Older bird. New cage?

[kozykitty]

I'm adopting a 30 year old BFA. She comes with her cage. She belonged to an elderly lady who went to a nursing home. The cage isn't as big as I'd like--maybe 18 X 24 x 30(if that)--dome top. It appears to be powder coated paint and has 2 metal perches. The owner of the shop handling the adoption was pretty horrified by the metal perches. He is going to clean the cage and put some branch perches in there. There are no seed guards or skirts or anything. The bird has been living in a stacked cage in the shop for about 3 weeks to a month but had her cage probably most of her life. I want to get a larger more modern cage with a play gym on top but I don't know whether it's best to have her in the cage she's familiar with while she gets used to being in our home.

I have 3 cats and I'd feel better with a larger cage so I will have to move the cage into another room when I'm out if she stays in the small cage. I'm still trying to figure it all out. If I can get her to step up, then I'll just put one cage upstairs and one in the family room and move her when I need to. Right now I don't know if she will let me hold her yet and I want her to be around us. She's apparently not a biter and she seems quite mellow. I'm sure she's quite tame given her past. Any suggestions?

 

[Scott]

You are awesome for adopting an older parrot! Hopefully she will thrive in her new environment.

While the current cage is familiar and may prove a place of refuge in the near term, your idea of a larger home with playpen is excellent. Perhaps you can place both cages adjacent, and place intriguing toys and food in the new one. Let her observe the environment and give her choices. It sounds as if you can reasonably update and make safe her present cage for a transition.

 

[RavensGryf]

Last year I replaced Robin's cage. I've had Robin for 21 years, and he had the same cage all his life. When I knew his cage finally needed to be replaced, I was the one afraid of the change. Turns out Robin was just fine with taking right to his new cage! I should have known, he's always been such a go with the flow kind of guy.

When I got Raven, I put him in an older cage I had. Only about a year later I had to get him a new one, and he seemed displaced for quite a while. Then there's Griffin who couldn't wait to get into his new cage.

It seems regardless of how long or short a time one has had a certain cage, they all react differently, and it might surprise you!

Like Scott says, I set up the new cages by the old ones. That was fun in an 11x18' room... I couldn't wait to get the old cages out of there! It didn't seem to matter with my guys whether the old cages were there or not.

Good luck with your new girl!

 

[wrench13]

Each bird is different. My lil Maxie ( RIP) LOVED his old small cage, and it took awhile for him to get accustomed to the newer BIGGER cage. Eventually he did, but he would RUN like mad across the floor to hop into his old one, like when we needed to really clean the newer big one.

 

[Kiwibird]

I would definitely plan on an upgraded cage, but be prepared for the small chance she is really attached to her old cage and may still prefer it to a bigger home. Amazons can be funny like that, and while bigger is usually better, it isn't the case 100% of the time. The major things is for the bird to be happy.

My BFA has been in 3 different cages since we adopted him and had no adjustment issues to any of them (including the massive one he's in now). He'll climb right on in and make himself right at home. Now my parents got their birds 40+ years ago and they all came home in these smaller (by todays standards) stainless dome cages that were totally considered normal at the time. Some years ago, my mom bought all of them new, large powder coat cages but only the cockatoo ever took to a bigger cage. The amazons flat refused to go anywhere near bigger cages even after several weeks to adjust, my mom returned them (the cages, not the amazons!). They are still living in/perfectly happy with their original small cages and likely will until the day they die.

 

[SailBoat]

I make it a big point to assemble the new cage next to the old cage and if at all possible involve my Amazon as part of the assembly of the new cage. As with all things new, sometimes the new 'thing' needs to show-up a few days early and sit for a little time. Since mine and other member's Amazons love boxes, take advantage of turning the box ownership over to your Amazon either during or after the project is completed.

Commonly by the time the new cage is assembled (add additional time if your Amazon is helping) and the toys have been added they will more than likely be ready to move in. One of the important parts of introducing a new cage is to transfer most of the Amazon's old toys, etc...

Best of luck and thank-you, for taking on an older Amazon.

Amazons Rule!

 

[kozykitty]

Gloria seems pretty well adjusted. She's in a stacking cage right now--the bottom of 3--the other two having young zons looking for new homes. The shop owner said that she just sat in the corner for a few days when she first came but then she started talking up a storm. I've been visiting her several times a week and singing to her which she seems to like because when I walk out of the room, she starts sounding annoyed until I go back and sing to her some more (I'm a music teacher --retiring in June). She will be my first parrot but I had some experience when I was younger taking care of a relative's BFA for extended periods over about a 25 year span. I've always wanted one but felt I couldn't give it the attention they require. Something just touched me about her and since I'm retiring in a few months, I felt I could give her a good home.

That being said--I don't know if I can move her existing cage up and down the stairs until I get the new one. Our first floor is open and there are no rooms that can be shut. We can separate our two floors though. The three cats have always had the run of the house and two of them are basically blobs. My plan is to leave her in our family room in the new cage once she gets it when we are not home but her old one may be a little small. I need to make her existing cage safe. It appears to be 18 - 24 inches off of the floor and I thought that I could raise it up with bed risers (those things you put under bed legs to raise the bed higher). There are no seed skirts or guards so I could certainly add that. My question is--would it be better to make a skirt out of window screen which the cats couldn't tear or just to get one of the fabric ones? There are only two dish doors so I will need to add another dish for her fresh food. I also need to figure out what kind of liner to use. A friend of mine uses pine pellets in her cockatiel cages (basically it's just natural pine pellets used for cat litter and in horse barns.) Not sure if I like that idea as when I had budgies, I just stacked a bunch of paper and peeled off the layers daily.

If worse comes to worse, I can shut the cats upstairs where they still have all the comforts of home. I just don't want them resenting their new sibling. I want to do right by all of them. Thanks for all the help. This forum has been wonderful and I've been spending the last week here!

 

[Dopey]

Can't you wait and see what the cats do? I have three cats. They are ages 12-15 and they could care less about the birds. The birds could care less about them. The cats will walk by the cages and the birds don't even bother with the tails of the cats and all the cats do by the cages is walk by them. They don't stop and stare at the birds.

It was suggested to me once (and I did it) to talk to the cats and tell them what is going on - a new bird is coming into the house. And then just tell them what to expect. Don't you talk to your cats now? If so, then you understand what I mean. If not, you will once your birds comes home because you will be talking to it.

 

[kozykitty]

Thanks. I talk to my cats all the time! I'll also set up the cage a few days ahead of Gloria actually coming so I can tell them about her. They've seen parrot videos on youtube! LOL

Funny--people in this forum that have both say not to worry. Just know your animals (which I do) but those that don't have cats say they'd never have both. I can't imagine a life without my cats. My young female is the one that's unpredictable--She runs to the window whenever she sees a squirrel. On the other hand--anyone or thing that comes in the house scares her and she hides so who knows how she'll react! I figured that I'll see how she responds to the cage which I'm picking up this afternoon (Thursday). Gloria is coming home on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

I have 2 indoor cats and was a bit worried since my large male Maine Coon/Tabby (18 pounds) is about 6 years old and runs to the sliding door every time he sees a squirrel or a bird outside and acts like he wants to chase it. He is very skittish of anyone or anything that comes inside though, and is Ok with Zilla as long as she isn't making her higher pitched noises (which she does just to watch both cats run down the hall) and isn't trying to chase him down for a "taste" of his nose. He is mostly afraid of her though. He wants NOTHING to do with the flapping wings, high pitched loud noises or beak that tries to "taste" his nose!

Zilla was 28 when I got her and was in a super small rusty cage her whole life. I got her the biggest cage I could afford that would fit in my living room! She was terrified of it for days! I set it up next to her old cage and when she was out both cages were open & had toys and treats/food/water in them. I would put her in the new cage and she would immediately get out as fast as she could and go sit on the door of her old cage and glare at me. It took some time but she eventually started going in and playing with the toys & having a "snack", climbing around checking it out. After she was doing that for a few days I took the old cage and put it in the back bedroom and waited several weeks before I got rid of it.

My only regret with her new cage is I wish I had gotten a play top instead of a dome top. I was thinking the dome would give her more room inside to play & climb, but what I hadn't taken into consideration was how much she loves to hang out on top of her cage and the dome is a bit hard to negotiate and it's really hard to find ways to attach toys so they can be played with, walked around and taken off for cleaning, not to even mention covering at night! She can also play a good game of "keep away" with me when she doesn't want to go back inside since this cage is as tall as I am or a bit taller and I can barely reach the middle of the top, so she just runs to the back or front or down the other side!

 

[kozykitty]

Amanda_Bennett--you said that Zilla's cage was in the living room when you brought her home. Did she stay there when you weren't home? This is what I'm not sure about. I can't move Gloria's cage into the guest room all the time as it is up a full flight of stairs! She'll be in our family room. Once I get the new cage and get her used to it, then I'll put the smaller cage upstairs. If she steps on my hand then I can move her from cage to cage. I don't know how that will go yet. She doesn't seem to be a biter but whether or not she'll step up right away will determine a lot of things! This is why I want to make the old cage higher and put something around the bottom--some sort of skirt or seed shield that will also keep the cats from the bottom of the cage.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

Yes, she has always lived in my living room. I am considering a sleeping cage for the back bedroom since she likes to go to sleep way before I do, but I haven't done it yet. I usually just go to my room shortly after she goes to bed....LOL

 

[kozykitty]

Thanks! That makes me feel better. I have to leave the house by 7:30 when I work so I'll have to put Gloria to bed a little earlier since she will get up right before I leave. The cats tend to come up and sleep near us so they should be okay. I figured I'd bring her home on the weekend so I could observe how they all acted.

 

[Taw5106]

When I took Buddy in he was 24, he's 26 now. But I got him a new cage and he took to it with no problem. Here is a pic of the old one, I know it's hard to ignore the 70 lb booty balancing, and the second is his new cage. It's sturdier and I feel better having him in it.

 

[kozykitty]

Hopefully I've embedded the pic correctly. I've attached a photo of her cage. I feel like I need another perch. The shop took out the two metal perches and they let me choose a nice java wood one. The perch isn't really stable though. I feel like I need a metal backing or a large washer on the inside of the cage to stabilize it. Has anyone else ever had that problem? I have more toys for her but I didn't want to put them all in at once. Should I get another perch? If so, what type is good? The cage measures 19 inches deep, 28 inches wide and the tallest part of the dome is about 36 inches. I want to get one that is at least 24 -30 inches deep, 36 inches wide and taller than this one. Thanks for all your help!

 

[RavensGryf]

I'd put more perches in for sure. Shorter straight bolt on natural wood perches. You can also use a boing or a swing as one of the perches. As far as the problem you're having with the large Java wood, you're right it needs larger supports where it bolts the cage. See if they have any huge stainless steel ones at the hardware store.

Tracey, you know how much I LOVE that pic of the 70 lb booty there haha he's my favorite!

 

[Taw5106]

I use 2" washers for Venus' perch. Here is a picture. I recommend two, 2" washer and use the smaller washers on the outside of the 2" washers. The picture here is Buddy's sleep perch and he's much lighter than Venus but I keep 2" washers handy now.