Pet Parrots see their cage as home and hate any disruption of their home territory. Yet we need to clean their cages regularly. The daily cleaning of a badly designed cage can,however, lead to much frustration. Frustration is detrimental to ones health as well as to the relationship with your pet. Getting the most suitable cage for your pet parrot is therefore not only essential for the birds health, but also for your own.

Here are 5 features that make up a practical parrot cage.

1. Cage Size, stability and material

It must be large and sturdy enough for the type of parrot you want to have. Cleaning a too small cage doesn’t leave enough space for the bird to escape the commotion caused by this action. It may hurt itself trying to escape from the disruption or topple the cage.
The easiest to clean cages are stainless steel cages. Here you can get more info regarding cage material.


2. Cage Door/s

The door/s must be large enough for easy and safe entry or exit of the bird involved. They should also be placed nearer to the middle of the cage rather than at the bottom of it to comfortably reach all corners of the cage with your hand when cleaning. And of course they should have safety latches to prevent escapes.

3. Feeder openings

Feeder openings should have slide-up doors that can be fastened from outside, so the parrot can’t open them from inside. The bended steel wire on some cages, specifically certain African Grey cages, is not parrot-proof. Given time, the parrot learns to unclasp those and throw out the feeder buckets.

4. Refuse trays

The bottom of the cage should have a grid above a slide-out refuse tray, so refuse can fall through and easily be removed. The grid also serves to keep the inside of the cage free from debris. A slide-out refuse tray can be removed from the cage without much disturbance.

5. Stands

Ideally a medium to large birdcage should be on a stand fitted with casters, so it can be moved around easily. These are too heavy to be moved around by one person. Also look for a comfortable height of the stands, so you don’t always have to bend down for cleaning. Stands with storage shelves underneath normally are higher than those without storage shelves. Although one may not really need a storage shelve, the additional height is worth the extra cost when it comes to cleaning the cage.

Keeping these five features in mind when buying a parrot cage will prevent many a frustration later on. Giving your parrot a safe and easy to maintain home is the first step to building a strong bond with your pet.