortable for gripping on their feet and it will give your parrot more of a chance to exercise.

Dishes for Your Parrot Dishes are very important as it is what they will be eating out of and drinking water from. Get the dish for the size of the parrot, a cockatiel isn’t going to eat out of a macaw dish and a macaw isn’t going to eat out of a cockatiels’ dish. Get dishes that are easy to clean and to disinfect. The positioning of the dish is very important put it where your parrot likes to eat and drink. I do not recommend putting them near the bottom of the cage or on the bottom of the cage; you will find you will be cleaning them constantly. Put them in the middle near a perch. Get dishes that attach to the cage. They will be thrown. Amazons in particular are renowned for throwing. If your cage does not have holders for the dishes, there are metal holders that can be attached to the cage.

Toys There are no quality controls on toys for your parrots. Therefore you have to check the safety of the toys yourself. Parrots like bells, hanging toys, wood and rope. Rope toys you have to watch carefully, as they can get entangled in their feet when the rope tethers. If it tethers just trim it with scissors. Make sure the toys you get do not have small parts that will come off, as they can be swallowed. Like a child’s toy, just make sure it is safe for your parrot to play with. Experiment with toys and see what they like to play with. Get enough toys so you can rotate them so your parrot won’t get bored.

It should be fun and safe when you decide on housing your parrot. Keeping this all in mind will lead to a healthy and happy life for your parrot. The expense will pay off in the long run as your parrot may out live you. It is not just housing your parrot; it is making them feel like it is a fun and a safe room to be in. Remember this is their room in your house as it is just like your bed room is for you.