I’m very excited to share Ella’s new play gym with you! A few years ago I wanted to make it exciting for our Parrotlet to play outside of her cage but be with us in a safe spot. Naturally I went around to various pet stores looking for the perfect gym but was extremely disappointed at the cost, sizes available and lack of interest for the parrot that was offered.
Recently, I ended up finding some really neat ones for sale made out of wood and tile on the web. They were extremely expensive and would have to be shipped out of country (making them even more costly) but it gave me a great idea. I drew a design that I wanted, showed it to my husband and we went to the hardware store to buy the supplies! It’s made out of all natural wood and tiles with a 20”x20” base. To build this 3 level gym it only cost about $25 in supplies! I had my husband incorporate a wooden ‘tree’ I had bought a few years ago and I also made sure there were plenty of toys! Ella loves to play so I wanted her to be kept busy! Finally, it may seem like toy overload but she had lead poisoning a few months ago and although she has regained movement in her feet, she has trouble gripping on to smooth surfaces and balancing in general. I wanted to make sure there were lots of things around her to grip, steady herself and allow her to easily move from one level to another.
Tonight was test night. She gets nervous in new environments so I wasn't sure how she would react. After an hour or so though, she had toured the whole thing and was swinging off toys and chirping away! I guess this means it's a hit! Here's a video of her playing on her gym.
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