Obsessed with the cage door

[DRB]

When I leave the cage open she perches on the cage door way up high or a perch on the outside a tad lower. I noticed that Perjo has to fidget with the door and get it opened to just the right spot. She'll grab onto the cage above the door with both feet or one and then reach her beak out to pull the cage door closer. She then gets on the cage door and uses her beak against the cage to push the door to where she wants it. She'll spend 3 minutes getting it perfect sometimes.

Anyone else's fid need a memory function for the cage door?

It cracks me up every time.

 

[Lacewing]

There are toys made for smart parrots that are puzzles and look like a lock mechanism. Perhaps your bird needs challenges beyond what you currently have.

 

[Alex_Kiki]

Kiki's favourite place is the cage door. She can go where she wants, but within a few minutes she'll go back to her favourite spot.

 

[DRB]

I've got some toys that challenge her, I just think she is that particular about the door. She was in a phase in which she would close it and slide the swing tab safety latch to secure it shut when she was out of the cage.

I get a little worried sometimes b/c she plays atop the door so much and fidgets with it that I'm afraid she'll slam it on her own neck.

 

[Scott]

I can't relate similar experiences with cage doors, but there is no doubt parrots are prone to obsessive behaviors just like their parronts!

One of my Goffins loves to open the side doors that have water dishes. It is a difficult lock that is round and has one notch to secure, but he manages. Others like to carefully place wooden shards from toys between cage bars. Some prefer specific colors of pellets, even though they seem to smell and taste (!) identical.

 

[DRB]

Perjo plays with the main lock when she's out on theatside of the door but she doesn't seem too interested in trying to escape though. From my limited reading in here CAGS don't seem to be consistent escape artists.

 

[Alex_Kiki]

Kiki will open the door by climbing on the outside and flap her wings.

She does the same when it's open and she's on the inside. She knows exactly how to get our attention this way as we all look worried at her then. But she's careful enough to not let it close too violently. :31:

 

[SailBoat]

If your Parrot is commonly perching on the door or any of the other square surfaces on the cage structure, ensure that you pay close attention to the pads on their claws (feet). This type of perching can result in the same pad failures as is seen on undersized perches, especially dowels. The only difference is the location of the pad failures.

This problem can become serious quickly 'IF' they perch on the square bar or undersized perches as their primary perch. If you are providing a larger than standard perch, natural branch style for your specific species as a night perch and other alternative perches are available in front of their food and water bowls that should off-set any problem with the square bars and/or undersized perches.

For additional information and how a proper sized perch will provide equal pad pressure (photo) see the Segment in the I Love Amazons - ... Thread, found in the Amazon Forum - "Getting to the Foot of the Problem."

 

[DRB]

Due to advice on this forum I have all sorts of different sized perches for her all over the place. Some rope, some flat and smooth, a dowel, and some hard abrasive types. I think she gets a good mix of textures and sizes to help prevent problems with her pads and comfort.