cockatiel keeps falling!

[elozeau]

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone out there has some recommendations to help me. I got my cockatiel Obi as a rescue last year, and he was always a bit clumsy but it was never anything serious and because I knew cockatiels had night terrors I though it was normal if he fell on occasion. I was told he was 4 or 5 but I brought him to the vet last week and she thought maybe he was much older than that due to his poor grip. He eats well, acts goofy and chews normally on his toys, droppings are good and his blood work was unremarkable. He just falls all the time! Sometimes when I pick him up his foot is curled in a ball and he can't seem to grip his perches (though he weirdly has no trouble gripping the cage to climb around) he just can't transition to the perches.

Today I moved everything to the bottom of the cage and put a false top on so if he falls it won't be as far, but I was wondering if anyone else has any experience with this. He has rope perches he always loved, but now won't stand on them, and I wonder if they're not rigid enough? Recommendations about cage setup or pictures of what's worked? No matter what I do something is in his way since I reduced his space. I also wonder about getting a cage with horizontal bars, but I've looked all over and can't find any. Does anyone know of any good ones?

I want to make sure he's happy and not hurt, and I think if I can just avoid making more obstacles without taking everything away from him he might be ok. The vet was wondering if his heart is bad, but his only symptom is being clumsy so if I can help that maybe he'll be ok.

Thank you,
Emily

[boomer girl]

There was a girl here whos lovebird lost the use of one foot and she lowered all the perches and put a think no nap cotton towel on the bottom of the cage for cushion if her lovebird fell off the perch. The no nap towel was thick and nice and smooth so her lovebirds nails didnt get caught on the towel.

[elozeau]

I did try that. I raised the bottom of his cage from 29" to 14" and placed a thick towel under it. At least he won't be as likely to break a blood feather or foot if he falls, but it is very awkward to get him out of the cage now since the door is halved. Hopefully he will get used to it, but he's had so many changed in the past few weeks, with that, vet recommended different food, more baths, and medicine. I hope this is temporary, but it may be his new normal.