Best cage for elderly cockatoo with mobility issues

Cage size is the single most important factor when housing any parrot — most cages sold in pet shops are too small for a bird to extend its wings fully, which is a genuine welfare problem. Bar spacing matters just as much: too wide and a cockatoo can get its head trapped. For an older bird with reduced mobility, there are additional considerations on top of those basics — door width and perch placement become critical. To point you in the right direction: how old is your cockatoo, what's the extent of the mobility issue (arthritis, weakness, post-illness recovery?), and do you have a rough sense of how much floor space you can give the cage?

28 years old — she's doing well to still be active at all, umbrella cockatoos can make it into their 40s but arthritis at this stage is very common. The key things you need are: wide double doors so you can reach in at low height without disturbing her, a cage tall enough to give her room but with perches positioned in the lower half so she doesn't need to climb far, and bar spacing of no more than 19mm to 22mm for a bird her size — tight enough she can't trap her beak or feet. How much floor space do you have available, and is the cage going to sit on a stand or on a surface you already have?

That size and situation fits well with the Rainforest Cages Amazonia large parrot cage. It's around 91cm wide, the bar spacing is 22mm which is appropriate for an umbrella cockatoo, and critically it has wide double front doors that open fully — you can reach in low without her having to move toward you awkwardly. The base tray pulls out for cleaning which matters when you're maintaining it daily for a bird spending long hours inside. I'd position two or three perches in the lower third of the cage rather than using the top rails, and add a small platform perch if she enjoys sitting flat-footed — arthritic birds often prefer that to gripping a round dowel all day. Avoid rope perches for now given the fall risk. The Amazonia is available on Amazon UK and comes with the stand included in most listings, so you won't need a separate purchase.

Good instinct to flag that. The Amazonia uses slide-bolt style latches which most cockatoos can eventually work out given time and motivation. For a bird with arthritis the reduced dexterity may actually slow that down, but I wouldn't rely on it. The straightforward fix is a small stainless steel carabiner clip on each door latch — costs almost nothing, takes two seconds to undo when you need access, and she won't be able to manipulate it. It also doubles as a safety catch if she does have a stumble and leans against the door. Worth doing from day one rather than waiting to see if she figures the latches out.

You're in good shape. Main things to set up before she moves in: perches in the lower half only, at least one flat platform perch, food and water at a height she can reach without climbing, and those carabiner clips on the doors. If her mobility gets worse over time, you can add a small ramp or rope ladder near the base — but keep it low tension so there's nothing to trip on. She's lucky to have someone thinking this carefully about her setup at this stage of her life.