What about cage covers?

[JoeFree]

Should I, or should I not cover Joey's cage at night. I've read where it's ok to do and helps him know when to go to bed. But I don't think he likes it. And it seems that he already knows when it's getting close to bed time because he will say "It's about night night time". So cute! Anyway, what about cage covers? Yay or nay?

[judygram]

Its a personal choice Joe, I do use a cage cover for Josey, actually it is a flat black sheet and I have covered her from day one, she is used to it now.

 

If you have her cage in a room where you will still be up for a while it helps to cover them but it is perfectly allright to not cover, it kind of sounds like Joey was not covered at night and if you want to leave it that way it is fine.

[danmcq]

It mostly depends upon the Grey. Some prefer to be covered and some not. Just ask the person you got Joe from if the cage was covered or not.

 

I cover both my Parrots, but they have been covered since babies.

 

As Judy said, if your still up walking around, a cover helps them to just continue sleeping, rather than waking up everytime you walk by.

[Talon]

Yes, I agree with the others. I use a dark sheet to cover their cages. But I leave a bit open on the sides for them to see out of if need be. They don't see well in pitch black, so it helps if they have some lite left over to see if needed. I don't use a night light, but as soon as daylight arrives, they see.

I covered Talon since day one, my other grey just started being covered when I got her last summer and she was 2 years old. Her cover only covers the top half of her cage, so if she wants, she can perch lower and see out, but she only does that in the morning.

[JoeFree]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess I just try and figure out what works best for him.

[Luvparrots]

Ana Grey always knows when its sleep time, or at least when its time to return to her cage. Never fails wherever she is, in the dining area or living room, come about 8:30 pm and she heads for her cage. She always snacks before she sleeps and when I say "nite nite" she hustles onto her sleeping perch before I turn the lights out and close the door. I don't use a cover as the room is dark. When the sun comes up I hear her moving around in her cage, she is an early bird--I am not. The house's temperature is set for 62 degrees at night. If it was colder I would use a cover if needed.

 

What Joey says, "It's about night night time" that is so cute.

[djzenjen]

Usually, Mischief will start to nod off an hour or two after sunset. I never cover her cage, but keep a cover handy in case it's a cold night. She is out until I go to bed anyway, and she has her favorite spots in the bird room where she sleeps until I come in to put her in the cage for the rest of the night.

[DavidH]

I recently read a European doctoral dissertation on Greys. The researcher found (among many other things) a correlation between covering the cage at night and phobia. That DOES NOT mean that covering causes phobia. There could be lots of other explanations and the study says nothing about night lights or other factors.

 

I do cover Shanti, but not with the same degree of confidence that I did before I read the study.

 

I will post a link if anyone is interested.

[Tycos_mom]

I cover my birds at night. I do this so they can sleep I have terrible insomnia and I'm up and down all night long If I didn''t cover them the poor baby's wouldn't get any sleep. When I got Gizmo he was scared of being cover at night so I had to go very slow to get him used to it. at first I just covered 3 sides of his cag and the gradually lowered the cover of the side a little every night. I still don't cover his whole cage just the top halfI leave a good 1 1/2 feet on the bottom of the cage so if he wants to look out he can. he is the only bird that isn't totaly covered.

[Toni]

I cover Alcazar at night.To me it gets him to realize when quiet time is. I have a small hallway light on and its like 6 inches open on the side.

[ajlinva]

When I got Bingo, I tried covering him a few different times and when I did, he would get on the bottom of the cage in the corner and scratch like a chicken :unsure: I do cover everyone else, but he just doesn't like it. I think he will tell you whether or not he wants to be covered.

[Tigerlily]

for the 1st 7months tigerlily and i slept and lived in the same room with the cat going in and out the cat flap from the same room all night so i made her a cage cover for her security (i couldn't believe the price of brought ones!)

when we moved into my new flat Tigerlilies cage naturally Tigerlily had prime place in the living room and i now have a seperate bedroom.

now when i go to bed i draw the curtains, close the door so the cat cant get in and leave tigerlily uncovered, on the rare occasion i have visitors tigerlily gets the cover put back on as they have 2 sleep on the sofa.

 

Tigerlily doesn't seem 2 bothered either way but i prefer not 2 cover, i think it's more natural.

[lovethatgrey]

I cover Emma's cage partially only. The room is already pretty dark. The cover is mostly for privacy.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/03/07 15:24

[she]

My two both get covers on the cage of a night,they seem to know when its bed time and to me they actually welcome the covers.

[casper]

My three are also covered, I have done this with them since they were babies.

I half cover them to start off with which seems to settle them down then about half an hour later I fully cover them.

This works for mine but each grey is different.

 

Do you know if the previous owner covered him before?

[Timnehmommi]

We have the same routine, and cover Adaya first partially, and then all of the way before bed time and it works well. She wakes in the morning, and lets you know when shes ready to see the sun . However, she can sleep just fine if we only partially cover her also.

[sue09]

I cover Ollie at nite although the bottom half is still open. He calls us when he wants to be covered......'nite nite now' 'Ollie go nite nite' :lol: