Cage Interior Decorating

[Jolene7136]

Okay this is going to sound stupid, but I always see photos of people who have put toys and perches into their birds cages and it looks all symmetrical and functional. Mine always feels functional, but unattractive.

I was wondering if anyone would share inspirational photos of their cages with everything all put together. We have the standard cage with the 2 bowls on each side rectangle set up with a small dome top.

Also, the cage she came with, although adequate for the time she gets outside of it, is still a tad bit small and is a very old Cal Cage that we cannot get replacement parts for. I was wondering what brand and company you guys would suggest for a U2 that is good quality but wont break the bank? (Somewhere around $500-700 if possible). It has been a while since we have had to buy a new cage and the ones I have been seeing are definitely not going to stand up to a u2 who likes to bend the bars. Suggestions much appreciated.

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

I'll just give your thread a bump. My wife's bird's cage is definitely on the functional side, but I know we have some really spectacular set-ups............................. one recent one is Heedless' cage and play area for her Eclectus hen.

 

[Jolene7136]

I will see if I can do a search, thank you

 

[EllenD]

Have you done a search for Bird-Cages on your local Craigslist? If not, then I HIGHLY-SUGGEST that you do that first, BEFORE you even think about buying a brand-new Bird-Cage, and I only say this because you will be able to get your Umbrella Cockatoo the "Taj Mahal" of Bird-Cages for $500-$600 if you buy a pre-owned one!!! You can usually even find pre-owned Stainless-Steel cages for that budget on Craigslist that have a new MSRP of $2,000 and up! I'm not a huge fan of the Stainless-Steel cages, not because they aren't totally awesome cages, because they definitely are, but rather because I'd rather buy my birds the largest, nicest, most decked-out cage that I can for the money I have to spend, and for what a brand-new, size Medium to Large Stainless-Steel Bird-Cage costs, you could build your Parrot it's own wing on the house!!!

Seriously though, I highly recommend that you jump onto your local Craigslist page, go to the "Homepage" for your town/city, and then look under the "Community" heading, find "Pets" under the heading, and click on "Pets". That will take you to your local Craigslist page where all of the Pet supplies/equipment/food are sold. Then you want to find the "Search-Bar" at the top-center of the Pets page, and type "Bird Cage" into the search-bar. Then before you do the search, go to the left-side of the page where it says "Search Distance" or something similar, and you want to set the distance from your town that you are willing to drive to pick-up a cage...Craigslist allows a maximum search-distance of 200-miles, and I always do the 200-miles search-distance just so I don't miss anything that might be worth the longer drive. (some people's small towns/villages don't have their own the closest town/city to where you live that has a Craigslist page, if your town doesn't have one)..

The private Avian/Reptile Rescue I have been with for over 8 years now is not a non-profit or 501c3, so we get no monetary help from the government, as it's owned by a couple in their 50's, with the wife actually being the Director of the Rescue and the person who runs the place (and does it well I might add)..We do get lots and lots of donations from the local communities around us, and we have a wholesale-deal for food with Higgins, Zupreem, and Kaytee...But when it comes ot both Bird-Cages and Reptile enclosures/vivariums, as well as Reptile lighting/fixtures, we are constantly, every day searching for good-condition, pre-owned, and our #1 source is Craiglist by-far...There are usually dozens and dozens and dozens of pre-owned AND NEVER-USED PRE-OWNED large/extra-large Bird-Cages for sale on Craigslist at any given time, the reason being that #1 Large Bird-Cages take up a lot of space and people don't want to store them if they're not being used, they just want them gone, #2 People don't want to look at an empty Cage that once held their long-time baby who is no longer with them, and #3 People pay a lot of money for large Bird-Cages when they buy them brand-new, and even though they know they are going to lose most of the money they spent on the Cage originally, they want to get back as much of their money as they can, and they know that the sooner they sell their Cages the more money they'll get for them.

And there is nothing at all wrong with buying your Umbrella Cockatoo a pre-owned Cage, they pose no dangers or health-risks to your bird as long as you fully-disinfect the Cage with either F10SC or White-Vinegar and hot-water before you put your U2 in it, Pre-Owned large Bird-Cages are absolutely the only way to go, especially for a parrots/birds who need a ton of space inside of their Cages, not only for them to be able to move around, flap/extend their wings fully, have lots of room to climb, swing, etc., but also so that you can put lots and lots of different types of Toys, Foraging-Activities, different types of Perches (including Rope-Perches, Cement/Nail-Trimming Perches, Natural-Branches you find outside and bake, etc.), along with a large swing for him, etc. And again, if you are planning on spending $500-$600 on your bird's new cage, if you go with a Pre-Owned Cage you are going to get a TON OF CAGE, versus what you will get for $500-$600 if you buy a brand-new cage that has to be a large/extra-large size; basically you're going to get very little for a size large, brand-new Bird-Cage wise, typically sacrificing in the quality of the cage when you have to buy one large enough for a U2.

I'd jump onto Craigslist, do the search in the "Community-Pets" section of your local Craigslist and make sure that you extend the search out at least 100-miles, 200-miles would be better just so you see what's out there right now, and then "Bookmark" the pages of the ones you like, and the come back here and either post the links to the cages you're looking at, or simply save a photo of each cage you're interested in and then post the photos here so we can see them and then give our opinions of them. That's the way you are going to get your U2 a TON OF CAGE that he'll love and have lots of room for his stuff and for him, and at the same time you'll be able to stay WELL WITHIN OR UNDER YOUR BUDGET, as opposed to what you are going to get if you look at brand-new bird-cages that are large enough for a U2, which will be very, very little and probably low-quality as well for that budget-range (which is ridiculous, I know, they are stupidly expensive brand-new, which is why I always buy a pre-owned one for my own family as well as for the Rescue)...

 

[Casper223]

Jolene7136, I just went through this. Noodles123 brought up a very important point, buying a used cage presents concerns of the previous bird, possible disease etc, using parrot safe cleaners, possibly having to repaint or touch up concerns. Myself I found only one place in my city that actually carried parrot cages. The one I found was sufficient sized octagon. 36" by 36" by 69" inches. It was new. The store owner marked it's price at $799.99. I stretched a measuring tape from side to side, top to bottom, and even at bar spacing being 1". The store owner stood next to me with his arms folded. When I was satisfied by its dimensions, I looked him in the eye, and stated, whats the best deal you can make me on the cage. Without speaking a word, he went to his register, grabbed his calculator and started figuring. He said best he could do would be to knock $100.00 dollars off of the price. I didn't hesitate in buying the cage right there on the spot. But had to ask them employees to disassemble the cage so I could fit it through my house door. They promptly disassembled the cage in about 6 or 8 pieces. I was able to both load the cage and travel with it and reassemble the cage in about an hour without electric tools. So don't be afraid to bargain with the salesman. All he can say is No, it's his/her sale to make. The cage is made by A&E cage company, the bars are wrought iron, and almost ¼" thick. It came with bowls, 2 perches and a double locking door set up. The locks are almost 2 and a half foot apart, so I feel it's escape proof. If you lived anywhere close to the New Orleans area, I could tell you exactly where to get a great deal on a new cage. I seen the deal I made for my cage is almost 50% cheaper than those online. I am/was a happy camper in the bang I got for my buck.

 

[noodles123]

Have you done a search for Bird-Cages on your local Craigslist? If not, then I HIGHLY-SUGGEST that you do that first, BEFORE you even think about buying a brand-new Bird-Cage, and I only say this because you will be able to get your Umbrella Cockatoo the "Taj Mahal" of Bird-Cages for $500-$600 if you buy a pre-owned one!!! You can usually even find pre-owned Stainless-Steel cages for that budget on Craigslist that have a new MSRP of $2,000 and up! I'm not a huge fan of the Stainless-Steel cages, not because they aren't totally awesome cages, because they definitely are, but rather because I'd rather buy my birds the largest, nicest, most decked-out cage that I can for the money I have to spend, and for what a brand-new, size Medium to Large Stainless-Steel Bird-Cage costs, you could build your Parrot it's own wing on the house!!!

Seriously though, I highly recommend that you jump onto your local Craigslist page, go to the "Homepage" for your town/city, and then look under the "Community" heading, find "Pets" under the heading, and click on "Pets". That will take you to your local Craigslist page where all of the Pet supplies/equipment/food are sold. Then you want to find the "Search-Bar" at the top-center of the Pets page, and type "Bird Cage" into the search-bar. Then before you do the search, go to the left-side of the page where it says "Search Distance" or something similar, and you want to set the distance from your town that you are willing to drive to pick-up a cage...Craigslist allows a maximum search-distance of 200-miles, and I always do the 200-miles search-distance just so I don't miss anything that might be worth the longer drive. (some people's small towns/villages don't have their own the closest town/city to where you live that has a Craigslist page, if your town doesn't have one)..

The private Avian/Reptile Rescue I have been with for over 8 years now is not a non-profit or 501c3, so we get no monetary help from the government, as it's owned by a couple in their 50's, with the wife actually being the Director of the Rescue and the person who runs the place (and does it well I might add)..We do get lots and lots of donations from the local communities around us, and we have a wholesale-deal for food with Higgins, Zupreem, and Kaytee...But when it comes ot both Bird-Cages and Reptile enclosures/vivariums, as well as Reptile lighting/fixtures, we are constantly, every day searching for good-condition, pre-owned, and our #1 source is Craiglist by-far...There are usually dozens and dozens and dozens of pre-owned AND NEVER-USED PRE-OWNED large/extra-large Bird-Cages for sale on Craigslist at any given time, the reason being that #1 Large Bird-Cages take up a lot of space and people don't want to store them if they're not being used, they just want them gone, #2 People don't want to look at an empty Cage that once held their long-time baby who is no longer with them, and #3 People pay a lot of money for large Bird-Cages when they buy them brand-new, and even though they know they are going to lose most of the money they spent on the Cage originally, they want to get back as much of their money as they can, and they know that the sooner they sell their Cages the more money they'll get for them.

And there is nothing at all wrong with buying your Umbrella Cockatoo a pre-owned Cage, they pose no dangers or health-risks to your bird as long as you fully-disinfect the Cage with either F10SC or White-Vinegar and hot-water before you put your U2 in it, Pre-Owned large Bird-Cages are absolutely the only way to go, especially for a parrots/birds who need a ton of space inside of their Cages, not only for them to be able to move around, flap/extend their wings fully, have lots of room to climb, swing, etc., but also so that you can put lots and lots of different types of Toys, Foraging-Activities, different types of Perches (including Rope-Perches, Cement/Nail-Trimming Perches, Natural-Branches you find outside and bake, etc.), along with a large swing for him, etc. And again, if you are planning on spending $500-$600 on your bird's new cage, if you go with a Pre-Owned Cage you are going to get a TON OF CAGE, versus what you will get for $500-$600 if you buy a brand-new cage that has to be a large/extra-large size; basically you're going to get very little for a size large, brand-new Bird-Cage wise, typically sacrificing in the quality of the cage when you have to buy one large enough for a U2.

I'd jump onto Craigslist, do the search in the "Community-Pets" section of your local Craigslist and make sure that you extend the search out at least 100-miles, 200-miles would be better just so you see what's out there right now, and then "Bookmark" the pages of the ones you like, and the come back here and either post the links to the cages you're looking at, or simply save a photo of each cage you're interested in and then post the photos here so we can see them and then give our opinions of them. That's the way you are going to get your U2 a TON OF CAGE that he'll love and have lots of room for his stuff and for him, and at the same time you'll be able to stay WELL WITHIN OR UNDER YOUR BUDGET, as opposed to what you are going to get if you look at brand-new bird-cages that are large enough for a U2, which will be very, very little and probably low-quality as well for that budget-range (which is ridiculous, I know, they are stupidly expensive brand-new, which is why I always buy a pre-owned one for my own family as well as for the Rescue)...

EllenD, as much as we are usually on "the same page", neither white vinegar nor f10 will kill something like PBFD. The circovirus is so small and tough that bleach doesn't even always do the job...It is possible that f10 may have some impacts, but despite my previous assumption (that f10 could kill PBFD) I am no longer certain. There is not enough evidence. F10 does a great job with most bacteria and some viruses (but it isn't that effective with mold). Minus the fact that F10 SC is a chemical, it is FAR superior to white vinegar in every way...However, while considered very safe for birds, it is still a chemical....So, if you want to kill germs, F10 SC is a million times better than vinegar, but less natural. I LOVE F10 SC!!! I just wouldn't trust it to eliminate the "cockroaches" of avian virology.

When it comes to bleach (NOT safe when used in the same air-space as birds), stronger isn't always better--some viruses respond differently to different concentrations, so more isn't always better when "killing" viruses. I used to think straight bleach was like a nuclear bomb (nothing survives) but it turns out, certain dilution ratios are actually more effective depending on what you are trying to kill. Stronger dilutions have a decreased impact on certain "bugs" (and vice-versa). The problem is, bleach residue is not necessarily safe for birds (even after rinsing)---there is a way to deactivate it, but it is not without controversy. Either way, bleach must never be used in the same home with a bird. The fumes are very dangerous.

Also, your bleach needs to be brand-new (not open and sitting under the sink) and mixed with cold water (NOT WARM). A bleach+water mixture is only effective for 24 hours, so do not store a mixture in a spray bottle. Although it will always smell like bleach, its cleaning power will decrease after it is mixed with water (dropping below its standard cleaning potential when it exceeds 24 hours having been added to water). Never EVER use bleach around a bird....

White vinegar, while safe for general household touch-ups (and upkeep), doesn't kill or deactivate deadly parrot viruses, or even all bacteria (e.g., staph etc). It is not going to put a dent in it if a bird died from a contagious disease and was in contact with that cage. The thing is, you can't ask the owner, because they will tell you "oh, it was an old bird etc etc" (under the assumption that there was no disease). Many people do not have a necroscopy performed when they should.

So, if between the 2, F10 is a way more effective cleaner, but neither make a 2nd hand cage safe. When using bleach, you have to consider all of that potential residue and the need for sunlight afterwards etc etc.....and never use it in the same house as your bird...It needs to be rinsed compulsively and then baked in the sun afterwards.

 

[Parrotmamas]

Jolene7136, I just went through this. Noodles123 brought up a very important point, buying a used cage presents concerns of the previous bird, possible disease etc, using parrot safe cleaners, possibly having to repaint or touch up concerns. Myself I found only one place in my city that actually carried parrot cages. The one I found was sufficient sized octagon. 36" by 36" by 69" inches. It was new. The store owner marked it's price at $799.99. I stretched a measuring tape from side to side, top to bottom, and even at bar spacing being 1". The store owner stood next to me with his arms folded. When I was satisfied by its dimensions, I looked him in the eye, and stated, whats the best deal you can make me on the cage. Without speaking a word, he went to his register, grabbed his calculator and started figuring. He said best he could do would be to knock $100.00 dollars off of the price. I didn't hesitate in buying the cage right there on the spot. But had to ask them employees to disassemble the cage so I could fit it through my house door. They promptly disassembled the cage in about 6 or 8 pieces. I was able to both load the cage and travel with it and reassemble the cage in about an hour without electric tools. So don't be afraid to bargain with the salesman. All he can say is No, it's his/her sale to make. The cage is made by A&E cage company, the bars are wrought iron, and almost ¼" thick. It came with bowls, 2 perches and a double locking door set up. The locks are almost 2 and a half foot apart, so I feel it's escape proof. If you lived anywhere close to the New Orleans area, I could tell you exactly where to get a great deal on a new cage. I seen the deal I made for my cage is almost 50% cheaper than those online. I am/was a happy camper in the bang I got for my buck.

Casper223, I’m close to NO and looking for a cage for a new eclectus coming in Dec. Where did you get your deal on the cage if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[Betrisher]

This is Rosetta's cage. I think you can see a bit of the Beaks' cage as well. Theirs is slightly different from 'Setta's, since they're not as 'climby' as she is. I try to keep the middle part of the cage empty of hanging things so 'Setta can fly from perch to perch. She's not fond of those rope-and-wood hanging toys, so I don't buy them. She *much* prefers native branches and gum-tips or slats taken from untreated pallets. She chews incessantly and has turned her cage cover (canvas) into a bit of a doiley.

'Setta's favourite thing is to hang and swing from things. The ropes in this video are now frayed and fuzzy, so I'm about to redesign the cage layout to include longer swings so she can swing farther. I'll also be adding some rope or wooden rings to the ceiling of the cage so she can clamber across it.

The second video shows Rosetta's reception of her first-ever roll of toilet paper. She *adores* it and shreds it into long strips. Recently, she has begun taking her strips of TP and 'washing' them in her Olympic swimming pool (pink cat-box filled with water). She actually makes a very good quality papier mâché: I should keep it and make things from it!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mzs9aM0u3w"]Rosetta's New Home - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IRUN008Up4"]Rosetta's Bog Roll - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Siobhan]

First you have to get to know your bird and what he/she likes. I have one who LOVES toys. I have one who loves to destroy things and doesn't care much what the things are, so he gets junk mail and paper towel tubes and such. He only has a few store-bought toys. I have one who has NO interest in toys whatsoever. So he has a Trappist monk cage, with one or two things in it in case he changes his mind (he hasn't, in 11 years). The toy lover has so many it's ridiculous. A variety of perches at a variety of heights, but with plenty of room for moving around without bonking into things, secured food and water dishes so they can't dump them out, and the right amount of toys for his/her taste and the interior decorating is done. It's most important for it to suit the bird and whether it's aesthetically pleasing to the human eye is immaterial.

 

[Laurasea]

First you have to get to know your bird and what he/she likes. I have one who LOVES toys. I have one who loves to destroy things and doesn't care much what the things are, so he gets junk mail and paper towel tubes and such. He only has a few store-bought toys. I have one who has NO interest in toys whatsoever. So he has a Trappist monk cage, with one or two things in it in case he changes his mind (he hasn't, in 11 years). The toy lover has so many it's ridiculous. A variety of perches at a variety of heights, but with plenty of room for moving around without bonking into things, secured food and water dishes so they can't dump them out, and the right amount of toys for his/her taste and the interior decorating is done. It's most important for it to suit the bird and whether it's aesthetically pleasing to the human eye is immaterial.

So true! I laughed! My GCc is pretty bare caged too that's how she likes it, but she likes to have perches set up for jump jump jumping.
Two of my Quakers would be happy with a whole toy store stuffed in there, and find things to bring back to the cage in their own true hoarders!

 

[Siobhan]

Rocky 'Too is the one who destroys things, and the top tray of his cage (he has a play top cage) is full of old catalogs and phone books and such. I clear it all away periodically (much to his chagrin) and get him fresh ones. And in spite of his food dish being fixed so he can't dump it, he simply scoops out the pellets and flings them EVERYWHERE when he's mad about something. I always know when he's had a temper tantrum. I come home from work and his dish is empty and pellets are all over the floor.