Ask Lafeber

Nest for male elderly cockatiel’s feet?

Hi, my 20 year old male cockatiel, named Atticus, has arthritic feet which causes him to perch inside his food dish most nights even though his perches are all vet wrapped to make them cushy. I was wondering if getting him a Cotton Rope – Bird Breeding Nest Bed with Coconut Fiber from Amazon would be OK? Or would that change him in some way hormonally in behavior? He is an only bird and I want him to be comfortable at night because I love him with all my heart!♡P.S. My vet went on a vet specialist bird forum and found a supplement we can give him starting tomorrow, but it takes about a month to kick in, but should help. However, I’d still like to give him a comfy bed of some kind if the bird nest is not ok. Please let me know what I can do. Thank you so much for your reply! 🙂

Hi Monika,

It’s so nice to get an update on Atticus! I’m sorry he is still so arthritic. If he is happy with the food bowl, I would leave it at that. I did check out the nest and I don’t think that would be a good idea. Making him hormonal and nesty is a concern, but I am also concerned about the materials as far as harboring bacteria, plus he might catch his nails in the threads. None of those nests are appropriate for the birds they recommend them for. I did read the reviews and see a couple of people who bought one for an older bird for the same reason you have. So it’s hard to say. I just know that generally speaking, a non-breeding bird that is given a “bed” ends up viewing it as a nest and goes into breeding mode.

Thanks for the update!

Brenda