We have a 3-year-old African Grey - he has 3 cages dotted around the house, but he only sleeps in one which is in our bedroom at night, and we never lock him in even if we leave the house.

He knows when we are leaving him when we say goodbye - the garage door opening - the car - the gate opening and closing.

During the day he sits in the home office with me and my office days he is around my daughter.

Most of the time he sits on the top or the side of the cage perching on wooden sticks.

Occasionally he will dismount if the gardening services are busy making a racket with the weed whacker and will walk to the bathroom and climb to the top of the shower.

The one cage is close to an outside gate so he will climb on the window or the gate itself during summer.

We also have 3 cats, but he just walks past them, and he talks and even scolds them in my voice.