When you are looking for birds cages for sale you need to know what to look for. Not all bird cages are suitable and not all bird cages are safe.
Buying a bird cage is not a case of one size fits all. There are various factors that need to be taken into consideration, namely:
- The Parrot
What type of parrot do you have or what type of parrot do you intend getting. Parrots come in all shapes and sizes as well as temperaments so don’t for one minute believe that a cage suitable for a budgie or cockatiel will be suitable for a larger parrot like an african grey, amazon or even a macaw.
Parrots are extremely intelligent birds, the larger ones more so do not underestimate their destructive and escape capabilities. They may not tunnel their way to freedom as those second world war prisoners did but their ability to free themselves from their cages can be quite phenomenal. So watch out. Choose your cage with care. Make sure all openings can be locked even to the extent of locking food dishes and water trays in place. Square shaped cages are better than round ones and rectangular better than dome shaped. Parrots kept in round cages tend to look somewhat disheveled than those kept in square or rectangular cages. Dome shaped cages narrow towards the top and constrain your parrot and his ability to extend and flap his wings - Size of Cage
With parrot cages it is very definitely not a case of one size fits all. Different size birds need different size cages. The cage you select should be big enough to allow your parrot to spread his wings and vigorously flap them without being hindered by the cage sides or top. Taller cages seem to be better in this respect but they also need to be wide.
- Strength of Cage
Parrot cages today are made from many different materials. New materials are being produced on a regular basis which makes it difficult to keep up, however wrought iron, with a powder coating finish is pretty popular although acrylic bird cages are becoming more popular. All parrots have a tendency to chew on their cage (or anything else for that matter) although strength and destructive ability is dependent on size. Some parrots have been known to literally tear the bars apart. Parrot beaks are incredibly powerful and there isn’t much out there that is impervious to their attention. Always deal with a supplier who “knows” his birds and check with him the cage you want to buy is in fact suitable for the specific bird you are going to put in the cage.
- Perches
All cages should have suitable perches of various diameters and textures. This helps alleviate any potential foot problems and helps to keep their claws at a reasonable length.Some experts suggest you should have one in the upper part of the cage with a further two down at a lower level. Ideally perches should be made from actual tree branches or twigs in preference to factory produced dowels. And covering dowel perches with sand paper is a poor substitute for using actual tree branches.
- Toys
Not only should there be ample space for your parrot to spread his wings and flap them if he wants to, there should also be sufficient space in the cage to hang several toys. Parrot toys are meant to help the parrot simulate living in the wild. Toys help them to go through the motions of hunting and killing their food as well as strengthening their beaks through use. Parrots like to chew which makes wooden toys ideal for them. Just expect to have to replace them fairly often!
- Housekeeping
Who cleans the cage? Not many of us these days can afford domestic help, never mind help to look after the parrot, so in all likelihood cleaning the cage will be your responsibility. Parrots are quite possibly the messiest creatures on the face of the planet. Their cages will need cleaning on a very regular basis (once a week is unlikely to be enough!). So, you need to ensure there is a bottom tray that can be pulled out and cleaned with the minimum of fuss. You will need easy access to the food and water trays and it will help if you are able to detach the base of the cage from the rest of the cage as you will need to give the cage a thorough clean once a week.
A good parrot cage can set you back financially quite a bit but when you consider parrots can live for up to 70 or 80 years you really do need a cage that will “stand the test of time”. Not only that, your parrot has undoubtedly cost you a lot of money to buy in the first place and surely you would not want to house such an investment in the equivalent of run down tenement block. There are a lot of options available to you today so there is no excuse for not accommodating your parrot in a manner befitting the investment you have made.
