How to keep a parrot safe out of its cage: Getting out of the cage to fly, socialize, and bond with you is an important part of a pet parrot’s daily routine. More so, it’s a time for both of you to spend time together and have fun. During this time, it’s important to make sure your parrot has a safe space, free of emergency exits and potential hazards.
Training your parrot can help, but it’s also important to close all doors and windows, eliminate hazards such as fans and cords, and make sure your parrot does his exercise in a safe place where you can monitor it.
Preparing for the parrot exit
All you need to know to prepare for the parrot exit
Let her get used to her new home
Do not trim your wings
This practice is encouraged for the taming of “wild” parrots. Except that it greatly reduces the stability of the bird that will no longer dare to move from the shoulder of the owner (giving the illusion that it is tamed). The feeling of insecurity and discomfort experienced by a parrot with cut feathers is nevertheless powerful enough to sometimes lead to aggression and does not help in any way to tame the bird.
- Ask the seller if your parrot’s flight feathers have ever been cut. If not, go to an avian veterinarian. Even if you want to learn how to cut feathers at home, a veterinarian should show you how to do it and accompany you through the process the first time.
- Always take your bird to a professional avian veterinarian to clip its wings. An unbalanced cut can cause your bird to crash land when it tries to fly. Another solution is to teach your bird to come on command, as a dog would.
Train the parakeet
The training begins by letting the parrot out and talking to it from the cabinet where it perched so that it approached. If the cage is very large, start by gently inserting your hand into the cage. Once she is used to your hand, you can remove her from her perch so that she lands on your finger. With practice and rewards, you will be able to train it to come directly to your finger using hand signals and vocal commands.
- It will be helpful to keep treats on hand during training, as parrots learn by associating what you want them to do with a positive experience.
- Training takes time, especially if you want to introduce vocal commands like “go up” or “in the cage”. Be patient with your pet.
Prepare your interior
Close all windows and doors
Before you take it out to play, you need to take a look at your home to make sure you have closed all windows, doors, and other access points through which the bird might escape. Even a bird with trimmed wings can hover long enough to escape, which is why you need to make sure all outward exits are closed before letting the parrot out of its cage.
- Don’t trust mosquito nets. Birds often manage to pull them out and they could also injure them. You must close all doors and windows.
- You could also cover mirrors and windows, as the parrot could rush on them. Close shutters and curtains and cover mirrors with a sheet.
Pay attention to certain devices
Turn off fans, warm lights, and appliances. Take a walk around the room where you want to let the parrot out. Turn off fans, overly hot lights, appliances such as gas stoves, ovens, washing machines, and anything that could hurt the bird while it is flying or landing.
- Open pans, containers, and flames are also dangerous for the parrot. Take care of it before letting it out.
- Avoid using nonstick pans, which emit toxic fumes for birds.
Lock up other animals
Your dog or cat, even if it’s just for fun, could accidentally hurt the parrot, which is why it’s important to contain all animals before letting them out of their crate. You may decide to put the larger animals in their cage or limit their access to the bird by keeping it in a room that other animals do not have access to.
- Also make sure that small animals do not have contact with the parrot, as an overly curious bird could hurt itself while going to see your other small domestic companions.
Hide anything the parrot might gnaw
Examine the area where you will let the parrot out to make sure there are no materials such as electrical cables or poisonous plants that could hurt your bird if it gets the urge to go and do its beak. Move the plants to another room and disconnect the cables or cover them with a hard guard.
- There are some common plants in homes that are toxic to parrots such as ferns, jasmine, many types of lilies, certain herbs, oak, poinsettia, poppies, tulips, honeysuckle, cacti, clover, and rhododendron.
Bringing out the parrot
Install the play area
You’ll find play stations with perches, toys, slides, swings, and ladders of different sizes at most pet stores and they will help you keep your bird active in a safe environment where you can catch it. Set up the play station in an area where your bird is not going to put poop in its water or food and where it has enough space to fly from one game to the next.
- Depending on the size and shape of the cage, you can install the play area on the upper floor so that the bird can drop to the bottom.
- Don’t forget to give him food and water while he spends time out of the cage.
Let it fly regularly by monitoring it
The parrot must be able to go out at least a few hours a day to fly. The larger the cage and the more numerous they are in it, the less time they require to get out. You need to keep a close eye on them all this time.
- Many owners take the opportunity to clean the cage during this time. Even though you will save a lot of time by doing both at the same time, cleaning the cage may require you to go to other rooms and divert the attention that you need to keep on your parrot.
Help your bird return to its cage
Some parrots will return to their cage between flights, but others will need your help to find their way back. If possible, bring your parrot to your finger and help her find her cage. If she refuses to return, take it easy and dim the lights. Parakeets don’t like to fly in low light, so you can grab them gently and help them come back.
- Don’t run after her to catch her. It could scare her and you could hurt her. The best option is to have it rest on your finger to bring it in with treats or, if it is still too wild, to lower the light when the evening comes by putting treats in a cage. When the parrots return, always repeat a code like “we’re going in” to teach your birds to return on command.
- Do not dim the lights to such an extent that you no longer see where the parrot is. If the room is too dark, the bird will no longer see the walls and obstacles and he could hurt himself.
Tips on how to get your bird back in its cage
SOURCE:Love of Pets
