Taking the baby home and wondering what accessories are essential to the well-being of your new fids? Well, we have the perfect list to complement your shopping spree. Directly from the recommendations of caique owners are some tried and true accessories must-haves. We support you (and also your fids).
Should have
The cage – This is the most important aspect of your bird’s environment and one that needs the most consideration. Powder painting or stainless steel finish depends on your budget, but no matter the finish, when looking at a cage, consider the various aspects. The recommended cage size is 24 by 36, with a bar spacing of less than one inch. Top-opening cages are not recommended, and look for cages that have parallel bars so your bird can navigate easily. The author of this article prefers flat roof cages, but it all comes down to personal preference. Food and water dishes that extend outside the cage are recommended (giving more space inside the cage).
Poles a minimum of 5 is recommended. Choose different textures, shapes, and sizes to give your bird a variety of perches. Caiques like to chew and grind, so natural branches that have bark attached are recommended so that the bird can enjoy stripping the perch of its bark. Cholla perches are also enjoyed, which are made from a natural cactus material. Slippery perches such as manzanita and drago are not recommended. Rope perches are a favorite among caiques as they can bounce and play, chew and rub the soft cotton material.
Food dishes- Stainless steel or ceramic is recommended. Buy an extra set so you can toss the dirty ones in the dishwasher and still have a clean set on hand. Stainless steel plates are often sold as ‘cooperative cups’ and can be purchased to fit your existing dinner plate holder, or come with their own accessory so that the cups can be strategically placed inside the cage. Caiques tend to enjoy flipping their food plate over, so consider a plate like the Quick Loc Crock, which literally locks into place.
Toys: caiques love to play with toys, that’s a fact. The brighter, bolder, nosy, the better. Quick Tip: Check out the baby section of your local discount store. Hard plastic braces, teething rings, and rattles are bird-safe and fun. Tried and true bird toys include the Crushable Parrot PiƱatas, the Mind-bending Crazy Leather Box, or Brainiac’s Chewy Block. All of these toys challenge your birds’ skills and increase activity while increasing boredom. The recommended number of toys is not less than 5 at a time in the bird cage. With a caique, the more the merrier, so don’t be stingy when it comes to game items.
Emergency Medical Kit – If your bird breaks a blood feather, hits a toenail, or gets hurt in any way, you need to be prepared. Accidents can happen, and caiques seem to be especially prone to accidents. A good basic medical kit will include self-adhesive gauze (vetwrap is a popular choice), clean gauze, forceps, hemostats, a pair of sharp scissors, antibacterial cream, and a heating pad. Many different types of medical kits are included, and the most comprehensive contain everything from emergency manual feeding formulas to forms that include your veterinarians’ contact information.
Accessories
The water bottle: caiques are birds that want to be chefs. His speciality? Parrot stew. All that can enter the pot, in this cage, will be the water dish. Sometimes it can make providing a clean water source frustrating. Especially when you go to change the water and wonder why the heck did it turn a bright blue color and what the heck are those floating things. Trust me, you don’t want to ask questions. Some caiques, smart as they are, don’t seem to realize that dipping that big piece of brightly colored wood in water doesn’t make the wood easier to chew. There is a solution: bottles of water. A water bottle can be hung up, giving your pet a constant source of fresh water, even if you have turned the clean water bowl into something less than delicious. When buying a water bottle, the recommended ones are made of glass (avoid thinking about plastic ones) and have stainless steel spouts and fittings. The Lixit brand is highly recommended.
The Snuggle Buddy – While this is the name of an actual product, in this article we refer to Snuggle Buddy as anything your bird likes to sleep on next / at night. Most caiques enjoy having a “happy hut” type tent to sleep at night. There are a variety of tents and cabins available for purchase. Look for one made of long-lasting material, such as fleece, with the hanging accessories made of something similar to a plastic chain link. Otherwise, a bored bird can easily chew on the accessories that hold the hut to the cage. Other materials for snuggling may include fleece swings, a large cotton rope toy for the bird to snuggle up to, and other similar materials.
Foraging System – Foraging is an important part of your birds’ wild and natural behavior. While we highly recommend a model foraging feeding system, because this theory and research is still relatively new and conventional, we are categorizing a foraging system as an ‘accessory’ rather than an immediately required part of the foraging system. environment of your birds. Creative Foraging Systems is a new company that has a fantastic line of feeders and toys that are perfect for caiques. Allowing your bird to work to feed allows it to recreate natural behavior that can potentially curb future behavior problems. You have many options and choices when it comes to searching for food, but we highly recommend a search system as the main feeder and an accessory like the ever popular Crazy Maze as a companion item.
In conclusion
This is just a sample of the items that can be purchased for your bird and are highly recommended by owners. Look for other articles that include detailed product reviews, food recommendations, playground facilities, and much more.