The Pet Cockatiel Part 1: The Cage

Within your home, your pet cockatiel has his home. A bird's cage should be its home when you're not home. Ideally, a pet bird should also have time outside of his cage to be with his owners. This kind of contact forges the bond between owner and bird, as well as provides your pet with much needed exercise.

Before purchasing a cage there are a few things that you should look at. The first is bar spacing. Bars should be no more than ¾ of an inch wide. Any wider, and your bird could stick his head through the bars and become stuck. Smaller bar spacing such as that used on budgie cages is also fine. The bars should also run both horizontally and vertically. The horizontal bars make it easy for your bird to climb.

You should also look for sharp corners, and, finally, size. A square cage is much better than a round one. The cage should be big enough for the bird, toys, perches, and room to spare. A cage needs to be at least 14" square, but buy the biggest cage you can afford. Your bird will thank you by being a happier and healthier pet.

Also check the coating of the cage. Stainless steel cages, while more expensive, are easier to clean and don't flake paint or rust. Zinc can cause poisoning, so check for galvanized wire, from which the zinc can fall or be chewed off.

Inside the cage, your bird should have at least three different perches. One should be a cement perch because it helps to trim the nails. Plastic or dowel perches can comprise the other two; however, all perches should be of a different diameter. This helps to exercise your bird's feet.

Your bird should also have a selection of toys. One should be indestructible, the other should be destructible, and a third toy should provide variety. Toys should be safe (see a future article on toy safety), and should be rotated frequently to keep your bird from getting bored.

Finally, you should also look at the food and water dishes. Your bird should have at least three of these as well, though a second or even third set is handy so that you can wash one set and have a clean set to put in your bird's cage. The dishes should be located well away from perches so that the bird's droppings don't foul the contents, as well as be sturdy. Some birds enjoy the game of "dish dumping." If your bird is one of these, then you'll want to look at the locking dishes that are secured in their holders.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic