When you decide to be a parrot owner, one of the first things you will have to do is choose your parrot’s cage.  This is very important because in the wild, a parrot would spend much of it’s day flying from tree to tree looing for his next meal or just playing with his peers.

In captivity, however, your parrot will not have this freedom and you will have to allow your bird to have some time to exercise, entertain and express himself.  Your parrot can’t let himself out of his cage whenever he wants to fly around, he has to rely on you letting him out when it suits you.  So choosing a parrot cage which will allow him to be happy while you’re out of the house or at work is essential as he will be left in his cage for a large part of each day. Read up about the type of parrot you intend keeping and then decide which parrot cage would be suitable for you and more importantly your parrot. Consider how much space you can spare in your home - this is important as you would not want to purchase a large Macaw if you lived in a small flat for instance.

Choose a bird cage that will provide your bird with a comfortable environment and buy the largest bird cage you can possibly afford that is suitable for both your home and your bird. ideas-4-pets suggest that at a minimum, the diameter of the floor should be at least twice the span of your bird’s fully extended wingspan and the minimum height of the parrot cage should be at least one and half times the overall length of your bird from the top of his head to the tip of his tail. This measurement is based on one bird per cage but if you intend to keep two birds in the parrot cage then these dimensions must be increased by a minimum of at least 50%.

The spacing of the bars in the parrot cage is critical. You have to make sure that your parrot’s head will not fit through the bars as they could get their head stuck and not be able to get back in. The thickness of the bars of the parrot could easily bend, if not break, thin bars. If the cage has some horizontal bars for the bird to climb up and down this is ideal because although birds can navigate up and down vertical bars, it is more difficult for them.

ideas-4-pets have lots of designs of parrot cages to suit all tastes but generally a rectangular metal parrot cage, preferably longer than it is tall, is probably one of the best designs as it will allow your bird to hop from perch to perch. Tall, narrow cages can sometimes be less practical as most birds don’t fly straight up and down. Round cages can create a situation in which every perch across its width is in some way directly over the perch below it and this can lead to constant soiling of the perches below.  This is because in a parrot cage of this shape, the bird is only able to perch in one position or climb up the sides of the cage, which can also lead to food and water containers being soiled with faeces as well.

In the lower price range, you can purchase cages made of wire amd the wire may or may not be painted or powder-coated. These cages come in sizes suitable up to a medium sized parrot such as a Pionus. If you have to choose a wire bird cage be sure that the wire is not made of a metal that is toxic to parrots and that if painted the paint doesn’t contain lead.

Most of the more expensive cages are made of iron or steel and are then sandblasted and powder-coated but as before, be sure the coating isn’t toxic and that any paint doesn’t contain lead. These iron or steel parrot cages are durable, long lasting, and withstand busy beaks and escape artists. We have a great selection of Montana parrot cages which are an excellent made with smooth welds and no sharp edges to injure your bird.  All doors on parrot cages should be escape-proof or easily made to lock with a clip or lock. Stainless-steel cages are the best as they are non-toxic, indestructible, easy to keep clean, but cost wise are probably the most expensive.  Remember that when purchasing a parrot one of the most important things to think about is the expected life span of the bird compared to saving money on a cage.

Place your parrot cage where your parrot will gets lots of interaction with you and your family. It’s not a good thing to place his cage in a room where the sudden appearance of anyone coming and going into the room could startle or frighten him and ideally, his cage should be against a wall so that he feels secure. Situate the parrot cage where it can get some natural light as this helps to keep your bird healthy. Avoid it being right in front of a window as excessive sunshine or people moving around outside might cause ythe kitchen may be giving off fumes that could be toxic to your parrot, it’s not a good idea to site his or rooms where the temperature can fluctuate. A normal house temperature of about 21-27° C (70-80° F) will be tolerated well by your parrot. Remember that parrots should NEVER be exposed to cigarette or cigar smoke, or burning candles etc.

Purchase a bird cage cover for your parrot’s cage as parrots need to have lots of sleep in order to remain healthy and lively.  At bed-time, place the parrot cage cover over his cage and he will rest much better than in a room with the TV on or lights switched on and off. 

The parrot cage and all its contents must be kept in pristine condition all the time if you want to keep your parrot happy, lively and enjoy his company for a long time.

You should also carefully consider the choice of perches used, as your parrot will spend most of his time standing on one inside his parrot cage. The best perches are natural tree branches such as washed, fresh  apple, elm, ash, maple or willow - these are both functional and attractive in the cage. If you go for natural branches, select a variety of diameters for your parrot to perch on. This will give him various textures, choice of grip and good exercise for his feet. Natural branches also provide entertainment value for birds that like to chew. Wood is more difficult to disinfect due to its porous nature, so make sure you wash and replace his perches regularly.

Some parrot cages have sandpaper covered perches but we would not recommended these as this type of perch will do little to wear your parrot’s nails down and could lead to serious foot irritation, sores or even deep infections. Plastic perches are very commonly used but although they are easy to clean and disinfect they can sometimes be slippery for gripping and seem to only be available in a couple of sizes. Larger parrots have been known to chew and splinter the plastic perches into sharp pieces.

The best water and food dishes for your parrot are made from stainless steel.  These are easy to clean and disinfect every day and should be attached securely to the side of the parrot cage. Don’t fill the dishes too deep or a lot of his food will be wasted. Position the dishes so that they are easily accessible and won’t be accidentally soiled with faeces. Most food bowls are attached to the side of the parrot cage and swing out for easy feeding, they should never be left on the bottom of the parrot cage as this is the bird’s “toilet”. As a lot of pet parrots enjoy a good bath once in a while, it’s a good idea to place a large shallow dish of water in the parrot cage so your parrot can have some fun. Some birds even like to be “misted” with a fine tepid water spray. Try this a few times to see how your bird reacts to it.

Whether you’re at home with your bird or out of work, a parrot needs some type of entertainment.  Imagine being cooped up all day on your own and how frustrating and boring it would be !! Parrots love to explore and play with toys, including pieces of rope, stainless steel mirrors, bells, hanging toys,etc. and will also love pieces of wood to chew on whilst in the cage.   You can choose a selection of entertaining toys for your parrot from your local pet shop.

You might also like to consider a parrot play stand so that when he out of his cage, he has a safe place to perch and play and stretch his wings.  There are plenty of different shapes and sizes of bird play stands to choose from and you are sure to find one to suit the species of parrot you intend to own. 

As there are no real quality controls or regulations to provide safe toys for your parrot, you take great care to ensure that the toys you choose to put in his parrot cage are free from potential dangers. Amy parrot toys that can easily be taken apart or broken are dangerous as are certain types of rope which can be untangled and get fast around his beak or his toes.  Rope made from synthetic fibres can sometimes be a real problem, so make sure you know what you are buying. Rubber toys can be easily chewed into pieces by certain species of parrot so must be avoided to ensure your parrot does not choke.   Lastly, make sure the toys you choose are not too small as these can be swallowed easily.

Some birds have been known to love hiding in cardboard boxes or paper bags or you can purchase highly coloured tents for your parrot to hide in. If you have an assortment of toys, these can be rotated every week so that your parrot doesn’t get bored with playing with the same ones.  All your parrot’s toys should be washed and disinfected periodicially, but remember to rinse them very well after washing with clean water.