Stainless Steel Cages

[elliebirdyx]

Hi friends. I’m back with another parrot question !

I was looking to purchase this cage: https://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/PA5780
I saw previous posts stating that birdcages4less have closed and are based in China?? Also, no recent reviews/social media activity.

I’m looking to get authentic stainless steel for my boy and I’m not sure how I feel about a China-based manufacturer. So, it’s between that and this one: https://caitec.com/products/featherland-folding-stainless-steel-cage

I’m looking for a max of 1/2 inch bar spacing because he is a smol boy.

Thanks guys!

 

[LaManuka]

Hi friends. I’m back with another parrot question !

I was looking to purchase this cage: https://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/PA5780
I saw previous posts stating that birdcages4less have closed and are based in China?? Also, no recent reviews/social media activity.

I’m looking to get authentic stainless steel for my boy and I’m not sure how I feel about a China-based manufacturer. So, it’s between that and this one: https://caitec.com/products/featherland-folding-stainless-steel-cage

I’m looking for a max of 1/2 inch bar spacing because he is a smol boy.

Thanks guys!

I have that exact Caitec cage in the small size. You may find that pic showing the caique inside it is a bit misleading, I got one for my purple-crowned (budgie-sized) lorikeet and it was too small even for her - idk why but some companies play some photographic trickery in order to make their cages look bigger. Hence why that cage is unused and now out in my garage and I had to buy another in the next size up. I have my varied lorikeet (again, a very small budgie-sized bird) in the Caitec medium size, it has a 5/8 inch bar space and he has to date not tried to squeeze any part of his body through it. As far as I know, Caitec cages are also made in China. The only criticisms I have with mine, and I have two of the medium cages now, is that the wheels are rather flimsy for such a heavy cage and they kept falling out, so we replaced them with sturdier casters that we got from our local big box hardware store which have been a VAST improvement. The other issue is that, after having had them for about six years, two weld spots have detached from one of them and because the repair is such a "small" job for most handymen I'm having a lot of trouble finding someone to re-weld them - thankfully they're in a spot where I have attached a toy which keeps my princess parrot from picking at them. They're a breeze to clean, although I didn't bother attaching those seed guards around the bottom as they just make them more difficult to manoeuvre around the house, they're just another surface to clean and IMO they really don't stop that much mess hitting the floor. Overall I am happy with them, but I just wish I could find someone to weld those bars back on for me!

 

[elliebirdyx]

I have that exact Caitec cage in the small size. You may find that pic showing the caique inside it is a bit misleading, I got one for my purple-crowned (budgie-sized) lorikeet and it was too small even for her - idk why but some companies play some photographic trickery in order to make their cages look bigger. Hence why that cage is unused and now out in my garage and I had to buy another in the next size up. I have my varied lorikeet (again, a very small budgie-sized bird) in the Caitec medium size, it has a 5/8 inch bar space and he has to date not tried to squeeze any part of his body through it. As far as I know, Caitec cages are also made in China. The only criticisms I have with mine, and I have two of the medium cages now, is that the wheels are rather flimsy for such a heavy cage and they kept falling out, so we replaced them with sturdier casters that we got from our local big box hardware store which have been a VAST improvement. The other issue is that, after having had them for about six years, two weld spots have detached from one of them and because the repair is such a "small" job for most handymen I'm having a lot of trouble finding someone to re-weld them - thankfully they're in a spot where I have attached a toy which keeps my princess parrot from picking at them. They're a breeze to clean, although I didn't bother attaching those seed guards around the bottom as they just make them more difficult to manoeuvre around the house, they're just another surface to clean and IMO they really don't stop that much mess hitting the floor. Overall I am happy with them, but I just wish I could find someone to weld those bars back on for me!

Thank you for the detailed reply! Is this the medium one you were referring to? https://caitec.com/products/featherland-folding-stainless-steel-cage-2

It is unfortunate about the misleading photograph. There’s actually only one photo on the website as it is .

Seeing that I have a Green Cheek Conure, I would assume I’d need a medium as well then.. i originally purchased the pervue stainless in medium but all of their bar spacings are 3/4” which looks far too big and I worry for his head. That’s what makes me weary about 5/8” as well . Thanks again!

 

[LaManuka]

Thank you for the detailed reply! Is this the medium one you were referring to? https://caitec.com/products/featherland-folding-stainless-steel-cage-2

It is unfortunate about the misleading photograph. There’s actually only one photo on the website as it is .

Seeing that I have a Green Cheek Conure, I would assume I’d need a medium as well then.. i originally purchased the pervue stainless in medium but all of their bar spacings are 3/4” which looks far too big and I worry for his head. That’s what makes me weary about 5/8” as well . Thanks

Yes that’s the one I have, and it has 5/8th bar spacing. Again the photo is misleading, IMO it’s too small for the Ekkie as pictured. It’s a good size for a GCC, I definitely would not go over 5/8 inch spacing either. While nothing can ever be guaranteed, my budgie Val also lived in that same cage until his passing in 2024 and there was no issue with him and the bar spacing.

 

[elliebirdyx]

Yes that’s the one I have, and it has 5/8th bar spacing. Again the photo is misleading, IMO it’s too small for the Ekkie as pictured. It’s a good size for a GCC, I definitely would not go over 5/8 inch spacing either. While nothing can ever be guaranteed, my budgie Val also lived in that same cage until his passing in 2024 and there was no issue with him and the bar spacing.

Ahhh- gotchya. Thanks again for the tips! I am so sorry to hear about Val. May he rest in peace

 

[LaManuka]

Ahhh- gotchya. Thanks again for the tips! I am so sorry to hear about Val. May he rest in peace

You're most welcome, @elliebirdyx, and thank you for your kind words about Val. Here's a pic of him with my varied lorikeet, Lovejoy, it will give you some sense of size. Lovejoy and Val were besties and we both miss him a lot! They had both just had a bath in this pic

The other things I would say about that cage is that it's VERY heavy. I take mine outside every few months to give them a good blast with the power washer and I would not be able to do that without my hubby to help me lift them. It's fine if you're able to (or want to) get it outside and you don't have stairs, but we do so I have to wait for hubby to be available. It's also quite tall, because the body of the cage and the stand do not separate. I'm a bit of a shortie and while Lovejoy's a pretty good bird who almost always steps up when I want him to, I can't really catch any of my other three so I need to resort to food bribery for them. Also some people don't like the dome top, personally I do because to me it gives them more head room when they're inside the cage. But I cable-tied some seagrass matting over the top so it enables them to run around on and grip it much more easily, like Lovejoy and my princess parrot Peachie are here

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I didn't realize how TINY Lovejoy is, either that or Val was one huge budgie! How much dies Lovejoy weigh?

 

[elliebirdyx]

You're most welcome, @elliebirdyx, and thank you for your kind words about Val. Here's a pic of him with my varied lorikeet, Lovejoy, it will give you some sense of size. Lovejoy and Val were besties and we both miss him a lot! They had both just had a bath in this pic

View attachment 83872

The other things I would say about that cage is that it's VERY heavy. I take mine outside every few months to give them a good blast with the power washer and I would not be able to do that without my hubby to help me lift them. It's fine if you're able to (or want to) get it outside and you don't have stairs, but we do so I have to wait for hubby to be available. It's also quite tall, because the body of the cage and the stand do not separate. I'm a bit of a shortie and while Lovejoy's a pretty good bird who almost always steps up when I want him to, I can't really catch any of my other three so I need to resort to food bribery for them. Also some people don't like the dome top, personally I do because to me it gives them more head room when they're inside the cage. But I cable-tied some seagrass matting over the top so it enables them to run around on and grip it much more easily, like Lovejoy and my princess parrot Peachie are here

Aren't they PRECIOUS!! Thanks so much for the great info- I’m also a shorty . You are so welcome. Val looks like an absolute ANGEL.

 

[LaManuka]

Aren't they PRECIOUS!! Thanks so much for the great info- I’m also a shorty . You are so welcome. Val looks like an absolute ANGEL.

You're welcome @elliebirdyx, those cages represent quite the financial investment so I'm happy to provide you with as much info as I can. As for Peachie and Lovejoy, they're quite the pair, they are MADLY in love with each other! And to answer your question, @DonnaBudgie, Lovejoy is only tiny, he cruises around the 53-55 gram mark whereas Val would've been between 58 and 60 - he was a lovely big hefty budgie!

 

[rheashard2]

Overall cleaning and cage repositioning while not talked about should be a major consideration. I lucked out with my cage that it had strudy wheels. Awkward but moveable to get to ouside for hosing off.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Most cages come with very poor quality caster wheels that fall out easily making the cage tip. That happened to my cockatiel Charlie's cage many years ago. Two wheels fell out while I was trying to move the cage and it started to tip. The metal bottom tray started to slide out and Charlie's beautiful tail got trapped between the tray and the front panel. Charlie panicked and his entire tail got ripped out! Poor Charlie screamed and blood was dripping from his now tailless butt end. I wrapped him in a towel and took him to an emergency vet where they took care of him very well. I left him there for a week because I couldn't bear to look at him. I didn't think Charlie would ever forgive me but he did and his tail grew back.

Fortunately bad casters are easily replaced with better ones.

 

[rheashard2]

Yup, and in a pinch padded furniture movers are a great cheap substitute! A lot easier to move awkward and heavy cages over door way humps and bumps! Nameliss's cage is nearly 5 decades old. The plastic bottom is showing wear. A cracked cornet from hitting a doorway has been expanding for past several years. It's not repairable with a crochet hook, yarn or thread. So been looking and trying other cage moving options.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Val was a big boy! I have a few big budgies in the 60+ gram range. They can't compete with my little fighter pilots when it comes to zooming around the room- they're more like bombers- but there's more to love. How big is Peachie?

 

[SailBoat]

It is sad that BirdCagesforLess is not currently active as they had been a highly trusted Cage Manufacturer that we have used for decades. With great luck, our Big Guy, Julio (DYHA) has stopped taking his cages apart for amusement, since we started leaving the doors open.

Today, all bird cage manufacturers are china based, which I believe with the sidelining of Cages for Less is down to three. Sadly, quality continues to be hit or miss as the big brokers like Amazon and the like continue to push for lower costs., which commonly means lower quality. Stainless steel continues to hold the position of better quality, but there is no assurance. Cages for Less, sold their own product and as a result, tended to have better quality.

Both of the large Amazon size cages we have are in great shape with over ten years of hard use by our Julio.

I am not sure what we would do if we needed to replace them.

 

[LaManuka]

Val was a big boy! I have a few big budgies in the 60+ gram range. They can't compete with my little fighter pilots when it comes to zooming around the room- they're more like bombers- but there's more to love. How big is Peachie?

Peachie would range between 108 and 110g - definitely plenty to love there!

 

[elliebirdyx]

It is sad that BirdCagesforLess is not currently active as they had been a highly trusted Cage Manufacturer that we have used for decades. With great luck, our Big Guy, Julio (DYHA) has stopped taking his cages apart for amusement, since we started leaving the doors open.

Today, all bird cage manufacturers are china based, which I believe with the sidelining of Cages for Less is down to three. Sadly, quality continues to be hit or miss as the big brokers like Amazon and the like continue to push for lower costs., which commonly means lower quality. Stainless steel continues to hold the position of better quality, but there is no assurance. Cages for Less, sold their own product and as a result, tended to have better quality.

Both of the large Amazon size cages we have are in great shape with over ten years of hard use by our Julio.

I am not sure what we would do if we needed to replace them.

Thank you dearly for this carefully typed reply. It really is a shame that there are very few reputable SS cage manufacturers. I ordered the Pervue in medium, but the bar spacing is too large for my sweet boy. I’m sending that one back because all cage sized for pervue is 3/4” and I just cannot risk it. I did desperately want to try BirdCages4Less, as their website is still operable… I suppose I’m stuck with one option (Caitec). I am truly grateful to you all for this information. It isn’t always easy making the right decision as a first time bird momma, so the support is graciously appreciated

 

[elliebirdyx]

I have that exact Caitec cage in the small size. You may find that pic showing the caique inside it is a bit misleading, I got one for my purple-crowned (budgie-sized) lorikeet and it was too small even for her - idk why but some companies play some photographic trickery in order to make their cages look bigger. Hence why that cage is unused and now out in my garage and I had to buy another in the next size up. I have my varied lorikeet (again, a very small budgie-sized bird) in the Caitec medium size, it has a 5/8 inch bar space and he has to date not tried to squeeze any part of his body through it. As far as I know, Caitec cages are also made in China. The only criticisms I have with mine, and I have two of the medium cages now, is that the wheels are rather flimsy for such a heavy cage and they kept falling out, so we replaced them with sturdier casters that we got from our local big box hardware store which have been a VAST improvement. The other issue is that, after having had them for about six years, two weld spots have detached from one of them and because the repair is such a "small" job for most handymen I'm having a lot of trouble finding someone to re-weld them - thankfully they're in a spot where I have attached a toy which keeps my princess parrot from picking at them. They're a breeze to clean, although I didn't bother attaching those seed guards around the bottom as they just make them more difficult to manoeuvre around the house, they're just another surface to clean and IMO they really don't stop that much mess hitting the floor. Overall I am happy with them, but I just wish I could find someone to weld those bars back on for me!

How long ago did you purchase the Caitec cage? I'm looking at reviews and one from petco from a more-recent purchaser stated that there were lots of sharp and jagged spots

 

[Macawdamia Nut]

I have a stainless steel macaw cage from Animal Environments. It is now over 30 years old and looks as good as the day I bought it. Impeccable craftsmanship. Truly a thing of beauty. When I lived in San Diego, I toured their manufacturing facility in Carlsbad. It was huge and impressive. When you watch a cage being built you understand why they cost so much.

I have a cheap A&E stainless cage that I bought second hand for a couple hundred bucks to leave on my outdoor patio. It is garbage quality in comparison to the Animal Environments cage. We call his cages the luxury condo and the vacation shack.

Try to estimate how long you think you’ll need a cage. In my case, I estimated my and my macaw’s life expectancy. Thirty years later we might live another 30 years and the Animal Environments cage will probably STILL keep on ticking!

As Henry Royce (of Rollls-Royce) famously said, “The quality will remain long after the price is forgotten.”

 

[elliebirdyx]

Good to know! Thanks so much!!

I have a stainless steel macaw cage from Animal Environments. It is now over 30 years old and looks as good as the day I bought it. Impeccable craftsmanship. Truly a thing of beauty. When I lived in San Diego, I toured their manufacturing facility in Carlsbad. It was huge and impressive. When you watch a cage being built you understand why they cost so much.

I have a cheap A&E stainless cage that I bought second hand for a couple hundred bucks to leave on my outdoor patio. It is garbage quality in comparison to the Animal Environments cage. We call his cages the luxury condo and the vacation shack.

Try to estimate how long you think you’ll need a cage. In my case, I estimated my and my macaw’s life expectancy. Thirty years later we might live another 30 years and the Animal Environments cage will probably STILL keep on ticking!

As Henry Royce (of Rollls-Royce) famously said, “The quality will remain long after the price is forgotten.”

Good to know- thank you very much!

 

[elliebirdyx]

Anybody know anything about this brand?

Parrot Wizard - Deluxe Cage for Small to Medium Parrots Dometop

Large Cage for Small Parrots with shipping throughout the US. Upgrade your bird to a larger cage for more room to eat, play, walk, hop, flap, and exercise. Powder coat cage available in white, black, gray, beige, green, colors, and stainless steel. A&E 9003223 cage is 32 by 23 by 63 inches with 5/8

parrotwizard.com

It comes in a stainless steel option!