Bird CagesSelecting the Right Bird Cage for Your Birds Birds are very popular pets and their delightful personalities make them very special to their owners. While your tame birds may spend a great deal of time outside their cages, you still need to select the proper cage these birds. They will consider their cage to be their territory, their place to eat and drink, their place to sleep at night, and their place to play when they are not interacting with their human flock members. Selecting an appropriate cage that will make your bird feel comfortable and safe is important. It is also important to select a cage that provides easy access for cleaning and feeding which must be done every day. A general fact that covers all types of bird cages is that the cage should not be rusty or painted with any type of paint other than non-toxic nursery safe paint. Most new bird cages are powder-coated baked resin finish which is very durable and will not easily chip. Some cages are natural metal finish but the metal is known to be safe for birds. Some very large bird cages are wrought iron. Never put your bird in a cage that might be finished with an unsafe paint! It's worth the investment to buy a new cage rather than have a garage sale "deal" kill your beloved bird. The shape of the cage is not truly important. Round cages are more difficult to clean and difficult to cut paper for lining the bottom tray; however, they do have an easier access to install perches and playthings. That doesn't mean that a round cage shouldn't be used. You may find you like them. Most bird lovers prefer a square or rectangle shaped cage. Square or rectangle shaped cages are made in sizes that paper towel will fit perfectly for lining the bottom tray. Another general rule for all cages is that the cage must be large enough for the bird to fully extend both wings and have plenty of room left to turn around comfortably. It should be tall enough to allow the bird to have climbing room. You will need to have toys and play things hanging in the cage for your bird to entertain himself when he is in his cage, so the cage must be roomy enough to allow freedom of movement without banging into things. Bigger is better; so buy the largest cage you can afford with the bars spaced appropriately for the size of bird that will live in the cage. Bar spacing should be close enough together that the bird can not stick its head out between the bars. If the bars are spaced too far apart, the bird could stick its head out, become frightened and hurt itself before it figures out how to get its head back into the cage. Birds have broken their necks trying to get out from between bars that were too widely spaced. The bars should also be of a diameter sufficient to prevent the bird from breaking the bars. A parrot in a cockatiel cage will shortly make a new "door" by removing bars. The bigger the bird, the larger the diameter of the bars must be to provide safety and the more securely they must be attached to the cage frame. You may wish to have a smaller travel cage for your bird. The travel cage should follow the same rules on safety, but can be much smaller than the bird's regular home. This cage could be used for rides in the car, sitting with you outside, or as a hospital cage, should the bird become injured and need to be confined while healing.
Parrot Cages
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