When housing your pet parrot, you need to place it inside a habitat or a cage that has all the right conditions for it to live properly. That means that it should be able to experience a captive lifestyle that is a lot similar to what it would have naturally experienced had it been living in the wild. And, in case you do not know, parrots and most other birds in the wild are arboreal animals that spend most of their days perched on elevated surfaces.
What that means is that, when you are preparing a cage for your pet parrot, you need to place a perch inside the cage for it to have a spot where it can stay all day long and do its daily activities such as standing, grooming, surveying, and sleeping. But you should not just get one kind of perch because most pet parrots need different types of perches for their activities. One of those should be a rope perch.
Why are perches important?
Perches or stands are important for a parrot’s cage or their environment because they give the bird a more natural feel. In the wild, parrots or most any kind of bird usually fly around and perch. They naturally want to be on elevated places primarily because of how they are biologically wired to do so to give them a vantage point when they are observing their environment and to keep them away from terrestrial predators. That is why pet birds, even when they have been bred from several generations of captive-bred birds, need to perch.
This is also the exact reason why most store-bought bird cages already have perches in them. So, when you are buying a cage, you might already think that you do not need to provide a perch for your bird because the one you just bought already has a perch. Well, that is not necessarily correct even though the perch in the store-bought cage may already be sufficient as it is.
Similar to how parrots need a varied diet and different toys, they also require all sorts of different types of perches just as they look for different surfaces to perch on in the wild, depending on their needs. Some perches may be too hard that they can cause arthritis. In some cases, these perches might even lead to bumblefoot, which is an infectious hole on the parrot’s food.
That said, you would need to provide all kinds of different perches for your pet parrot to prevent health risks, infections, and other types of complications that can put its life in jeopardy. On top of that, depending on the type of perch used, you can also help build stronger legs for your parrot as your pet bird tries to keep itself balanced on top of a perch that moves around a bit.
What is a rope perch?
You can actually tell what a rope perch is just by reading its name. It is simply a perch made from a rope as opposed to conventional types of perches that are made of wood, metal, plastic, or mineral. And, as you might have already guessed it in comparison to all other types of perches mentioned, rope perches are actually the softest kinds of perches for your pet parrot.
In case you do not know what a rope perch looks like, it really simply looks like a rope that was made to be attached inside a cage so that you can create all different kinds of perches with it. Some owners create simple U-shaped perches that look like a swing. There are some who prefer to try to become more creative with their rope perch by forming loops with it. Meanwhile, there are those who use the rope perch to form a zigzagging perch inside the cage. It actually is just a rope but can be morphed into different types of shapes, depending on what you prefer for your parrot. That is why the rope perch is also oftentimes regarded as a toy as well.
Benefits of rope perches
If you are wondering why you need a rope perch for your parrot’s cage, here are some of the benefits your bird can get if you place a rope perch in its habitat:
· Softness
Compared to other types of perches, rope perches are softer. That means that they are easier on your pet parrot’s sensitive feet and will minimize conditions that are common with perches that are hard and rough on a bird’s feet. These perches are comfortable and easy on your birds.
· Fun
Rope perches tend to be quite fun compared to other types of perches. That is because they double as play toys in the sense that you can form all kinds of shapes with the rope perch to create fun ways to challenge your parrot. You can create a looping perch that allows your parrot to climb from the bottom of the loop all the way to the top. You may also form a swing with your rope perch so that your bird can have fun on it as the perch is swaying back and forth. The possibilities are endless with rope perches. That means that your bird will also get to experience endless possibilities of fun.
· Easy to clean
Rope perches are some of the easier types of perches to clean. Because they are made with fabric, all you need to do is to place them in a washer and dryer. After that, you can simply put the rope perch back in the cage. It is that easy.
· Comfortable grip
Because of the material used for the rope perch, these types of perches are a lot easier and more comfortable for your bird to grip. However, you must choose a rope perch with a width that matches your parrot’s feet. Otherwise, you will end up with a rope perch that will either be too big or too small for your bird to feel comfortable on.
How to choose the right type of rope perch
Now that you know what a rope perch is and the benefits that come with it, here are the factors you need to consider when you are looking for a rope perch:
· Material
The material used for the rope perch is one of the most important factors needed to be considered when buying a rope perch for your parrot. That is because different types of materials can have unique effects on your bird’s feet. For example, cotton perches are softer, while nylon perches tend to be slippery.
· Bendability
Depending on the material used to make the rope perch, there are certain rope perches that are more bendable than others. That means that they were made to be quite stiff so that you can bend them into all sorts of different shapes. Bendable perches allow for more creativity on your part while also providing more fun to your birds. However, the less bendable the perch is, the softer it is to your parrot’s feet. A lot of bendable rope perches have metal wires inside.
· Length
The length of the rope perch is not just something you consider depending on your bird’s size. You also have to look at the length, depending on how you want to shape the rope perch. If you want to loop the perch inside the cage, go for a longer one. However, if you simply want to form a U-shaped swing, a standard length might be enough.
· Width
When choosing a rope perch for your pet parrot, the width is as important as any other factor. That is because the width of the rope perch has a direct impact on the way your parrot will grip on it. If it is too thick, it will lead to gripping difficulties. At the same time, if it is too thin, it might be difficult for your bird to have a firm grip on the rope perch. Go for a rope perch that has just the right width for your parrot’s feet.
