What Cage To Buy?
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Quality is everything when you buy a bird cage. This is a large investment, and you want it to last!
More important….you want it to BE SAFE!
HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND?
There is no such thing as “too big” of a bird cage. Your bird will love as much space as possible. But in reality, you are limited to the “footprint” of space on the floor where you plan to put your bird.
Do you need a stand, or will this be on a table you already have? Bird stands do not come standard with many cages, so plan to spend more money if you need one.
Do you want it to fit the “décor” of your room? That can cost you also. You might need a stainless steel cage or a wood display type cage.
So shop around. Consider it no different then looking for new room furniture.
RIGHT SIZE CAGE FOR THE SIZE OF BIRD
In general, you want a cage that will allow the bird to completely stretch their wings. If it’s a long tailed bird like a Macaw, they must have room to turn around. We have seen many Macaw’s who were in too narrow a cage with their beautiful tail feathers trashed!
Small birds will do fine in small cages as long as they are wide. This will allow them to fly around a little. Larger birds can not fly in their cage, so adding height will do. They can climb up the bars and ropes to their heart’s content.
Make sure there is room for their toys! You are buying them a home, not an obstacle course.
PLASTIC OR METAL, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF BIRD
One word of warning about plastic cages: They are designed to be cheap. The plastic is very easy to crack. I recommend them only for small birds. Also note that there are a couple manufacturers that make a smoky colored opaque plastic material. While these cages are very unique in design and attractive, the plastic is extremely brittle. Choose this only with a specific need in mind.
Metal cages take some degree of care to maintain them. They must be cleaned and disinfected frequently, and it’s important to dry them completely. Poor cleaning will result in very rusty cages. Note that larger birds can easily bend and destroy the bars, so be sure you have the proper gauge material. If you put an Amazon into a cage designed for a Cockatiel, the bars will quickly be bent, welds broken, and exposed ends to show. This can easily impale your bird.
Many poorly manufactured metal cages are not properly treated prior to paint being applied. This results in paint chipping prematurely. Do some research before you choose a metal cage. This reason alone may prompt you to pay more money for your cage.
HOW EASY TO CLEAN?
Pay attention to how easy the cage will be to clean. Ornate cages with very detailed bars are hard to clean. One company has designed a series of cages that simply slide together (no screws at all). When it’s time to clean, you can disassemble the cage quickly and take each panel to a convenient place to clean.
What about the accessories like food water cups? Those fancy “crock” bowls are nice, but what if you break one? Can you find a replacement? Are replacement parts readily available? Having an extra set available makes it much easier to clean, as you can have one set soaking while the other is in use.
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