 When you are considering the cage needed for your companion parrot, it is important to remember that the cage is not a prison! It is not meant to be the only place your bird stays. A well socialized parrot loves to play in, on and around his/her cage. Many cages have excellent play areas that are built onto the top. When you are looking to purchase a cage, be sure that any play areas are sturdy and do not wobble or shake. A parrot will be very uncomfortable on a wobbly perch or play area that is a part of the top of his/her cage!  Once you've decided upon a proper cage there are a few things that we need to talk about.  Place the cage in an occupied part of your home. A Companion Parrot is a very
social creature. All parrots are highly intelligent and like to be in a spot
where they will feel like a part of the family.
I would NEVER put a cage in or near the kitchen. Fumes that can be created from overheating foods or coated cookware are DEADLY to birds!! You can read about PTFE a little later on this page. You may also check the following
search engine link for links to several other sites on this subject :
CLICK HERE FOR SEARCH RESULTS ON PTFE
USE CAUTION if you place the cage directly in front of a window! Many birds
enjoy watching outside activities but unobstructed sunlight can overheat your
bird and cause serious injury or death! Position the cage so that your bird can
have some shade in the cage. Also keep in mind that a cool draft from an open
window can make a bird more susceptible to illness!
A parrot will make a mess all around his/her cage. That is a part of keeping a companion parrot. Seed guards that are a part of the construction on some cages can help but in general, you will have to clean up after your bird. There should be several appropriately sized perches in the cage. It is
preferable to have hardwood perches that are natural. Perches that I find to be
excellent and nearly impossible to destroy are made of safe woods like Manzanita
or Madrona. The branches are varied in shape and thickness and are fantastic
with respect to keeping your birds feet exercised. Dowel wood is often used but
since the thickness is constant, a birds feet are not exercised properly by
having to perch on the various parts of a naturally shaped wooden perch.
Your bird should be supplied with several safe and appropriately sized TOYS!! Your Companion Parrot will spend hours chewing on wooden parts, untying knots, chomping on leather strips and having a GREAT TIME destroying his/her toy! That is what a parrot is supposed to do! Sometimes it seems as though a parrot's goal in life is to take big pieces of wood and turn them into sawdust!! Toys that can not be totally destroyed become very boring, very quickly! Be extremely
careful as some toys can actually be dangerous to your bird! Toys that can be
destroyed by your companion parrot are actually better than those toys that can
not be chewed to pieces. It is for that reason that toys must be carefully
examined before giving them to your bird.
I prefer cages that have a grating between your bird and the bottom of the cage. Cages of this type will have a tray that slides in and out underneath the grating. Line the bottom of the tray with black and white newspaper. DO NOT use corn cob or wood shavings. There is a tendency to think that those types of substrates do not need to be changed as often and that results in a build up of bacteria and molds that are harmful to your bird. Clean the bottom grate daily! Wash the cage completely at least once each week! CHANGE THE PAPER DAILY! I prefer cages that have straight sides. Some birds are not comfortable in round cages. Also, since the bar spacing on some round cages gets more narrow toward the top it is possible for a bird to get a toe caught in that portion of the cage. I prefer cages with doors that are hinged and open to the right or left the way a door in your house opens. Cage doors that open in an "up and down" direction can be DANGEROUS and can KILL a bird. Doors that can not be fastened in a closed position can be opened by your bird and the door can come down on your birds neck. I CAN NOT OVEREMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER DOORS ON YOUR CAGE!  ABOVE ALL, USE COMMON SENSE WHEN PURCHASING A CAGE FOR YOUR COMPANION PARROT! PARROTS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT! IF A CAGE DOOR LOOKS LIKE IT CAN BE OPENED, IT WILL BE!! IF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAGE LOOKS DANGEROUS IN ANY WAY, SELECT ANOTHER CAGE!! TRY NOT TO BE FOOLED BY "CUTE"! ALTHOUGH SOME "CUTE" CAGES ARE FINE, MANY HAVE HIDDEN DANGERS THAT ARE ONLY EXPOSED WHEN YOUR BIRD IS INJURED OR WORSE! IN SIMPLE TERMS, IT'S BEST NOT TO "CHEAP OUT" WHEN PURCHASING A CAGE FOR YOUR NEW FRIEND! Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS O.K. Let's talk about going to the Veterinarian!  In nature, a parrot will mask signs of illness. It is a natural protective device. A sick bird will look like easy prey to a predator and by hiding the signs of illness, a bird is less likely to be singled out as prey. Companion parrots instinctively do the same and as a result, a bird that looks sick is often seriously ill and in need of immediate veterinary care!  Veterinary care is expensive so ask yourself the following questions. If I pay $25.00 for a parakeet and he becomes ill, will I pay $100.00 or more for a visit to the Vet? Am I then willing to pay even more for my bird's treatment? If the answer is NO, then PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE A BIRD!! Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS  DANGERS IN YOUR HOME!! There are many dangers to your Companion Parrot that are located in and around the home! Are you willing to make the changes needed to make your home "Birdy Proof" ? There are things that you may never even think of that could be dangerous to your bird but in fact, they can be deadly. Of course, there are POISONS that we know about like ammonia or antifreeze but did you know that you can KILL your parrot by burning candles in your home? Did you know that room fresheners and sprays can be deadly? Not only must you be careful not to let your bird ingest poisons, but the fumes of many products can make your bird very ill and in some cases, KILL your parrot! Please look at the information below
to get an idea of the vast number of hazards in your home.
Source: Adapted from Gary Gallerstein, Bird Owner’s Home Health and Care Handbook (New York: Howell Book House, 1984); Sheldon Gerstenfeld, The Bird Care Book (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1981); and Margaret L. Petrak, ed., Diseases of Cage and Aviary Birds, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Lea and Febiger, 1982
Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS WE CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH!! THERE IS AN ANCIENT PROVERB THAT SAYS: Of Course, I just made that up but the point is valid. As a matter of course, you should allow your bird to be out of its cage daily. Inherent in that is a DANGER that we often dismiss. Please allow me to get right to it. CRUSHING INJURIES are one of the MAJOR CAUSES of DEATH to PARROTS!! When your bird is out of his/her cage, you must constantly supervise the birds activities. Most birds will eventually end up on the floor, wandering around the room. Even those birds that you think would never come down from their cage or playgym will, one day find him/herself on the floor. You must always have that in mind when your parrot is out of the cage. WHILE ON THE FLOOR, MANY PARROTS GET STEPPED ON!!  WHETHER YOUR PARROT IS FLIGHTED OR HAS TRIMMED WINGS, YOU MUST ALWAYS BE WARY OF  A FLIGHTED BIRD cannot see the whirring blades of a Ceiling Fan and can fly into them causing serious injury or death.  While we have this lamp in mind, it is also important to mention that  WHILE YOU MIGHT THINK IT CUTE TO SLEEP WITH YOUR BIRD, YOU MUST NEVER SLEEP OR NAP WITH YOUR PARROT!! THIS IS A VERY UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE AND IT IS COMPLETELY CONTROLLABLE BY YOU!!
NEVER HANDLE YOUR BIRD IF YOU ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANY MIND ALTERING SUBSTANCES. I had no idea about how to be delicate about this one. THE DANGERS OF SMOKING!! You should be aware by now of the health risks associated with smoking. You should also know that the effects of passive smoke (inhalation of smoke from someone else in the same room) can be damaging as well. It only makes sense that the more delicate respiratory system of parrots will be even more at risk in a home with a smoker. Smoking around your bird is extremely hazardous to your feathered friend and there is no doubt that the life expectancy of your parrot will be decreased if he is in close proximity to smokers. It is well known that all birds are extremely sensitive to the presence of noxious gases in the atmosphere. This fact was utilized by bringing canaries into coal mines. The birds were used as sentinels to detect gasses like methane and carbon monoxide. These gasses are extremely poisonous to humans, but long before they built up in concentrations sufficient to damage miners, the canaries would breathe in small amounts and rapidly die. The miners seeing this would hopefully have sufficient time to get out before they too succumbed. Thankfully, canaries are no longer used for this purpose and electronic gas detectors have replaced them. This susceptibility to inhaled toxins is a consequence of the unique and efficient respiratory system of birds. Each breath of inhaled air is passed twice through the lungs, and the gaseous exchange mechanism in the blood vessels is ultra-effective, thus they are able to draw more oxygen out of the air (essential for their high metabolic rate) than can mammals. However, this efficiency is not confined to oxygen as any other materials in the air are also very effectively absorbed. This is why birds are so much more succeptible to illness and death due to impurities found in the atmosphere. Those impurities that permeate the air will also end up as a residual film on your bird's feathers. If you've ever been in a home with a smoker, you have probably seen that "yellowish" film that can build up on things like windows or sheer curtains. That film is toxic and when a bird preens itself, it will ingest nicotine as well as other impurities that settle out of the air. The ingestion of these impurities will poison the bird and in time will cause nervous system disorders as well as digestive malfunctions. If a smoker handles a bird with nicotine stained fingers, the chemicals on the hand can irritate the skin of the birds feet sometimes resulting in cases of dermatitis on the feet and legs. Do Your bird a favor! DON'T SMOKE! ALAN K. JONES BVetMed, MRCVS on SMOKING and YOUR BIRDS!There is much agreement as to the types of damage caused to companion birds by their caregivers who smoke. The following was written by and is directly taken, with permission from a website created for Mr. Alan K. Jones, BVetMed, MRCVS ( Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons ) of the United Kingdom. Any parenthetical portions were added by me if I felt clarification was needed. Mr. Jones is a renowned veterinarian who specializes in the care of birds. For more information on Mr. Alan K. Jones, Please go to: http://www.birdvet.co.uk/  "As an avian veterinary clinician I (Mr. Jones) see this damage manifest in two ways. The first is a result of the atmospheric chemicals on the outside of the bird. If you have ever walked into the home of a heavy smoker, and seen the wallpaper, paintwork, and net curtains stained yellow with nicotine, you will appreciate how this pollutant will also settle on birds' plumage. Pet birds living in such a home will have feathers that are dull and dark, often feeling greasy to the touch. Their normal attempts to preen and keep the feathers in good order will be in vain, and they will end up over-preening and plucking themselves in attempts to get rid of the noxious deposit. Many cases of feather-plucking parrots we see are the direct result of cigarette smoking in the home. The nicotine that is inevitably swallowed in the preening process will poison the bird, leading to digestive malfunction and nervous signs. Birds that are tame and are handled frequently by the nicotine-stained fingers of their smoking owners will not only have permanently dirty plumage, but the chemical will often act as a direct skin irritant. These birds will develop a dermatitis on their legs and feet. The second manifestation of tobacco smoking damage in birds is the internal result of the inhaled smoke and its chemical contents. The tars, nicotine, and hydrocarbons contained in the smoke will settle in the lungs and air-sacs of the bird, with exactly the same effects as they do in humans. Blood pressure will rise, lungs will function with reduced efficiency, and the heart will become damaged by the toxins and the extra work it has to perform. This was no better illustrated than by a post-mortem examination I carried out some years ago on a much-loved Amazon parrot. "POPEYE" was a mature Double Yellow Headed Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala tresmariae) of some 35 years, and a wonderful character. He had an extensive vocabulary of words, but also sounds such as telephone and door bells, laughing, crying, coughing and sneezing. Unlike many talking birds, he loved an audience, and would go through his repertoire to order. His owner for the last five years of his life was a lovely lady who (worked with) Popeye as entertainers at childrens' parties, where he was always a great hit because of his mimicry and guaranteed performance. Mrs. Hooper was understandably devastated when one day Popeye suddenly fell off his perch and died, with no previous signs of illness. Because of the unexpectedness of this event, and because she had other birds in the house, Mrs. Hooper rightly decided to have me carry out a post-mortem examination on her bird. All his air-sac membranes (which should be thin and transparent) were thickened and cloudy, and dotted with black spots of soot. The lungs were congested, and also filled with black spots. This is known as anthracosis, and is the result of accumulation of hydrocarbon particles from cigarette smoke in the respiratory system. [Topical note: this has nothing to do with ANTHRAX, but comes from the same root as ANTHRACITE, and derives from the Greek word for coal.] In addition, the major vessels leading from the heart were yellow and thickened with fatty deposits, known as atherosclerosis. This obviously has the effect of reducing the diameter and elasticity of these arteries, thus increasing the load on the heart. This pathology is the direct result of the inhalation of tobacco smoke, and Popeye ultimately died of heart failure because of the long-term damage sustained in this way. Mrs. Hooper was devastated: she and her family were confirmed non-smokers, how could this have happened? As I have said, Popeye was owned by this family for the last five years only of his life. Questioning revealed that his previous owner had owned a pub, and for the first thirty years of his life, Popeye had lived in the public bar! He was thus subject to passive smoking on a grand scale, with the unfortunate result described. Although he had lived (his last five years) in a clean environment, the damage to his system was already done, with irreversible and fatal consequences. So, BE WARNED - smoking is not only bad for you, it is even worse for your bird. Pet birds exposed to tobacco fumes will suffer skin and feather problems, and eventually damage to heart and respiratory system. Air filters, ionisers, or smoking in another room will all help the situation, but better still, Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS FLY CATCHING STRIPS!! This is something that doesn't happen too often but it is definitelty something to think about. Fortunately this all worked out O.K. but the picture below shows the aftermath of what happened when a friend's, free flighted cockatiel inadvertently got tangled up in a sticky, fly catching strip.
In this case there were no pesticides in the strip so from that standpoint there
was no problem but the bird was definitely stressed while being extricated from
a very sticky situation.
 Some feathers were lost in the process but they will regrow during the bird's next molt. After a slight residue from the sticky strip was carefully removed, all was well!  Now that all fly catching strips have been removed from the premises, this
beautiful cockatiel won't have to worry about that again! UNSAFE BIRD TOYS!!While many bird toys seem to be safe, it is important to look very carefully at each and every toy that we give our birds. Toys that have a bell on them may present your bird with a choking hazard. Please examine these pictures of the typical bell found on many bird toys.
 These bells come in various sizes but the way that they are constructed is the same.  The part of the bell that holds the clapper has a small slit in it. The slit is not visible when you look inside the bell. In order for the manufacturer to install the clapper into the bell, the slit is opened up, the clapper is installed and the slit is then closed again by virtue of a small twisting action.  A serious problem arises when a parrot decides to take the bell apart. It is very common for a parrot to play with the clapper. A parrot has sufficient strength to twist the clapper which in turn twists the small portion inside the bell that holds the clapper in place. As a result, the slit as described earlier opens up and the clapper is removed either accidentally or purposely by your bird. To many birds, the clapper looks very much like a seed or a food pellet and the bird will try to eat it. Parrots have choked to death on the clappers of bells like these.  This is the bell that was taken apart by Sunny, one of my sun conures. Fortunately, I was supervising his play and saw him playing with the clapper before he had a chance to do anything that would have created a problem. THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE BUT IT IS FAR TOO COMMON, CHECK YOUR BIRDS TOYS CAREFULLY PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ANY BELLS!
THE DANGERS OF PTFE!!There is much to be careful about with respect to Teflon and the numerous
other non-stick compounds used in many household products today. Teflon is
DuPonts brand name for it (PTFE Polytetraflouroethylene) but it is extremely
common in some form or another.
WHEN OVERHEATED, PTFE IS DEADLY!!
It can be found on components in:
 PTFE is found on: Non-Stick Cookware including the cookware made with ceramic coatings that are supposed to be teflon free as there are teflon like materials (PTFE) on the cooking surface and the outside of the pans. Also included are brand names such as Silverstone, T-Fal, Supra, Calphalon One and Resistal. As a note, Americaware, will not answer questions about their products with respect to the non-stick coatings. Research has shown that the process used to make their products may have PTFEs on the outside of their pans as well as on the cooking surface.  Other household products that are often made with PTFEs are: Toasters Space Heaters Hair Dryers Irons Stir Fryers/Woks Pizza Pans Baking Pans Non-stick Stainless Steel Heat Lamps and some Light Bulbs Breadmakers Curling Irons Cookie Sheets Griddle Pans and Skillets Waffle Irons Indoor Grills Deep Fryers Crock Pots Roasting Pans Cake Pans and Molds Coffee Makers Turkey Cooking Bags Cooking Utensils Stain Resistant Carpeting Ironing Board Covers Slick 50 brand Oil Treatment and others Electric Insulating Tape Stain Resistant Clothing Stain Repellants Some Food Packaging Materials Some Cosmetics By the way, many items like coated heat lamps and light bulbs may not even
indicate that they have PTFEs as a part of them.
 It can kill birds and make us sick! Any of these items when overheated will produce toxic fumes that will KILL your bird. On many of these products, tests have shown that the coating can break down and create fumes at temperatures lower than those stated by the manufacturers! In cases of "Teflon toxicosis," as the bird poisonings are called, the lungs of exposed birds hemorrhage and fill with fluid, leading to suffocation. DuPont acknowledges that the fumes can also sicken people, a condition called "polymer fume fever." DuPont publicly acknowledges that Teflon can kill birds. Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS DANGEROUS PLANTS!! This is another source of danger to our parrots. Please take a look at the following list of Common Plants that can be harmful or fatal to your Companion Parrots. There are many Houseplants on this list along with plants that may be found outside our homes.
Sources: American Medical Association Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants ; R. Dean Axelson, Caring for Your Pet Bird; Gallerstein, Gary A., DVM, The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook; Garry Gallerstein, Bird Owner's Home Health and Care Handbook; Greg and Linda Harrison, eds, Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery; Gillian Willis; Wade and Carol Olyer Parrot Pleasures, Safe Wood Products and more SAFE PLANTS, TREES and SHRUBS!! Please take a look at the following list of Common Plants, Trees and Shrubs that are safe for your Companion Parrots. There are many Houseplants on this list along with plants that are found outside our homes.
Sources: American Medical Association Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants ; R. Dean Axelson, Caring for Your Pet Bird; Gallerstein, Gary A., DVM, The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook; Garry Gallerstein, Bird Owner's Home Health and Care Handbook; Greg and Linda Harrison, eds, Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery; Gillian Willis; Wade and Carol Olyer Parrot Pleasures, Safe Wood Products and more Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS OTHER PETS!!
There is always the danger of injury or worse if you have other pets in your
home. As comfortable as you may be with the idea of cats, dogs, ferrets or any
other predator being in close proximity of your companion parrot, IT TAKES ONLY ONE SECOND FOR A TRAGIC ACCIDENT TO OCCUR! CATS are natural PREDATORS! Many people do keep different types of pets. Some pet owners will allow their birds to be out of their cages while cats are present. Many people have cats that never show any interest in their parrots as a form of prey. That is all well and good but as time goes by, we may become lax in our supervision or grow too complacent thereby fooling ourselves into believing that there is no danger. THIS CAN BE A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!DOGS are also natural PREDATORS!Again, a dog may show absolutely no interest whatsoever in bothering your Parrot but, ONE MISTAKE IS ALL IT TAKES! Don't think that because there has never been a problem before that something
won't happen now. Your pets are influenced by many things and can react in
unpredictable ways! Although none of the cats or dogs pictured here have ever
injured a parrot, they are always closely supervised when they are in the same
area of the house.
Although they can look cute, there are other pets that can be  Other PREDATORS like FERRETS, RATS, SNAKES, and TARANTULAS should never be
allowed out of their enclosures or left unattended while they are near to your
parrots! Ferrets have been known to get into cages that have larger spaces
between the bars and seriously INJURE or KILL companion birds.
IT IS AN EXTREME MEDICAL EMERGENCY IF YOUR BIRD IS INJURED BY ANOTHER ANIMAL!!!Dog and cat bites or scratches, even if the skin is only broken, PASTEURELLA BACTERIA, for example is a normal part of the cat's
flora. It does no harm to cats but it is Back To : TAKING CARE OF PARROTS 
Birds Come First | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005 by WILLIAM
O'ROURKE