New Cage...Won't stop walking down it

[CaptainGentleGiant]

Last week-end, I bought a new macaw cage with a nice play gym on top. It has been a job, ever since Captain has used it.

He keeps climbing down the cage and onto the floor. Every time he makes it to the floor, I say no and take the stick and put him inside the cage for about 10-15 minutes. When I let him back out, he climbs down to the floor again. The cycle repeats itself over and over. At the most, he may stay on the play gym part for about 10-15 minutes, but climbs down again.

Okay, how long is it good to keep macaws out and will this ever STOP??????

[nanmadpad]

My macaw refuses to stay on anything for more then 5 mins.. Apollo is hyper and cant sit still for any amount of minutes, like me i think you are fighting a losing battle. If anyone keeps there macaw in one place let me know also. The floor seems to be more fun then playgyms or t-stands.

[teenab]

Mine stay on their cages - unless they get spooked - then they fly all over until they land on someone else's cage! When they climbed off, I just kept carrying them back & they eventually got it. Now they only climb off if I tell them to come here. Well - one B&G & my military climb down & nicely come over...the other B&G flies - not well - to/into me! :)

[MissV]

Eti climbs down the cage, onto other things, back to the cage, on his play stand, down to the floor, back to the play stand...

Macaws are seriously hyper animals that don't like to be still for long! You may want to try rewarding him with a little treat (a seed or a piece of nut that he likes) when you get him and put him back onto his cage.

Personally, I like it, but I have no other animals and have an utter (controversial?) joy of birds running around on the ground. I love when I'm sitting on the floor doing someting and look down to see Eti having come down from his playstand to check out what I'm doing--and then he immediately returns.


As for leaving them out and how long...it really depends on your own schedule. You don't want them to get used to anything you can't provide relatively consistently. So, for me, it's routine for him to get out of cage time in the afternoon when I'm home from work--with a brief break for eating in his cage--from about 5 or 6 to about 10. But on the weekends I take him out periodically throughout the day for a few hours at a time.

The issue is if this can't be realtively consistent...parrots aren't fans of having their routines broken and Macaws are NOTABLE sulkers. I had to work on something and couldn't take Eti out long at all one night and he sulked when I finally went to get him towards the end of the night. I had to scratch him and eat crow while he sulked in his cage. ^^;



but...uh, yeah. Treats when you put him back could help. Positive reinforcement and all that.

[loyallyroyal]

Have you thought about getting a playstand? Try one with a base between the stand and the floor making it harder to climb down:
Parrot play gym - Parrot Play Gym, Parrot Play Stand
Sandblasted Manzanita Tree - Large 4 Foot, Parrot Playstands - FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING WE SELL!

The real trick is making it exciting to stay there, have lots of toys, foraging activities and fun stuff to do.

Here are pictures of Deweys playstand I made, it may give you some ideas. Even he doesnt stay on his a bunch of the time, and flies back and forth from his several playstands:
ThePerch.net Member's Photo Gallery - Message - Powered by PhotoPost
I tried making it as interesting as possible by adding cajeput and bottlebrush branches and lots of different perches and swings.

Hanging an Oingo boingo from the ceiling or one of those nets by nate may be another option also:
http://www.netsbynate.net/

[Franciscus]

Perhaps you need to make it more interesting for him to stay up there. Have you considered hanging some toys (especially foraging toys) above the play area?

[TAGyourIT]

My Blue & Gold does the same thing. She used to be really good about staying up there on her playgym, but not anymore. I cant keep her on ANYTHING. She would rather follow me around the house. All I hear is "click, click, click". She just waddles around behind me.

My Scarlet Macaw never leaves the top of her cage or her playgym.

I have tried different toys, treats...nothing seems to work for the little blue monster. She wants to be with mama 24/7

[sailorkelly]

Can you post a picture of the new cage? I know the old one was rusty. I am glad you got a new one for him. Did you move into the house with him or his he still by himself?