Corner Cages?

[Mallory]

I am getting excited and trying to plan everything out for our CAG's arrival in a few months. I currently use a large flight cage for Eva, maybe 3.5' x 2' x 4.5' and she uses every inch. I use a split critter nation I already had for Greenleaf and my starling which saves us space and gives Koda lots of room. It's a little small for Greenleaf but she is out maybe 12 hours a day and loves her cage. The huge doors are amazing but I want my CAG to have more room and I am looking for "real" bird cages for her. I have also considered another Critter Nation and just not using the middle divider when building it, but they are such a pain to build and I want something sturdier.

We do live in an apartment and space is somewhat limited, so I can't have a massive cage. I will be rearranging a bit and we have room for a large cage, but before I undertake anything major like rearranging furniture I want to know the footprint of this cage! I am looking around and corner cages look nice, but if I go with a corner cage I am committing to dedicating a corner spot for this cage here and in the future (we are starting our home search).

For those of you who thought about or own(ed) a corner cage, what are the downsides? Did they feel less roomy? Would you recommend one? I want to build my own play stand on top and I need plenty of room inside for a variety of perches and toys. If you know of a cage that might fit my needs, please give your recommendations! We are looking to spend no more than $400-500, the huge stainless steel cages with fancy additions are gorgeous but just not realistic for us.

 

[Terry57]

We have 2 huge corner cages, and I love all the space inside. However, they are a pain to clean. We have to move the cages beside in order to pull out the tray.

 

[RavensGryf]

I've never had one, but it's always tempting for me to get something a little different. Seems like there would be less room unless you get a very big one. Then there's the 2 bottom trays, when you have to pull both out and clean and change paper like my double budgie flight, makes me feel like it's 2 cages instead of one lol.

I think if it were me though, as tempting as these novelty shapes are, I'll stick to rectangle. I made the mistake with a few novelty shaped fish tanks before, and had nothing but cleaning problems and lack of interior space even in a large tank. I think same would apply to bird cages. That said, I've seen a large corner cage work, and if you have the right corner, it looks nice and might even save space in the room. Might be harder cleaning under it though, because the bigger ones are usually low to the ground.

 

[Mallory]

I have been looking at [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-Macaw-Cockatoo-African-Q27-3223/dp/B004NPZJ8Q"]this cage[/ame]. The really sturdy-looking cages I've found around $300-400 seem much smaller, and I hate all the bizarre shapes and tops I keep finding. I am torn because it looks like it's the size I want...but I can't decide if it looks like a good value or too cheaply made to be worth it. I know that eventually - when we have a house and more space - I would like to upgrade Greenleaf's cage and give Koda the full Critter Nation by taking the divider out...so the cage I pick out may eventually end up Greenleaf's. Then again, maybe I'm overthinking it as Greenleaf is usually out of her cage unless it's her bedtime. I'm sure our grey will be the same way.

I really do like the fact that this one has a toy holder and two bowl holders on the play top and I can easily rework those ugly ladders and that dowel into something comfortable. I know the bowl doors might be a problem but honestly if she makes as habit of escaping I could make this Greenleaf's cage as she shows no lock-picking initiative. Anything glaringly obvious about this that I'm missing?

 

[RavensGryf]

The first thing that 'hit' me looking at the ad was the low price for the size. Made me skeptical and wondered why. Even the 'complete pieces of junk' I've bought before were much smaller AND way more expensive. Maybe it's so inexpensive because there is no brand name? I don't know, but the price shocks me for a brand new cage. How about getting it, and if it looks like it'll do for now use it then get the cage(s) you really want later like you say.

 

[Mallory]

That's what I was thinking exactly! If something goes wrong we haven't invested much at all. I'd rather buy a roomy temporary cage and have a lot to put towards toys, perches, some more ceiling-mounted boings/atoms, initial vet costs, etc. than spend a big amount on one of the smaller cages and regret it. The cages I really like are more in the $1,000+ range and honestly I don't have that much to spend on a cage right now considering toys, vet bills etc. not to mention I don't have room for a massive practically walk-in cage just yet. I just don't feel right spending hundreds more on a smallish cage and regretting it. Plus, the other cages I looked at had thicker bars but bigger spacing so I couldn't use them in the future for smaller parrots or Koda. The corner cage we were looking at was smaller and around $450.

Amazon reviews also tend to be pretty brutally honest and have guided us to an amazing carpet cleaner and some other big decisions and this cage does not get too bad of reviews. The bad reviews are for things I would expect and if the framing is bent past repair we can always return it. We have assembled two critter nations and both came with some pretty nasty manufacturing flaws but nothing some tools and cleverness didn't solve.

 

[MonicaMc]

There's nothing more that I hate than rounded corner cages... It can make placing perches, dishes and toys to be difficult!

If anything, I would recommend the "square" corner cages which do come in different sizes.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Extra-Large-Corner-Cage-Platinum/dp/B0018CK2UC/"]Amazon.com : A&E CAGE CO Extra Large Corner Cage, Platinum : Birdcages : Pet Supplies[/ame]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Kapoho-Kave-Corner-Bird-Cage/dp/B00DZV3A2Q/]Amazon.com: Kapoho Kave II Corner Bird Cage - 50"W X 36"D X 68"H - Black Vein: Pet Supplies[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Cage-Large-Corner-Bird-14022/dp/B005VEXK70/"]Amazon.com : A and E Cage Co. Large Corner Bird Cage 14022 : Pet Supplies[/ame]




Unless you work it right, corner cages only work in a corner... plus there's the two trays (learned from a flight cage years ago that I don't like double trays.... and this was two plastic bottoms with plastic trays making for the base of a much larger flight cage - and A&E Double Flight Cages are annoying because there are support bars in the middle which make for great perches with divider out, which means that a lot of poop ends up between the trays!) and the support bar for said trays....


A lot of people love these cages! But there are some people who don't!



The newest popular cage is one from Petco.... since Petco was bought out, the price of the cage has gone up... but it's still a cheap cage for it's size and it could hold anything from a finch to a medium-large parrot (i.e. african grey, eclectus, small cockatoos and amazons). There have been complaints about it, though... such as getting damaged in shipping or having sharp edges... so it appears it's hit or miss whether or not you get a good cage. Maybe it could be an option for later? Maybe even a great cage for the starling! (if you ever wanting to put Koda in a bird cage instead of a Critter Nation - which I've also considered using if I ever needed to save space with my flock!)

You & Me Standing Parrot Cage | Petco Store



As far as the cage you're looking at.... it looks like a good cage, even if cheap. Might help to look at the reviews?
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Bird Parrot Cage Macaw Cockatoo African Grey Q27-3223 Black

Think I found the cage cage on Ebay....
Bird Cage Parrot Macaw Cockatoo African Grey Q27 3223 Black Vein | eBay

 

[Terry57]

I believe the top link you posted are our cages, Monica..thanks for finding a link