In this article you’re going to learn how long should you let your parrot out of it’s cage
You’ll discover what you should do with your birdie when they are out of their cage
How much time should you spend with your parrot
So if you want to build that beautiful bond with your bird then you’re going to love this article!
Sound good?
Let’s get started!
Should I Let My Parrot Out Of The Cage?
Yes of course!
It’s not nice to keep a parrot in their cage all day
They need to fly about and be free
I’m not saying to keep your parrot out and roam around the house all day
Although some parrot parents don’t have a cage at all
But if you have a cage then it’s important to know how to manage your parrots time
Letting your parrot out of the cage will allow you to spend some good quality time with your bird
They can sit on your shoulder
Even eat with you – Yes, they love eating what you eat
Have a read of my article – Why does my parrot eat when I eat?
Now the question is
How Much Out Of Cage Time?
This is a common question most bird owners ask
Something like “How long should I let my parrot out of the cage?”
Or
“What’s the minimum hours my parrot should be out of their cage”
Here’s my answer to this
It’s not about how many hours you should let your parrot fly around the house
But what matters is how you spend that time with your birdie
You see, out of cage time for your parrot is a time for you and your parrot to spend some quality time together
Your bird wants to be with you
There’s no point having your parrot out and you let them stand on a perch or in a corner whilst you’re on the computer
This should be spent with you and your bird
Just the two of you to do things together
And you should really make this count
Now I know what you’re thinking
What can you do with your parrot?
What games can you play
Not to worry because I’ve got you covered
Before I talk about the games you can play with your bird
How about teaching them funny things to say!
Have a read of my article – 7 funny things to teach your parrot to say
Carry on reading..
4 Awesome Games To Play With Your Parrot
Here’s some 4 pretty cool games to play with your parrot and keep them entertained
Not to mention the awesome bond you will create
But do remember, not all parrots may want to play
Have a go though because you never know your parrot might love it!
Fetch And Retrieve
Some parrots love to play fetch
Just like a how a dog does – Except parrots do it better! Lol (Kidding)
This is how to play
Throw a small koosh ball or something lightweight of their toy and throw it in the direction of your parrot and shout “Catch it”
And if you’re lucky your parrot will go run after it and pick it up with their beak
If your parrot does do this then make sure to shower praise and say “good bird!”
You can then teach your bird to bring it back by throwing it again until your parrot gets the idea of bringing it back to you.
When your bird does finally bring the toy back to you, make sure to praise your bird in a happy and excited tone saying “great job!” – give your parrot a little scratch at the back of the head too
This should do the trick and motivate your parrot to bring the ball back to you all the time
A great way for your parrot get some exercise and have some fun too!
Staircase Dash
This is an awesome game which will need two people
If your parrot has a favorite person in your family then they will need to join in (that favorite person could be you of course)
Here’s what you do
The favorite person stands at the bottom of the stairs while the other person takes the parrot to the top
And with a slight nudge to encourage your bird to go down the stairs the favorite person at the bottom of the stairs calls the parrot and says “Climb down the stairs!”
Your parrot will normally climb down the stairs using their feet and flapping their wings providing lots of exercise
Once your parrot reaches the bottom make sure to say “Great job!”
Then the favorite person puts the parrot down and quickly walks back upstairs and calls the bird
Usually most birds will run after their human
If your parrot does this and reaches the top of the stairs make sure you praise him
Of course this will only work if your parrot has a good relationship with you
Try it and see how your birdie reacts!
I’m Going To Grab Your Tail!
This fun game works by putting your parrot on your bed
And slowly reach for your parrots tail but don’t touch it
In a excited voice tell your parrot “I’m going to touch your tail!”
Your bird will run in another direction away from you and all over the bed
Let your parrot rest again and then do it again!
Make sure to not let your parrot think your bed is their territory
So when you want to end the game offer your parrot a tug toy dog rope and let your bird climb on by saying to your parrot “climb on the rope”
When your parrot gets on top of the rope, you can then slowly take your bird off the bed
Bird Basketball
Do you love basketball?
I personally bought a small hoop and a basketball to play
But you could play with your parrot too!
You can get a small basketball hoop for parrots
Something like this
Bird Toys, Bird Trick Tabletop Toys, Bird Training Basketball
Your parrot could be the next Michael Jordan!
Set up the toy on the floor
And put the ball through the hoop and say “toss”
Then give the ball to your bird and say “toss”
If your parrot puts the ball through the hoop say “Good job!” in a very excited tone
If your parrot ignores you then try again and keep showing your parrot
Chances are your parrot will eventually figure out what to do
Check out this video
These are some good games you can play with your parrot
It’s a good way of spending quality time when your parrot is out of the cage
Don’t try and force your parrot to play
If you do then your bird will just resist you
What you should do is demonstrate and make it look fun and I’m sure your parrot will want to join you
Once you find out what games your parrot loves make this into a routine
Not only will this make your parrot active but your parrot will want to spend more time with you
Kim Bear who’s a Florida bird behavior consultant says, “Exercise and play not only improve the quality of life for your parrot, but also help to strengthen that special bond between the two of you”
How true is that right?
That’s what all parrot owners want
A healthy happy bird that loves to bond with their owners
Related articles
How to keep parrots entertained?
What do parrots like to do for fun?
My parrot won’t play with toys – 4 possible reasons
How Much Time Should I Spend With My Parrot?
This is a very important question because you don’t want your parrot to become so used to being out of the cage because this can cause nuisance behavior
There has to be a limit
So try to set a maximum time for your parrot to be out of their cage where you spend time with him
Yes your parrot will want to spend as much time with you but you don’t want your bird to be overly attached
Because being out of the cage all day can lead to boredom and this then leads to bad behavior such as
Biting people, chewing up furniture, screaming, getting in fights with the rest of the flock
You know your parrot better than anyone so keep a routine on how long your bird will be with you and then put them back into the cage
Maybe let your parrot out an hour or 2 before they go bed
This way, your parrot will become tired from playing and will have a nice sleep!
It’s a good way of putting your parrot back into the cage
Remember though, it’s not about the time spent out of the cage but focus on the quality of time
You know out of cage time is really important
Try to provide as much out of cage time possible and don’t stress on the exact amount of time rather shift your focus on making it more fun, interactive, exercising and stimulating for your parrot
Related article – My parrot wants to be with me all the time
Final Words
Parrots need out of cage time especially for them to fly about and exercise
You should not think about how many hours you’re going to let your parrot be out for
But focus on what you can do to make it as fun as possible for your bird
How can you spend this time creating a special bond between the two of you
Play games with your parrot or train them to do new tricks
There’s plenty of things you can do
So tell me, what games do you play with you parrot?
Or how do you spend time with your parrot when they are out of the cage?
I’d love to know so leave me a comment!