How To Get A Parrot To Go Back Into The Cage

As tremendous and rewarding as raising a parrot can be, oftentimes parrot parents run into the issue of trying to get our parrot to go back into their cage. After all, most parrots have a challenging time adjusting to their cage and the situation surrounding it. Still, there’s a lot we can do to help our parrots get back into their cage. So, how do I get a parrot to go into the cage, you might ask?

Try guiding your parrot to their cage with your hand. Don’t force or push them to the cage, but instead grab their attention with your hand and guide them along. Your parrot should get more comfortable with your hand as time goes on until they eventually get into the habit of going into their cage when they need to be.

Besides walking them back along to their cage with your hand, there’s plenty of other ways they might go to their cage naturally. For example, they might just be hungry and need some food before they eat. Other examples could mean they just want attention for you. Since parrots can’t speak to us as we can with other humans, there are many explanations related to this field.

With this in mind, we’re going to discuss everything there is to know about parrots and getting back into their cage. We’ll begin by going over all of the common explanations as to why your parrot isn’t going into their cage in the first place. From there, we’ll discuss broader topics revolving around how long your parrot should be out of its cage, if they can naturally go back, and much more. Let’s get started!

Why won’t my parrot go back into its cage?

We all know that dreadful feeling of finally buying your parrot a nice cage, and they refuse to go into it. In some cases, they might’ve been in the cage plenty of other times, but now all of a sudden refuse to go in it. It’s truly a mystery when it comes to a subject like this.

Thankfully, there are explanations as to why parrots act in this particular way. Taking an understanding of why they do this sort of thing will allow us to take an in-depth look into the subject at hand. After all, knowing why a parrot is acting up is better than trying to do guess-work throughout the entire process.

Your parrot feels overwhelmed

Although parrots tend to remain in their cage for long periods of time when they feel overwhelmed, they sometimes do the opposite. Similar to humans, parrots can experience high levels of anxiety, causing severe stress and issues with the world around them. As their owners, it’s our responsibility to ensure they’re okay.

There are many reasons why a parrot acts in any way, but especially when they do something out of the norm. Still, if there are loud noises or people over who usually aren’t in your home, make sure you check on your parrot to ensure they’re okay. You never know what might set them off.

Your parrot is bored

Believe it or not, parrots can get bored fairly easily, causing them to do odd things in their life to help themselves not be bored anymore. Although parrots have a very different definition of boredom than us, they can still feel what we deem as boredom. In fact, it’s ubiquitous for parrots to leave their cage to seek excitement.

If this happens to be the case, consider playing and entertaining your parrot as it’ll help them not be bored anymore. That way, when it’s time for them to go back to their cage, they’ll feel better and more comfortable. It’s all about making your parrot comfortable so try to take it slowly.

Your parrot is hungry

For all you know, your parrot could just want food because you either forgot to feed them or didn’t feed them enough. Parrots can become hungry reasonably easily, so always do what you can to ensure they’re adequately nourished whenever they need to be. Also, be mindful of overfeeding them as that can be an issue.

If your parrot is hungry, try giving them a small amount of food and see how they react. If you are positive you already fed them more than enough, make sure you don’t give them too much snacking. Overfeeding your parrot is arguably just as bad for them as it is to underfeed.

Your parrot feels cramped in the cage

Similar to the feeling of boredom, some parrots strike up an issue with their cage, where they feel overly cramped. Depending on the size of your parrot and the cage, this is a pervasive issue with parrots as we tend to not think about how large of a cage they’ll actually need.

If this happens to be the case, do what you can to either get your parrot a new cage or try to make it more comfortable for them. If you just recently bought the cage and still have the receipt, you can try returning it, no harm, no foul. Keep in mind, it’s always better to have a cage that’s too big for them than one that’s too small.

Your parrot is sick

If you know anything about raising a parrot, then you more than likely have a decent idea of how often they get sick. Just like humans, parrots can do odd things when they feel ill. They might avoid you, try to run away, and be eerily quiet or loud. Your parrot might also refuse to go in their cage.

Although it’s more common for a parrot to hide in their cage when they don’t feel well, you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of them refusing to go in it as well. Do what you can to calm them down and bring them to the vet. It’s never a good idea to think they’ll magically start feeling better, so always bring them to a vet if they’re sick.

Your parrot isn’t used to its surroundings yet

If you recently got your parrot a new cage or the two of you moved into a place, it’s possible your parrot isn’t used to their new home yet. Parrots need a good amount of time for adjusting, and not allowing them to adjust can cause them to have an odd reaction toward a cage.

Give your parrot space and keep an eye on them to see how they’re doing. Try to slowly reintroduce them to the cage and utilize treats and toys to help them along the way. If they’re still acting up, consider bringing your parrot to the vet, as they’ll be able to tell you what’s wrong.

How long should a parrot be out of its cage?

Now that you have a good idea about parrots and their connection with leaving the cage, you might be wondering how long they should actually be out of their cage. After all, parrots need to have time outside in order to help their physical and mental health.

A good rule of thumb is to let your parrot out at least a few hours a day. There isn’t an explicit rule attached to the matter, but definitely don’t leave your parrot in a cage all day. Leaving them in a cage for too long can be incredibly bad for their overall health and should never be done.

Do parrots naturally go back to their cage?

Once your parrot gets comfortable with its surroundings, it’ll become very prevalent for them to naturally walk into their cage whenever they want. Although it might take significantly longer than you might expect, try to understand that parrots do enjoy a schedule for their life.

Parrots aren’t chaotic with their day to day life and will look at a cage as their room once they become comfortable with it. For some parrots, they might have no problem with their cage, while others might take weeks or even months. As long as you keep calm and help them along with it, they’ll get into the cage okay eventually.

How do you get a parrot to trust going into their cage?

As touched upon above, there’s a lot a parrot owner can do to get into their cage. For starters, make sure you don’t force them into the cage and try to get them into a schedule for when they’re in and out of a cage. A schedule will get them in the habit of knowing when it’s cage time.

Also, be sure to use treats and toys to entice them into the cage in the first place. Be mindful of the cage size, as it needs to be big enough for them to feel okay in it. If you can manage to do all of this, you will start seeing your parrot begin to trust the process of being in their cage.

How do I get an untamed parrot in and out of its cage?

If you recently adopted a parrot and are hoping to get them in or out of their cage, the same rules apply to any parrot. Try not to force or be mean, so they get in the cage. Utilize food, treats, toys, and playtime to get them to trust you. Eventually, it’ll become second-nature for them to hang or not hang in their cage.

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