I wanna paint my cage.

[Meriem]

Hello everyone

So I have a big cage that is colored black. And every time i look at it i hate it and feel like its taking from my budgies. I wanna paint it silver or gold or even white. Still i dont know what paint to use. And i am worried about them biting the bars and eating the paint after it's dry. Does anyone know if budgies would ship the paint off.

If anyone asks no. I couldnt find a cage that isnt black at the time and they are expensive where i am from. Plus i wanna get another one and attack it to the current one to make the cage 3 times bigger. So i dont have enough money to invest in a new one.

Please help me with advice. Thank you soo much in advance.

 

[noodles123]

The paints that they sell specifically for bird cages are generally expensive and harder to find. You are right to be concerned about the risk of paint chips and the fumes are another issue (normal paint will continue to off-gas for months, depending on the type). Even 0 VOC paints are not necessarily safe for ingestion and remember, a company that advertises a "pet safe" paint isn't necessarily advertising a bird-safe paint (as most pets are mammals and mammals have different respiratory systems--so unless they specifically mention parrots/birds, beware). As you know, most pets don't use their mouths to climb around like birds do...so it really needs to be a highly specialized, non-toxic, non fume-producing product that can be used on metal and stand up to a bird's beak. Plus, anything will need time to cure, which means your birds will have to stay elsewhere for a few days minimum (even if you use the special paint for bird cages).

Your budgies would be able to chip the paint off, so you would need to make sure you used a very special type of paint...Most people find that painting a cage properly ends up being super expensive...getting a new cage is generally safer and sometimes even cheaper.

What is your budget?

I have never used this paint, and I am not sure what kind of prep you would need to do on your current cage to get it to stick (possible sanding etc????---depending on the current finish) but this product reports to be safe for birds--you should verify and research before taking their word for it though:

https://www.ecospaints.net/Eggshell-Pet-Dwellings-Paint
https://www.ecospaints.net/safely-painting-bird-cage-easier-think (5-7 days of curing minimum)

 

[Meriem]

The paints that they sell specifically for bird cages are generally expensive and harder to find. You are right to be concerned about the risk of paint chips and the fumes are another issue (normal paint will continue to off-gas for months, depending on the type). Even 0 VOC paints are not safe for ingestion and remember, a company that advertises a "pet safe" paint isn't necessarily advertising a bird-safe paint (as most pets are mammals and mammals have different respiratory systems). Plus, most pets don't use their mouths to climb around like birds do...so it really needs to be a highly specialized, non-toxic, non fume-producing product that can be used on metal and stand up to a bird's beak. Plus, anything will need time to cure, which means your birds will have to stay elsewhere for a few days minimum (even if you use the special paint for bird cages).

Your budgies would be able to chip the paint off, so you would need to make sure you used a very special type of paint...Most people find that painting a cage properly ends up being super expensive...getting a new cage is generally safer and sometimes even cheaper.

What is your budget?

Since i am already getting a second cage. Letting the cage that i paint dry for months is an option for me.

Where i live i couldnt find any pet safe let alone bird safe paint thats why i resorted to asking here abt the safe options.

If there isnt any safe option i would let the cage be black better than hurting my birds. Or i would save money and get them two new cages. Thank you soo much for the help.

 

[noodles123]

you sure you can't get that paint there--even online? Also- metallic colors tend to be more dangerous, so I would stick with white if I were you (not gold or silver--- the particles that give it that metallic look are often harmful for birds)

I edited my original post before I saw your reply.
here is what I added:
I have never used this paint, and I am not sure what kind of prep you would need to do on your current cage to get it to stick (possible sanding etc????---depending on the current finish) but this product reports to be safe for birds--you should verify and research before taking their word for it though:

https://www.ecospaints.net/Eggshell-Pet-Dwellings-Paint
https://www.ecospaints.net/safely-pa...e-easier-think (5-7 days of curing minimum)

 

[wrench13]

Good quality cages are not painted, but powder coated. Electricity is put thru the bars of a steel cage, and electrostaticaly charged polyester or other particles are sprayed on. The charge makes the powder stick to the steel. Once applied it goes into a big heating oven to bake the powder into a smooth, tightly bonded coating on the bars. If I remember right, its around 500 deg F. Same process is used on fancy car wheels and you can smack them with a hammer, and the coating will not chip. Thats what you want for a bird cage.

You can check to see if theres a powder coater in your area, but it aint cheap, and they have to strip the old paint off first, another added cost. I had one motorcycle part powder coated years ago and it was like $200 just for that.