Hi Mamas! I have a delimma and I am hoping that someone out there might be ablt to give me some prespective that I haven't seen yet. I currently have one child who is 2 and one blue and gold macaw and we are in Houston, Tx The bird used to live in the family room until one day my son was just getting too interested in the bird so we moved the bird into the spare bedroom. Nothing ever happened between the two and neither one hurt the other. The bird is getting good interaction, but it could be better. Now for the problem. My husband and I have been talking about having another baby. We currently have three bedrooms of which we have one, our son has one, and the bird has one. We have talked through several scenarios on how to arrange everyone once we do have another baby. We have talked about having our son and new baby share a room (not entiorely fair), moving the bird into the master with my husband and I (cage is too big), possibly adding a room onto the house, letting the bird spend some of his day outside, etc, etc. I am open to any ideas on how to make this work. We would really have to be bitting nails before we would consider adopting the bird out. I appreciate your time on this matter. I hope each one of you has a perfectly fantastic day!
S.
Update: Wow MaMas! Great ideas so far, but I think I left out some key information when I wrote this late last night. The cage is LARGE and can't be put on a table or hung from a celing. It stands about 5 1/2 feet tall and is three or so feet wide and two feet deep. We had it in the living room and it took up a lot of room. We have thought about getting one of those stands perch things and putting that in the living room and then the cage outside or somewhere else. As for the dining room, we dont have one. my husband is convinced that we should add on a room if we stay in this house. Wew have been llooking at miving, but right now that is just as scary as it is exciting to me becasue of the market. His fear is that if we wait we will only be able to afford a house no bigger than the one we are in when the market recovers, but I am not so sure. Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know how big the cage actually is. MANY MANY THANKS!!
Is there a way to hang the cage from the ceiling instead of leaving it free-standing, making it much more difficult for a child to access? I also like the dining room idea - we keep our largest dog's crate in the dining room except when we're expecting company for dinner, and it certainly keeps him out of the way! Good luck.
Could you have the bird outside and then put him away inside at night or is that too much work moving a cage...I imagine it can be with a bird that size...Im not really clear on if there is a concern for your son messing with the bird but if that is the case, perhaps you should start teaching him about the bird and have the bird in a central/shared location...not designated to its own room. Could you hang the cage somewhere in your home where touching and putting fingers in the cage wouldnt be so accessible to your son?
Hey S.,
Just before people give you the whole"its a bird" thing....just want to let you know..."I know"....I had a Blue Streaked Lory, Double Yellow Amazon and a Blue Quaker...I know the love for birds.
I also know love for fish. I had a Red Devil that was 16 years old at his death...still makes me teary. I purchased a cheapy two gallon tank, with guppies to "teach" my daughter about aqauriums. I absoltutley plan on her knowing about HOW to be around them. My thought is...teach them with the "little" stuff. Then move on with the BIGGIES!!!
My point? Perhaps start with a budgerigar or cockatiel, at his level, to teach about birds...IE: dont be loud, dont touch, no fingers in cages...etc.
Good Luck to you!!! Blue and Golds are awesome!!!! (I like the amazons, personally ;)
P.S. I have only had fish and birds my whole 39 years of living...I have NEVER owned a cat or dog, sadly, in my life.
Do you have a dining room? We use our dining room for a computer room, maybe you could convert yours to a bird room? They have these room dividers at Hobby Lobby or Michaels that you might be able to use to close the room off during the day, but would give the bird some freedom and you wouldn't have to do much in the way of remodeling etc. You could even have a little couch etc so you could spend time with the bird:) At night after the kids go down you could just open the room dividers if you wanted and bird and you guys could hang:) Of course this just depends on your house, our kitchen is big enough for a table, so we don't really "need" our dining room. Anyway just a thought. Good luck!
I am glad that you don't want to adopt the bird out. A macaw lives a long time and bonds with it's owners. My brother raised birds and he also got quite attached to them.
Can you return the bird to the family room but arrange furniture around it's cage so that the 2 yo can't easily get to it? Or, perhaps put up a plexiglass sort of shield part way up the cage so he can't put his fingers into the cage.
My adopted daughter tells me a story of how she put her fingers into her birth aunt's parrot cage and the bird bit her. She said she never again put her fingers inside the cage. I confirmed this with the aunt. That might also work for your son.
Not sure if it would work, but is it possible to put something around the bottom of the cage where your child can reach, so his fingers can't get into the cage. Plexi glass even just around what he can reach and maybe set the cage up higher too. I;m sure you are already teaching him about bird safety. I do know large birds can do some damage quick and easily, a good friend ended up with stitches from one. It sounds like you are doing a great job of keeping everyone happy and safe in your home. And as a side note macaws are really beautiful and would be a interesting and entertaining pet to own I'm sure. I've never owned a bird, but always like looking and talking to one of the macaws that was at a pet store near where I grew up. Good luck and I'm sure you will figure out something so the whole family is happy and safe.
Not sure if this will work, depending on the size of the cage & the amount of space you have. Could the cage be set on a table of some sort that is larger than the base of the cage? If it's against the wall with the cage also against the wall, the table could provide a "border" so that your son can't reach it.
Or perhaps an area baby gate around the base of the cage?
Good luck!
I know good cages can be expensive, but maybe you should try getting one that has the birdy high off the floor? If he can't reach it, there shouldn't be a problem moving it back to the livingroom. Of course, you'll have to find one with a super sturdy base so he won't accidentally knock it over.
Hi S.,
I adore birds, and think they are awesome pets!
I understand your dilemma with giving your bird all the love and attention he needs, while still having the family you and your hubby desire :)
Our two boys share a bedroom ("Fair" is not an issue: they are kids, and need to learn to share and be together: they are part of a family, not individuals). Beyond that, my husband and I have often discussed what we would do if we got another bird, and our best solution has been we would either have to move, or add-on a sunroom just for the bird.
Seriously, people misjudge how much space, stimulation, and attention birds really need just to survive, not to mention living happily in a family! This sounds very complicated, and I wish you LUCK!
t
