Would you refurbish a rusted cage?

[MomtoPercy]

As I've posted before, I'm buying Percy a new cage very soon.

His current cage has some rust spots (the main reason for me wanting to replace it) and is very old.

I'm wondering if I should have his old cage refusbished (provided I can find someone who could do it with safe materials) so that we can use it as a sleep cage?

What do you think? His current cage is in the main living area of our home and I don't think he gets proper sleep (even though once his blankie is over the cage, its pitch black in there) because of the humans and dogs still moving around, making noise, etc. So I'd like to have a different cage for him just to sleep in, in my bedroom.

 

[SandyBee]

If you could get a professional to sand all the rust and re powder coat. I'm not sure if it would be cost effective though. I would only do it by a professional shop or not at all.

 

[BillsBirds]

Unless you are having it powder coated professionally, I'd just replace it. Rust is not good for birds, and they chew the bars, beak the bars to climb, etc. If you can be sure the paint is bird safe, you can have it done at any auto body shop. They "power sand" the rust off, and spray on the powder coat paint on the heated metal, and it permanently bonds. Might be cheaper, and easier, to just replace it. Please do not use a rusty cage. Even temporarily.

 

[strudel]

Yes, and I have a cage that I intended refurbishing (it's a good size for what I need, the bars are good and solid, no real alternatives available). Whether it's worth it really depends on the availability and cost of new compared to any features of the old that are worth keeping. I'd at least get a quote for having it powdercoated, then you can decide whether it's worth the expense or not.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Please do not use a rusty cage. Even temporarily.

I agree wholeheartedly but the cages available where I live cost the same as my monthly installment on my car. There was no way I could replace it sooner. I intended to replace it at the first opportunity which would have been April next year when I get paid my performance bonus at work. Luckily, I've won an award at work and now I will have the money to buy him a new cage this month. So happy!

 

[strudel]

Have you had a go at the rust yourself? If it's just on the surface it can be scrubbed off mechanically. If it's started attacking the metal, you can use rust converter and it'll turn it back into metal. You could fix it up and repaint it yourself. Again, it really depends on what you are dealing with and how much of a pain in the neck it would be.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Have you had a go at the rust yourself? If it's just on the surface it can be scrubbed off mechanically. If it's started attacking the metal, you can use rust converter and it'll turn it back into metal. You could fix it up and repaint it yourself. Again, it really depends on what you are dealing with and how much of a pain in the neck it would be.

I've thought about it but I don't have a spare cage for Percy while I fiddle with his. In mere DAYS however, his new cage will be here so then it is bye bye rust spots anyway! Can't wait!

 

[strudel]

Oh sure, I understand, you'll need to work on it after he's in his new "digs", I just thought you might have had a bit of a poke at it previously to see what was going on with it, assess the rust. It's very handy having more than one cage, not just for sleeping, but if you want to give one a big clean outside or something breaks. If it's not too big of a job to get it back "up to code", it would be worth hanging onto his existing cage.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Thanks Strudel. I will give it a go once the new cage is here. In the meantime, I will also ask around abouts quotes for a professional refurbishment...although I'm sorry to say I don't know if I will TRUST that the service provider will do a safe job. One thing I've learned since getting Percy, is that people think I'm stupid for being so pedantic "over a mere bird" and will just say what I want to hear to shut me up. Had a full on argument with a hardware shop attendant last week over "what the big deal is" about different woods for "a dumb bird"!! Grrrr....