Stop Blaming Cages
Cages are not bad. Cages are inanimate objects. Their function with parrots is to provide a safe space where they are contained, since our homes are extremely dangerous for a parrot to roam unattended.
People are the problem with cages. Those who blame the cage and not the person are heavily anthropomorphizing and not taking credibility.
We control the cage size, the materials used, the perches, the enrichment, and how clean it is. We can directly affect if its an appropriate environment for our parrots. Most cages I see are inappropriate for the bird that is in them size wise or enrichment wise.
We control how long our bird is in it. Your bird doesn’t have to be out of the cage all day to have a successful life. It is actually better for your bird to have time in their cage during the day to be able to practice being independent.
Cages don’t make your bird pluck or be stressed. Isolation distress does that from over bonding and not setting your parrot up for success in our homes. Having your bird out for a while, putting it back for an hour, taking it back out, putting it back for an hour is a really good method to have your bird out a lot, but still teach independence.
Your bird doesn’t scream in its cage cause it hates the cage. It screams because it doesn’t know how to be independent, which is our fault.
Cages shouldn’t be used as punishment. “My bird was bad, so I put it back in its cage for a time out.” All that accomplishes is creating negative behavior patterns around going into the cage because it’s constantly viewed as punishment. Biting when going in, refusing to step off, and other behaviors we blame the cage is really us creating a negative cage space, which can also be combined with the other points listed.
Anthropomorphizing. “The cage is like a prison.” “My bird is sad in there.” Which also, if you say that, review other points.
Cages are not the problem, people are the problem. Cages should be a positive thing for your bird. It’s their safe area that should be fun and fit the bird’s needs!