Where should I put my Eclectus' cage?

[ProbablyHarrison]

My eclectus will be my first bird and I've done a lot of research on what cage to get him and what to put inside it, but because of my living arrangements I was wondering if it's feasible for me to have his cage in my bedroom?

It's a pretty stable environment and I'm the only person who really goes in or out, and even then not often. Or should I consider having his big cage be his "play cage" and get him a smaller one to put in a different room for him to sleep in? I'm totally open to your suggestions, guys, so I really appreciate any and all input.

I'm just inexperienced when it comes to this stuff!

 

[MonicaMc]

It's typically recommended to have cages in the livingroom or diningroom where all the action is, and to keep birds cages out of your room because that's where you sleep! It's not healthy to be breathing in small dust particles and birds, although rather meticulously clean (when healthy), they still produce some amount of dust and other ick!

Having said that, I have slept in the same room as my birds! And I'll be doing so again probably by the end of this year! There's just no other safe place for the birds, let alone the space!


If the cage will be in your room, you may want to consider a move-able playgym to keep in the rest of the home.

 

[tab_xo]

Hello, and congratulations on your new eclectus

I have Fargos cage, play gym, ladders, everything, in my bedroom, i am in there all day basically my mum comes in every afternoon so he sees new people- but no one else in my family really likes birds haha my room is quite large though
His play cage is his sleeping cage as well, which is good because when he wakes up in the morning he happily plays quietly in his cage instead of being upset and wanting to come out

He comes out into the living room and gets put on his other play stand, and goes for showers in the bathroom, so he can gets other parts of the house!

good luck

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Thanks so much for the quick responses! I'm really looking forward to getting my bird.

My issue with having his cage in my room is that my parents, while not opposed to me owning a bird, don't want to have to deal with him or have him in their way at all. They will probably do little with him other than occasionally hold him or give him treats.

So he'll probably have to be either in my room, with me (most likely) or in the spare room we have (less likely, since it's closer to my parents' room and they do NOT want to hear him much at all). There's a slim chance he'd be allowed in the study downstairs, but that's VERY slim since my mom is a neat freak about the rest of the house and my dad spends most of his time in the study.

I have plenty of room for him in my bedroom, though, so I'm probably just going to have to deal with him being in my room! I just wanted to make sure that wasn't extremely negative for the bird. I can handle myself with a noisy, messy roommate! Haha.

I will also have plenty of toys/a playstand/things to do for him when I'm with him, and he'll be allowed around the house when I play with him.

Thanks again!

 

[Chikoo]

Eclectus produce little to no dust, at least I haven't noticed any. I would say its fine to keep the cage in your bedroom, but would suggest the two cage idea more. The smaller cage for sleeping in your room. The bird needs to be where the action is and not alone in the room where you just enter periodically. But it sounds like your bedroom will work, just spend time in there with him!

 

[MikeyTN]

Like Chikoo mentioned, Eclectus really DON'T produce barely any dust at all!!!! They're very much unlike other parrots as their feathers are very hair like.

Like I've said in another post already, out of all the ones I've seen, they really do not care much for commotion including my pair! IF you have a busy household with kids running around and strangers visiting often, plus other animals running around. I do not think it is wise to place their cage in a common area. I put my pair in the bird room with other birds and they've done quite well. At one point I had them in the hall way area upstairs where we walk by a lot. They're NOT bothered by us at all, but when the dogs escape to go upstairs, it upsets them A LOT! It really depends on your household!

Some of these advice givers really NEEDS to learn hands on and personal experiences, don't speak out loud or quote from books as it doesn't always work for all birds!

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Thanks very much! I spend most of my time at home in my room so the bird will get plenty of love and attention from me.

Our house is not very busy or boisterous but we do own two dogs and I don't want to put my parrot in a place that would be easy for them to sneak into and bother him. But as a rule, they generally avoid our bedrooms already.

When I have my own place I'll definitely have a bird room for any additions to my flock I may get, but as of now my options are pretty limited.

Still, thanks everyone for your input!

 

[MonicaMc]

I wasn't thinking about dust from the bird specifically, but dust from food and droppings. That's not really healthy to breath in, especially if you are in an enclosed space. When you go to clean the cage papers, that can potentially stir up some dust, possibly even from dried feces.

Just mentioning this, as I do know of a couple of people who had to give up their birds due to "bird lung disease" aka "bird fanciers lung". It's probably not an issue for most people, especially those without any sort of respiratory issues or sensitivities - and eclectus in general are known as "hypoallergenic" parrots.

 

[Pedro]

Thanks very much! I spend most of my time at home in my room so the bird will get plenty of love and attention from me.

Our house is not very busy or boisterous but we do own two dogs and I don't want to put my parrot in a place that would be easy for them to sneak into and bother him. But as a rule, they generally avoid our bedrooms already.

When I have my own place I'll definitely have a bird room for any additions to my flock I may get, but as of now my options are pretty limited.

Still, thanks everyone for your input!

Personally I would like to see you wait until you do get your own place. I hate seeing these beautiful birds stuck in a bedroom. Doesn't seem fair or natural to me. I know not all countries have the luxury of a tropical climate but having access to natural sun & rain is most benefical to an eclectus health.

If you just can't wait to have your eclectus, i would recommend a sleep cage in your room but a larger cage where all the action is. They really love being with their human flock. If space is an issue A T Stand also works well when the bird is out of the cage.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Personally I would like to see you wait until you do get your own place. I hate seeing these beautiful birds stuck in a bedroom. Doesn't seem fair or natural to me. I know not all countries have the luxury of a tropical climate but having access to natural sun & rain is most benefical to an eclectus health.

If you just can't wait to have your eclectus, i would recommend a sleep cage in your room but a larger cage where all the action is. They really love being with their human flock. If space is an issue A T Stand also works well when the bird is out of the cage.

I understand your concern but I can promise you that he won't be stuck anywhere! I'm just speaking of his safe space and cage area. He'll definitely be part of the family, and I will have plenty of time to spend with him and have him out of the cage.

At the moment my family is unsure, but trusting of me, in this area, just because they don't know much of anything about birds. But, like with the dogs we've adopted, my entire family are animal people and we fall in love easily. They've all already said they're willing to learn.

Having the larger cage where the action is probably isn't an option for me at the moment, unfortunately, because my mom won't allow such a large fixture to dominate her living arrangements. But I'll make sure to have plenty of stands and toys and play areas that can be downstairs for him.

 

[Pedro]

Personally I would like to see you wait until you do get your own place. I hate seeing these beautiful birds stuck in a bedroom. Doesn't seem fair or natural to me. I know not all countries have the luxury of a tropical climate but having access to natural sun & rain is most benefical to an eclectus health.

If you just can't wait to have your eclectus, i would recommend a sleep cage in your room but a larger cage where all the action is. They really love being with their human flock. If space is an issue A T Stand also works well when the bird is out of the cage.

I understand your concern but I can promise you that he won't be stuck anywhere! I'm just speaking of his safe space and cage area. He'll definitely be part of the family, and I will have plenty of time to spend with him and have him out of the cage.

At the moment my family is unsure, but trusting of me, in this area, just because they don't know much of anything about birds. But, like with the dogs we've adopted, my entire family are animal people and we fall in love easily. They've all already said they're willing to learn.

Having the larger cage where the action is probably isn't an option for me at the moment, unfortunately, because my mom won't allow such a large fixture to dominate her living arrangements. But I'll make sure to have plenty of stands and toys and play areas that can be downstairs for him.

I have play stands on wheels & bring them indoors when i have my eclectus inside. They love to hang out on them & fly through the house. Also it's worth mentioning to harness train your bird so you can take it on walks with you. Eclectus are really bomb proof. They do adapt to every household. They love drama praise. Out of all the parots i have i would have to say my male eclectus are the most trusting.

Because eclectus are messy with their food, i would advise some protection to your walls, floor & furniture in your bedroom. It's amazing how far they can fling their food.

Eclectus are not as delicate as some make them out to be. Given a healthy Balanced Diet they should do OK. Understanding their behaviour is also helpful so there is a good place to start Google everything you can on Parrot behaviour.

I will tell you one thing though once your parents gets to know your bird they will also fall in love with him/her & you will have a hard time getting him away from them.

 

[MikeyTN]

I'm with Pedro there.... Out of all the birds I've ever owned or been around. Eclectus is my top favorite!!!! My partner adores them dearly as well. They're just lovable period.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Gah you guys have no idea how excited I am for this addition to my family! And @Pedro, I've heard of harness training and wanted to do it but I haven't actually found any reading or instruction on it. Does anyone happen to know of any harness training resources so I can start learning more about it?

 

[Pedro]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etKRisR7vgo]Tips to Harness Train a Parrot - GoodBirdInc.com - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Chikoo]

Buy an Aviator Harness, it comes with a DVD with thorough training instructions and video demonstrations. I have an Aviator Harness for both my birds, and they love it. Took me longer to train my female. I basically slipped it right over my male and he just accepted it. Every bird is different, but it is not too difficult to train them to receive the harness, and the benefits are fantastic.

My birds stay in my office area upstairs, where they have a tall perch that is the length of the room right by a wall that is basically just windows. I keep their cages in the closet on the other side of the room, removed the closet doors, and just put curtains, and I keep those curtains back all day. So they sometimes go over to their cages and play around, and I've started hanging toys over there too. After I bathe them, I usually take them on a walk through the neighborhood, but lately I've been putting them in this cage outside under a eucalyptus tree, which I've outfitted with lots of eucalyptus branches and such, so that is their outdoor sunshine jungle cage, where they can soak up the UV rays for an hour or so. Pedro is right in emphasizing sunlight and outdoors for these birds, it is their natural environment, and being purely indoors is not what they are born for.

Try to keep your bird flighted and trained with the harness, so they can enjoy the outdoors. And keep in mind that even a clipped bird can take off outside, all they need is a gust of wind.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

You guys are all so helpful, it's amazing! Thanks so much. I'm glad I have such an awesome resource to help me along the way. I can't wait until I can share my own experiences with others.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I keep my Galah in my room, It's the only room in the house I have control over. My sister likes her air fresheners, my brothers girlfriend uses Teflon pans when she's here, sometimes things smoke while cooking and all downstairs is filled with a thin layer of smoke. I feel safer having in my room, when I move out I'll most likely have her play cage in the family room and her sleeping cage in my room. Or at least a awesome perch in the living room.

On a side note, I have Rosie harnessed trained and take her out on walks and to meet people. She's well socialized and is rarely freaked out by new things. I also take her downstairs and play with her in the living room when no one is cooking. So even though she is in my room she does get around and see people

 

[kc_y0]

I am excited for you, eclectus parrots make such awesome pets!!! When do you get to bring your feathered friend home?

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

I've corresponded with the breeder I'll be buying from who happens (luckily) to be local but very reputable. She's a bit pricey but she passes all of good-breeder guidelines I've come across and is very friendly and concerned about the welfare of her birds.

Because I'll be paying for pretty much everything (although getting a little christmas/birthday funding this winter) I probably won't have the resources until next February at the earliest.

As long as that seems, I'm very patient and I want to give myself plenty of time to learn all I can about bird ownership while I save up. I have quite a ways to go because in addition to buying the right cage, toys, food, and the bird itself, I also want to have a fairly sizable savings set aside for vet bills in case of any emergencies.

I won't be among the ranks of you bird owners for a while but I hope that doesn't upset any of you!! I actually frequent a good petstore with several large birds to get as much experience I can handling different birds with different attitudes and behaviors. I just adore birds, downsides and all!

 

[Oedipussrex]

Well my male pickle has his main cage in the open plan Kitchen/dining room area because its the busiest place in the house. Then he has a large playstand in my room because of how much time i spend in here on my computer and he likes being with me. and then he has a smaller travel sized cage in a spare room so theres somewhere quiet for him to sleep. XD
My family is quite large so he gets plenty of attention with eight people, but the separate cage still lets him have a nice quiet place at night time.

It really just depends on your lifestyle and what works for your bird. If you spend most of your time in your room i dont see any reason not to have the main cage in there, though i would wonder how much space would be left in an average sized bedroom once you put a cage big enough for an ekkie in there lol