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There isn't a more important purchase to be made for your new bird, then your bird's cage. Well-made cages of high quality materials are expensive but are often safer and will be worth it over the life span of your bird.

We may have the best intentions to let our bird spend most of his time out of the cage. But there will still be times when he needs to be in his cage. If you make the right choice right from the start, you will allow your bird as much freedom of movement and exercise as possible. The birds tail will not touch either the back or the bottom of the cage while sitting on the perch.

The most important dimension in a cage is width. A guideline is to choose a width at least 1 ' times your bird's wingspan. Tall and narrow cages may look nice, but it doesn't make it possible for birds to fly and move in their natural style, which is side to side not up and down. But for large parrots, taller cages are fine since the extra height does provide exercise by climbing although they still need to be wide to allow stretching and room to play.

Bar spacing is also important because inappropriate bar spacing can result in injury to your bird. Avoid cages with fancy scroll work or intricate designs, and beware of doors, latches and other cage parts that could trap your bird.

Once you have selected the appropriate size, you will want to make sure you have selected all the options necessary to give your pet a healthy environment as soon as you receive it.

Let's face it--birds are slobs. They don't care if their seeds are scattered far and wide. They don't mind if there's something floating in their water. And they have no qualms about relieving themselves whenever and wherever the mood strikes! Without consistent cleaning, your bird's area can look like a disaster.

The most important factor to having a bird is to always clean out it's cage. Try to obtain a birdcage that is conveniently easy to clean and disinfect too.

Copyright © 2006 Lena Hilltorp