Looking to get Skittles a new cage...

[Skittys_Daddy]

Hey farents!

I'm researching getting Skittles a new cage. The one he has is almost five years old and I only paid $99 for it at Petco. It has a nice 'open-top' playstand, which he likes.

The problem is - the bottom is plastic (that standard plastic on your cheaper cages) and I have to zip-tie the cage to the plastic or it will fall out. A pain, when it comes to cleaning. LOL. The one good thing about this cage is the door. You have to lift up the lever and pull it outwards to open the cage. The bar spacing of the cage doesn't give Skittles enough 'beak room' to reach and do that.

I'd really like to find a 'corner' cage but I can't seem to find any, so I've been stuck looking at square cages. I want one with wheels to make it easier to move around. With a tray that makes clean up easy. One that is made of 'high quality' (such as powder coat) and is durable. One that also has a cage top playstand. His current cage is 24" x 22" and I'd like to stick with that measurement (though 'slightly' bigger is okay). Nothing smaller. I'd like it to be tall. About 50" from floor to top of cage. I have a VERY small apartment and the corner he is in isn't a large area.

The other thing is, Skittles is VERY fast and he will go after anyone but me who comes near his cage which will make changing his food/water especially difficult should I be away for a few days. His current cage, you have to stick your hand in to remove the food and water cups. I want a cage where you can change the food and water cups from OUTSIDE the cage.

I'd also like to keep it under $200. I've seen plenty of these on Amazon but I'm not sure what to do. Maybe there are better options outside Amazon? I checked a few other sites but nothing 'stood out'.

Thought maybe some folks here might have some suggestions? I'd appreciate it!

(Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to explain what I'm looking for).

Thanks!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

To give you folks an 'idea' - these are what I am currently considering/debating. Has anyone seen,owned any of these? Thoughts on quality etc?

Option 1:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Best-Choice-Products-Cockatoo-Birdcages/dp/B002SMC25E/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1442697924&sr=1-1&keywords=bird+cages&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011]Amazon.com : Best Choice Products New Large Play Top Bird Cage Parrot Finch Macaw Cockatoo Birdcages : Pet Supplies[/ame]

Option 2:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Yescom-OpenTop-Parrot-DomeTop-PlayTop/dp/B00P60ZBJ4/ref=sr_1_20?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1442698135&sr=1-20&keywords=bird+cages&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011%2Cp_36%3A2661615011"]Amazon.com : Yescom Large OpenTop Parrot Bird Cage DomeTop PlayTop Vein Black/White Finch House Pet Supply 24"W x 22"D x 61"H : Pet Supplies[/ame]

Option 3:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/My1stPet-TB-175-Bird-Cage-Black/dp/B00NP4R0BU/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1442697924&sr=1-9&keywords=bird+cages&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011"]Amazon.com : My1stPet TB-175 Bird Cage, Black : Pet Supplies[/ame]

 

[Altum]

To give you folks an 'idea' - these are what I am currently considering/debating. Has anyone seen,owned any of these? Thoughts on quality etc?

Option 1:
Amazon.com : Best Choice Products New Large Play Top Bird Cage Parrot Finch Macaw Cockatoo Birdcages : Pet Supplies

Option 2:
Amazon.com : Yescom Large OpenTop Parrot Bird Cage DomeTop PlayTop Vein Black/White Finch House Pet Supply 24"W x 22"D x 61"H : Pet Supplies

Option 3:
Amazon.com : My1stPet TB-175 Bird Cage, Black : Pet Supplies

Foggt has a cage similar to the second one--it's a little smaller, but it has the same kind of fold-out perch at the top. I don't have experience with a full playset top, but I can tell you what that's like...

It's simple for clean-up; he goes up there to poop and it falls down the bottom of the cage instead of being a second tray to clean. On the other hand, it's not a full playset, just kind of a place to stand; I have a seperate jungle gym perch I keep by the couch for playtime.

One downside is that he often scrambles to the edges and crawl down the sides of the cage, and the time it takes to fit in there... he's often scrambling up through the opening while I put it up, and I'm always worried one of the gates is going to swing down on him.

One good thing is that it's a secondary entrance/exit while it's up... if he's tired of being out, when I take him to the perch to relieve himself he'll just climb back down into the cage himself.

I have the little slide windows for food and water, and I definitely have to say they're a huge bonus. I've worried he would learn to open them and let himself out, but it hasn't happened yet in three months. He seems to be leery of them.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I'm 'leaning' towards the first option. I think the second option is more 'visually appealing' though, so I'm torn. I just like the idea of the playtop in the first option. Skittles uses his regularly (on his current cage). His current playtop is just like the one in second option.

But I don't normally make such large purchases online without seeing it physically in a store. They have nice cages in the local pet stores but they are asking $400-600 and they are way too big.

He has a separate playstand by my chair in the living room and he has a perch toy attached to my desk where he sits while I am on the pc.

The third option is more like the first one, but the third option strikes me as cheap quality. It's also a cheaper price, probably for that reason. I'm just pretty torn. I'm hoping some people here have heard of or owned one of these particular cages.

 

[Flboy]

Option 3 has 1 inch spacing, I believe too wide for your baby!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Option 3 has 1 inch spacing, I believe too wide for your baby!

Well, Skittles has a big head (not including his ego). LOL.

I think I may choose between option 1 or option 2.

I'll be getting Skittles a 'pak-o-bird' for his birthday next spring, so this is going to be an early Christmas present. (Though he'll get plenty more) LOL.

Skittles sleeps in the bedroom. I have to carry his cage into the bedroom at night and back into the living room in the morning and it's bulky and heavy. I want to be able to roll him with me. Like Del Amitri.

 

[chris-md]

I'd do option 1 because it has the tray on top to catch poop. Sitting up top on option 2, whenever he poops it will fall on both bars and any toys below.For added measure I like the bowls up top. Just have to be careful because the positioning of the bowls is such that he could wind up pooping in them if he's in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I'd do option 1 because it has the tray on top to catch poop. Sitting up top on option 2, whenever he poops it will fall on both bars and any toys below.For added measure I like the bowls up top. Just have to be careful because the positioning of the bowls is such that he could wind up pooping in them if he's in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I hadn't thought of the pooping thing - THAT is a great thought! Skittles has two food cups on his separate playstand and he uses them as well.

I'd like to be able to remove his 'ceiling toy'. He uses is too much as an 'avoid daddy' method.

PS, the way the food cups are on the playstand in that picture, he'd be unlikely to poop in them because they are 'in front' of the perch towards the front of the cage. Skittles 'rarely' has his back to me when on his playstands.

 

[TacoNTiki]

We have this one and really like it. It's not the biggest but price and quality is good. The tray up top can be removed, which we did as tiki likes to hang upside down from top and we don't like using the seed catcher so we didnt install it.

http://http://www.birdscomfort.com/prevue_pet_cockatiel_cage.html

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

@TakoNTiki

Yeah, I saw that cage on Amazon, I really like it but it's only 18x18 and that's small for a sun conure. The 'recommended' minimum is 20x22. Skittles current cage is 22x24.

I don't see a need for seed guards with parrots. Especially ones who eat pellets. Pellets are not as messy as seeds since there is no shell to discard. Plus, Skittles will make a mess regardless. A seed catcher isn't going to stop him. LOL. So I won't be using the seed guard either.

Skittles and I have an 'understanding' when it comes to that. He makes the mess, I clean it up.

 

[TacoNTiki]

They also have bigger sizes. This one is 18x18 and the next one is 23x23 or close to that and then one more size even bigger.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Really? I'll have to check that out. I'm glad I haven't ordered it yet. I really wanted to get some feedback first.

I'm reading a lot of the online reviews of these cages. Right now, the option one reviews. I can't, however, decipher between legitimate complaints and fussy buyers.

This is the cage Skittles "currently" has... I paid $100 for this.
Petco Designer Green Dome Playtop Parrot Cage at PETCO

So paying $150 for the cage I seen on Amazon seems like a good buy. Yet people seem to nitpick over it.

 

[ZephyrFly]

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-San-Remo-Cage-Finish/dp/B009Y2WVLG]Mini San Remo Cage Finish: Stone: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies[/ame]

This is my cage for Pazu (i know you have a sunny not a gcc but the size difference isn't that much). I could and maybe one day will go bigger but this cage is lovely, might be same company as what you were looking at, same style. Montana cages and Rainforest cages look very similar in terms of bowl hatches, poop trays and bird proof locks.

To be honest in future I'll always look for a drop down door like this one, I originally wanted an open top (how i ended up with this cage in the first place) but got this cage and just always used the drop down at the top. Pazu love that, almost like a draw bridge

 

[TacoNTiki]

I think you will really like this cage. I have no complaints. It assembles really easy and has a secure lock. Taco has the EZ care dome glass door cage and I love that one too but I think it is discontinued. If money was no issue I would probably look at Kings aluminum cages. I have their medium travel cage and loooove it! I can't believe how easy that one is to clean! I used it one day to put them out on the deck and was in a hurry and forgot to wipe off their droppings for a few days o-o! When I went to clean it I was thrilled it wiped off in one swipe! I have to wipe the grate on their powder coated cages everyday otherwise it kinda cements on and need some elbow grease to wipe off so aluminum is a real treat. Any way my favorite part about the powder coated cages is the tray on the bottom,so easy to slide out and clean. I wasn't a fan of the cages with the plastic trays.

 

[TacoNTiki]

Select Bird Cage 3153BLK Prevue Pet Products
Select Bird Cage 3152COCO Prevue Pet Products

Here's a pic of the larger versions.

 

[Mimsy01]

Foo has a playtop one, it's bigger than what you are looking for. Somethings to consider-

Foo spends more time on the playtop than inside the cage, so I love that feature.

I removed the seed catcher. I hate how much room the take up and she's not on a seed diet so it's just a pain to clean dust collector.

The large front door goes from the bottom to the top of the cage. This makes it so much easier to clean and to get things in and out of the cage. I notice some doors are rather small and in order to put things at the top you would have to get into some uncomfortable positions to reach it.

I'd probably look at these:
Lahaina Lanai Playtop Bird Cage, Small Bird Cages, Parrot Cages, Bird Cages

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-Wrought-22x22x60-Play-Top-Black/dp/B004WPSPX8/ref=pd_sbs_199_22?ie=UTF8&refRID=036Z3ZRDC50RD64D7N5A]Amazon.com : New Parrot Bird Wrought Iron Cage 22x22x60 Play-Top *Black Vein* : Pet Supplies[/ame]

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

@TakoNtiki I'm really torn between the one you recommended and the one I listed as as an option in my original post.

There is really little/if any difference between the two. Only thing I could find is that the BC cage has an extra food cup and is $10 cheaper. LOL.

@Mimsy101 That's the case with Skittles as well. He's rarely in his cage. He's also a pellet eater, so seedcathers are obsolete for me. Even so, the cage is on wheels so it's not that much work to just move the cage to sweep/vaccuum under it.

Right now, as I'm typing, Skittles is on my shoulder with his wing 'pressed' against my neck. I bet he's thinking - 'hey daddy! you telling all those other farents about my new mansion!?!'.

The thing I like about these cage-top playstands is that they have a tray underneath to prevent poop from hitting his toys in the cage. Right now, he doesn't have a tray beneath his playtop. Bird toys are not cheap and I don't want to have to keep replacing them cause they are covered in poop. LOL.

I think I am going to go ahead and order that BC one. I'm gonna pay for it with my Discover card because that way if I have any issues with Amazon, they'll be easier to resolve than if I use a different card (Discover has a partnership with Amazon).

I'll keep you folks posted!

Now I just have to find a cage cover for it.... I see that Prevue has cage covers for their cages...given the size similarities - it'd probably work for his new cage.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

So this is the one I've ordered.

Cross your fingers for me!

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Choice-Products-Cockatoo-Birdcages/dp/B002SMC25E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442790220&sr=8-1&keywords=best+choice+bird+cage"]Amazon.com : Best Choice Products New Large Play Top Bird Cage Parrot Finch Macaw Cockatoo Birdcages : Pet Supplies[/ame]

I greatly appreciate ALL the feedback! Good to know that if I have any issues with this one I have other options to look into.

I don't know why I'm so excited. LOL. It's not for me, lol.

 

[TacoNTiki]

Good choice Skittlesdad. Really I think they are all really similar and all good quality. Skittles is going to love it (and so are you). I know you ordered but I just want to make one comment about the door being so small because it will make it harder to clean inside. Not a big deal but just so you know. The small door is the only thing I don't like about Tiki's (sorry I didn't think about that earlier), but then Taco's door is the whole front, so I may be just spoiled because I can practically fit my whole self in there to clean, LOL.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Thanks! I will take pictures of it when I get it.

Skittles current cage has a very large door but cleaning it is still a ***** because I can't remove the plastic bottom anymore since I had to zip-tie it so it wouldn't fall off when I carry the cage.

What I love about this new one is you can remove the bottom tray AND the grill without even having to put your hands in the cage. Also, the cage-top playstand has a tray of it's own so no more pooping on his toys! It's just gonna be so much easier.

I am also glad you can change the food/water dishes OUTSIDE the cage. Skittles will let me stick my hand in his cage, I can actually stick my whole head in, lol. BUT if anyone else even goes near his cage when he is in it, he flips out. So I know he would NOT let anyone else stick their hand in there.

I just hope it doesn't arrived damaged or dented. That's the one down side of ordering online.

I only ended up paying $103 for the cage cause I used my cashback bonus dollars from Discover as well as a courtesy giftcard I got from my ISP/phone company.

I still can't wait for Spring so I can get him that pak'obird. I blame BoomBoom for that. LOL.