Pet’s Place: Outdoor Living Suits These Cockatiels
A large cage and a screened-in patio make caring for two beloved birds fun and easy
Screech, on the left, is curious and more open to visitors than his brother is. Bink is a “mama’s boy,” Coffey says. “He really only likes to be picked up by me.”
The birds live in the same cage and squabble occasionally, but most of the time you’ll see them playing with or preening each other. “If I take only one of the brothers out of the cage, the other will scream until I put him back or take out the other,” Coffey says.
The birds live in the same cage and squabble occasionally, but most of the time you’ll see them playing with or preening each other. “If I take only one of the brothers out of the cage, the other will scream until I put him back or take out the other,” Coffey says.
Cage. The birds’ iron flight cage is 60 inches high with a 37-by-23-inch base, which is more than enough room for the two of them, Coffey says. The cage sits on the family’s large screened-in patio, which also houses a swimming pool. “We live in Florida, so it’s nearly year-round pleasant weather for the birds,” Coffey says.
For hurricanes or cold days, she has a smaller cage that she can bring inside.
Flight cage: Prevue Pet Products
For hurricanes or cold days, she has a smaller cage that she can bring inside.
Flight cage: Prevue Pet Products
Maintenance. Having the cage outside helps with maintenance, Coffey says, because her birds — and cockatiels in general — are dusty. They also poop a lot, she says. She regularly has to hose down the cage and change their bedding. “They luckily love water and bath time, so they enjoy cage cleaning day,” Coffey says.
The family also added a skimmer to the pool to collect any dust or feathers that land in the water.
To help keep things even tidier around the cage, Coffey keeps the birds’ food bowl in the middle of the cage so they don’t spill or toss food onto the ground.
“Overall, I think they are easy to care for,” she says, “especially since their dusty little bodies are outdoors.”
The family also added a skimmer to the pool to collect any dust or feathers that land in the water.
To help keep things even tidier around the cage, Coffey keeps the birds’ food bowl in the middle of the cage so they don’t spill or toss food onto the ground.
“Overall, I think they are easy to care for,” she says, “especially since their dusty little bodies are outdoors.”
Home, sweet home. “I love having them and caring for them,” Coffey says. “I think I would be far more bored and lonely if I didn’t have them to care for and spend time with. I like hearing their cute noises and spending time with them.”
Your turn: Do you have a bird? Tell us what you’ve done to accommodate your bird and share a photo in the Comments.
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Your turn: Do you have a bird? Tell us what you’ve done to accommodate your bird and share a photo in the Comments.
More
Apartment Living With a Hedgehog and a Dog
Read more stories about pets at home
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Pets at a Glance
Pets: Bink and Screech, two cockatiels
Age: 10
Location: Plantation, Florida
Owner: Megan Coffey
Meet Bink and Screech. These two cockatiels have lived with Megan Coffey since they hatched more than 10 years ago when she was in high school.
Her sister picked the name Bink, aka Binkie, and she picked Screech. “I can’t remember why I picked Screech’s name, but it’s very fitting because he is the loudest of the two,” Coffey says.