Picking out a cage

njgray21 · Sep 5, 2012

I am trying to pick out a cage for an Eclectus I will hopefully be getting in the very near future. I am torn between a playtop and a dome top cage. The dome top provides more interior room plus I plan on having a mobile playstand. But the playtop gives more outside the cage play area.

Also the playtop is above eye level for most average height people, I've read when a bird perches above eye level they can get aggressive as it is a dominant position. Not sure if this holds true for all species or just some?

I'm looking at a 36x28x65 size A&E Cage.

Any input would be appreciated!

c3honey84 · Sep 5, 2012

They always say bigger is better, however, that's exactly the size cage I had Roxy in when I first got her. It will work just fine. It is true that they feel more dominant when they are higher than you. But you also have to think of it this way. Will you be able to get your bird down when he or she is up there on the top? Because honestly, when my bird is up on top of her cage and does not want to come down, there is nothing I can do to get her down short of getting ladder and trying to grab her with a towel. (Which I won't do by the way.) This is why I don't really let her go on top of her cage anymore.

Conuregirl · Sep 5, 2012

my birds love their playtop and its cleaner. a dome cage will get poop on stuff, if they are on top. my playtop is like an additional playgym for them, too.

Boysmom · Sep 6, 2012

My girl LOVES her play top and I havent had any problems getting her to come down when asked to. look at the thread her titled: is this a good cage for an eclectus parrot. Pictures of my cage are posted there. It all depends on the bird though if it will be a problem getting them down from the play top. My girl adores being with us and will come to anyone in our family from anywhere when asked to. Cage choice is a very personal decision, would you want others choosing your home for you ? you also have to consider how easy it will be to clean. I roll mine out onto the front porch weekly and pressure wash it. They get food and poop all over the cage and cleaning is a major factor for me in choosing a cage.

ruffledfeathers · Sep 6, 2012

my personal favorite is always the play top, but it is also true that sometimes they get attitudes when they get to be above you. that being said, my bird just loved hanging out on top of her cage, all her life. i think it was part of what made her feel like it was her 'home', because i left the cage open whenever i was home, so she could sit on the door, come out on top, go in and eat, play with toys, etc. (and i guess i felt less guilty working full time, knowing she had to be caged but liked her cage so much).

njgray21 · Sep 6, 2012

Thank you everyone for the input. I think I have decided to go with the playtop. But is 36x28x66 an adequate size. I want to buy the right cage on the first try.

Boysmom · Sep 6, 2012

I would say thats a good size. Mine is about that size 36 x 30 x 66 . My girl doesnt spend much time inside her cage, mostly she is on the play top. I home school so there is always someone home, so she stays out most of the time. Cage is large enough though that when she has to be caged when we leave she has plenty of room to play and roam around. she sometimes goes into her cage during the day just to turn flip and hang upside down. Just space your branches and perches so that there is room to flip and play around.

BarkleyLoves · Sep 6, 2012

we have a dome style cage for Barkley, and I really wish we would have bought the one with the playtop. We're actually looking into getting him a bigger cage. I don't have any trouble getting him down from his cage. and he has a playstand to hang out on so we don't really need the playtop. Just make sure the cage is roomy enough.

Picking out a cage

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