Ask Lafeber

lock it up in cage

Do cokatiels enjoy being locked up in a bird cage? Is it very cruel to do that?

Hi,

Pet cockatiels are raised by humans, and a cage is something he has always known and feels safe with. A cage is his tree – it gives him safety from predators, it’s a safe place to play with his toys & eat his food & treats, and it’s a safe place to sleep. In the same way that dogs love having a crate because it serves as their den, or a cat may have a little house or climbing tree he sleeps in, pet birds need their own home, which is their cage. If a cockatiel is tame, he needs to have a certain amount of time out of his cage every day when he can play with his human or enjoy a play stand. But when he wants a snack, or a nap or it’s bedtime, he wants his cage because he feels safe there. If you have a bird that isn’t tame, then he should have a much larger cage that he can fly in, and preferably another bird as a companion. So as long as a cage isn’t used as something to lock a bird away in and forget about it, the cage is to him what your bedroom and bed is to you – it’s his sanctuary and his safe place.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda