Cage door dangers to be aware of

I remember this was pointed out to me at one time, and I just remembered it as I was looking at my birds' cages, and thought I should share this info.

Look at the part of the door where it attaches to the cage. I've attached pics so that you can see the dangerous large 'gap' where my fingers are. As the door is brought to it's fullest open position (2nd pic), there is a space between the door and the frame of about 2 inches on Raven's large cage, and a fairly large space as well even on Robin's much smaller cage.

As the cage door closes, this 'gap' also closes in size. Imagine if a curious parrot wedges his head in that space when it's wide enough, then you close the door... In fact, don't imagine. Just be aware . Of course that goes for any body part. Wings and feet too. Oh, and your fingers...





Griffin has an aluminum cage, so it's made a little differently from the standard powder coated cages. Still, look how the door fits tightly right into the frame. Griffin is so active I have to make sure he's clear of this area when I shut it!



Robin's old cage that I bought new in the mid 90's was constructed a bit different, and it was safer. In fact, I've heard this cage was constructed this way on purpose, to avoid being dangerous like the above examples, which seem like the only choice these days. That company has since gone out of business, and to my knowledge anyway, there are no more cages with doors constructed like this. Technology going backwards .

After reading your Thread and viewing all of the pictures. I inspected our two cages. Both of ours have 'full height' front doors and the swivel pins appear to set much closer to the hinge side of the door since the pinch point is much smaller than seen in your photos. However, a pinch point clearly exists!

Thank-you for this information!

Thank you, Julie! This is a very valuable tip and excellent photos. Much better than finding out by accident.

Very good illustration! I can see an unattended fid playing with an open door also leading to a tragedy!

Great information, Julie, thank you!
I checked my cages as well after reading and a few of mine have that same gap. I will absolutely watch that now.

Flboy said:

Very good illustration! I can see an unattended fid playing with an open door also leading to a tragedy!

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Thank you for mentioning that too David! How often are we not literally 'right there' standing in front of the cage "watching" them! A plastic or stainless "S" hook or if not long enough, one attached to a couple links of plastic chain would be good for holding the door in a fixed open position.

Great thread, Jules! I just checked and both cages have that gap. And David's point is an excellent one. Jolly flies to his cage everyday and climbs down his door when he wants to grab a drink. The danger never occurred to me.

Thank you for posting.

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Great thread. My old California Cages were made well without a pinch point, and our current King's Cages also don't have a pinch point the way they are hung. I can't speak to their aluminium cages but it's a manufacturing cost difference. I'm sure some of their cages DO have pinch points so this is something of which all cage buyers should be aware.

Robin's old cage was a California Cage. It was the only one I've ever seen without the pinch point. Griffin's aluminum door doesn't pinch but it's just as bad, it'll simply cut a toe right off where the frame comes together!

I wonder why no one has done the doors again like California Cages used to.

Great thread Julie, and well worth bringing into view.

Just realised the same thing as Plum has a new cage. The old one had a drop down door so no problem but this one is as you have pictured. He also insists on climbing back in on this side so the chance of toes being pinched is pretty high IMO. Anyone know what could be used to hold the cage door back to avoid a pinching accident. All suggestions gratefully received.

plumsmum2005 said:

Great thread Julie, and well worth bringing into view.

Just realised the same thing as Plum has a new cage. The old one had a drop down door so no problem but this one is as you have pictured. He also insists on climbing back in on this side so the chance of toes being pinched is pretty high IMO. Anyone know what could be used to hold the cage door back to avoid a pinching accident. All suggestions gratefully received.

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My CAG's cage door won't stay open, and we wedge a dowel in the crack to keep it open...wonder if something like that would work?

For now I did this with some plastic shapes. You can use a couple links of plastic chain, a stainless hook of some sort. Or like Terry said, wedge some thin in to make it stationary.

Thank you for this information and the pics. I had never thought of the cage door being a danger before ...my pair are gone to bed now but I will be checking their cage doors in the morning as soon as its wake up time for them . Its a shame that the company who made the safer cage is gone out of business. A Great thread that might well save some parrots life oneday Thank you for sharing.

I have 2 custom Animal Environments cages for my little guys, and there are no pinch points (I'm assuming the non-custom models have the same doors). Another option that is still manufactured if one can afford them.

Piasa said:

I have 2 custom Animal Environments cages for my little guys, and there are no pinch points (I'm assuming the non-custom models have the same doors). Another option that is still manufactured if one can afford them.

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Good to know Animal Environments is an option with safe doors . Thank you for mentioning it.

For Aria's cage, I have a 2X2 that is maybe 10 or 12 inches long. I put round hooks in either side of it, and hook one end onto her cage and the other onto the door. With it being solid wood, the door cannot swing either way. I had never even considered the gap by the hinge when I did it, I was more worried about the door swinging shut because she likes to sit on top of her door. I kept imagining broken toes if they got pinched in the top.

Thanks for the thread, Julie. Great comments and observations all! I have many similar cages and use caution when closing the door, but while playing accidents can happen. I assume such construction is based on cost...

yeah then there are the food bowl doors that swing out with a hole to put your finger. Somehow my BF Amazon stuck her foot through that, and I found her dead in her cage. it's taken me 10 years to get over that.... and I made sure the cage I ordered for my new red belly baby I am getting doesn't have those.

i'd heard of pinch points but until I got Wranglers new cage last week I wasnt exactly sure what it meant. My other cage is an old CA cage--wayyyyyy better quality, but that's another discussion. There are several pinch points going in BOTH directions. Wrangler climbs all over his cage and when he hangs on the cage door it tends to swing closed---with his toes in it, so I now let him out through the nest box door. Less weight, so if it swings, his toes get bumped, not pinched, but the vertical hinge area is a danger regardless of which direction the door swings. Im already thinking of some type of butterfly wedge to keep it in place so it wont swing in either direction when he's out and about.