Deeter got a new gym yesterday but it took him until today to use it.
I saw a parrot gym at Pets Unlimited but they don’t sell them. So I checked it out and figured I could make it. Home Depot had 5/8 dowels and 1.5 x 1.5 poplar and that’s all I needed.
I made the square centre post octagonal with my jointer and drilled holes for the dowels. I drilled the holes stepping down the post one inch and turn. The dowel at the top went on both sides to make a perch for him. They are not really 5/8 but larger than 9/16. Turning the belt sander upside down allowed each dowel to be sized down.
The base was a 9 by 8 piece of 3/4” plywood that was lying around. The base trim – remember those corn pieces – was made from a 2 x 2 scrap piece of pine using table saw, sander and mitre saw. Pretty simple.
Everything was glued; the dowels, the post to base and the base trim. A furniture dowel strengthened the base/post joint. Nailed a few brads into the trim to hold.
Deter went out of his way to ignore it and screeched at me when I showed him. OK so it takes up real estate on the top of the cage where he lives all day.
This morning I move the gym to my office. Again, no dice. He stayed on the bottom and through corn husks at me.
I moved him and the gym back to the kitchen at lunchtime and he rewarded me with the pics and video. It’s all about control.
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