Beware Of Guillotine Doors

[Kathleen]

I've seen many cages, particularly the small cages, have guillotine doors. Guillotine doors are the kind that slide up and down, and they are gravity fed. Basically, unless you put locks on them, there is probably nothing to stop a sneaky or curious little bird from pushing up the doors and getting out. The problem is that many small bird cages are poorly made and cheaply made and it's difficult to find a small cage that has suitable bar spacing for a small bird without these guillotine doors.


It's difficult to explain but this is what I mean by guillotine doors. The half circles on the front of the cage are where the doors are. And these doors slide up where a food bowl would be inserted.

This is what could happen if your little parrot figures it out when you're not home (see 1:18):



Are there any small cages for small parrots that don't have guillotine doors offered on the internet? I've been looking and I haven't found them. There doesn't seem to be much of an alternative if the bar spacing is too large (particularly for a budgie). So, beware of guillotine doors, and put metal locks on them.

[pchela]

There is a cage at my shop for little birds that has different doors. It's the Hagen Vision series. They are nice cages if you get rid of the plastic perches that come with them. I don't like them because you have to take the entire cage top off in order to change the papers at the bottom but that might not bother some people. http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/Shop/Co ... /SFV/32440

The E-Z Care line also offers a cage with appropriate bar spacing for the smaller guys. It's more expensive but it's a nice cage. http://allmypetsupplies.com/p-2371-ez-c ... birds.aspx

I'm sure there are others as well if you do a little digging. I just happened to know of these because we carry them where I work.

[Michael]

Another reason to be aware of guillotine doors is that they can hurt the parrot if it slams shut on them in the process. A parrot could play with it, open it a little, stick its fit in, and wham!

The biggest reason you should worry about your parrot getting out of its cage when you are gone is not that it will wreak havoc on your home but the fact that it is unlikely it will know how to get back inside and could starve or get dehydrated if left alone too long.

[MissLady9902]

Petco has a cage online that would be alright for a budgie...I think. It's hard to tell without looking at it in person


http://www.petco.com/product/11381/Prevue-Hendryx-Cockatiel-Small-Parrot-Cage.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_BirdSupplies_BirdSupplies_CagesStands

[alight15]

lol this was the best case...in the video..
I had one like that when I first got mine, the budgies working together to escape (after 3 years of watching)to play when ever i got home, one would hold it open for the other 2 to come out then one outside would hold it for the last one
sadly they also used this method to go back in the cage when they were finished playing (but thats what happens when you add 2 younger ones to a old one which was used to your "tricks" i suppose)

hadto use a plastic strip that came with bagel bag to close the door and little plastic toy rings from 25cent egg machines on the food and water one to "complicate" the escape..worked pretty well

I like these rounded one that allow them to fly a bit if we're talking about small cages even it they are around 30 bucks

[Michael]

That cage is tiny. I cannot imagine putting any kind of bird in there.

[pchela]

As well as being tiny, you should never, never put your parrot in a round cage. There have been studies proving that round cages can cause psychosis in parrots. They cause orientation problems etc. Please don't put a parrot in a round cage!

http://birds.about.com/od/birdcages/f/roundcages.htm

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Did you look online? We have a cage by the manufacturer of this cage which Amazon sells for $165. It has a normal door, but does have an opening dometop, which can also be a hazard if you use it and aren't careful. Our cage seems very well made, FWIW.

[alight15]

hmm..no I got it at a Petco
the one in the image in pretty small i suppose but the one i'm talking about was a bit bigger than the square ones not to mention the middle had a much longer wooden pearch and plastic swing, and there is an open top, but I dont intend on using it yet,not to mention only one budgerigar is occupying it

?Never heard of it causing psychosis
do you know any particular reasons why a round cage might cause this?
I'm not hanging it it's on a round stool I had which I thought might be fun for it if/when I train it,along with this thin wooden ladder for the size

it's the 3rd night and it's already chirping for me to come to it(though i feel evil about the reason )

[pchela]

The round cage messes with the parrots mind. - Some birds have developed nervous ticks and their head permanently bend or twist at odd angles. Quote from a website I found "It’s also better to get a rectangular or square cage. Birds need to have a corner they can retreat to when they are scared. Being in a round cage is the equivalent of being trapped in an open field—there’s no where to go, and they’ll always be checking for any signs of “predators”. This can exacerbate the poicephalus parrots’ already nervous dispositions."

http://birds.about.com/od/birdcages/f/roundcages.htm


Also, although parakeets are small, they still need a larger cage. They are extremely active and need lots of toys and room to climb around and play. The smallest cage you should get would be 18 x 18 and remember that side to side room is much more important than top to bottom room. If you buy a tall cage you are basically buying wasted space. Ideally, a 24'' cage would be best. Many flight cages are 24x15 or so. Here is an article I found for you that is specific to budgies and what they need to be happy. Good luck!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Buying-a-Para ... id=3611056