The new cage, late, and not a good buy

[Janelle]

Hey all, I thought I'd share my thoughts on this cage. It is the Petco Mink Brown cage.

 

http://www.petco.com/product/114150/Petco-Designer-Mink-Brown-Standing-Parrot-Cage.aspx

 

It's not really (*I think*) suited for long term use for a grey. The gauge of wire seems quite thin. It's not really made well either. It came mangled, missing pieces, screws, and dinged/scratched. My first impression was I was sold a used cage. (Petco says they will ship the missing pieces and damaged parts, we'll see how much a hassle this becomes).

 

On the other hand, at least Elliott will have a place to go that I can clean because cleaning the cage he has is nearly impossible. I worry for health reasons about this. Cheap is as cheap does and this cage is cheaply made and I should have known better. I am just disappointed in this cage and myself.

 

I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a cage, that's for sure. At least it will give me time to find a proper cage for Elliott. Oh, and the "bowls" are hardly big enough for a conure-sized bird, so I am glad I have some extra quick lock crocks laying around. I think this cage would be sorta okay for a cockatiel or two. The bowls will be great for the playtop though, just the right size for treats.

 

And I think Elliott is not going to like the switch(s) at all. I was unpacking the cage and he kept saying 'noooo.' Silly bird...

[Timbersmom]

LOL Sounds like Elliott knows what he wants (or doesn't want). Sorry to hear you weren't happy with the cage. I'm always looking, but since Timber finally agreed to move into the large cage I had for him, I think we are good for now. Hope you get your parts etc. with no hassles and the transition is smooth!

[birdhouse]

The bar thickness can be deceptive beyond a certain point. When Phenix' cage arrived it scared me a little. But I've had it a few years & it's a lot sturdier than it looked. That actually makes the cage lighter & easier to handle. Good quality cage all around.

 

I have seen that Petco model set up in the store. A couple looked ok. I wasn't so sure about the others. It almost seemed like they might be coming from different factories & the overall quality was a bit dodgy. Didn't really look like a 15 yr investment which is about the average life span of a decent quality, reasonably well treated cage.

 

If it's as bad as Elliot thinks, it might even be worth returning it before it's too late, if they'll let you.

[Greywings]

You have to love a bird who knows his cages.

[danmcq]

Zooming in on this cage and also reading the Specifications, it does look like it is constructed for a small parrot at best. The wire spacing is 1/2 and it very closely resembles that of an oridinary cage you would buy for a parakeet. As Greywings said, your grey knows his cages!

 

I have no doubt it can certainly do as a temp cage for now to at least improve on your being able to clean and also not have the worry of the old cage falling a part. I would start thinking about another cage though in the future that is grey size and build sturdy for the havoc they can wreak.

 

Here is a decent Cage for a good price: http://www.birdscomfort.com/victorianparrot_bird_cages.html

Edited July 2, 2013 by danmcq

[Janelle]

The bar thickness can be deceptive beyond a certain point. When Phenix' cage arrived it scared me a little. But I've had it a few years & it's a lot sturdier than it looked. That actually makes the cage lighter & easier to handle. Good quality cage all around.

 

I have seen that Petco model set up in the store. A couple looked ok. I wasn't so sure about the others. It almost seemed like they might be coming from different factories & the overall quality was a bit dodgy. Didn't really look like a 15 yr investment which is about the average life span of a decent quality, reasonably well treated cage.

 

If it's as bad as Elliot thinks, it might even be worth returning it before it's too late, if they'll let you.

 

I have it packaged up and ready to be picked up. They will ship another (no refund). I offered to take it to a store if they would exchange it for the one they have in store but the price is different than the online price and they would not do. In any case, I believe you're right on the manufacturing of the cage; the welds were loose on some of the panels on this one, may have happened during shipping, but that means it was not very good to begin with. When I was trying to do a little research on the cage before, I could find reviews by people who said they had a grey in it and it was "great." I thought maybe by posting here if someone else was thinking about this cage for a larger parrot then they would perhaps find it easier to make a decision. It is not packaged well enough for shipping at all. Roger has an Avian Adventure brand cage and I was very happy with the shipping of that, it was packaged very well. I don't understand why a company would think it was cost efficient to skimp on packaging and have to re-ship a whole new cage.

 

Once I decide on a better cage later down the road I will take this one apart and put it in the storm shelter and keep it as a temp home in case of emergencies. My DH says "filling it with a bird (s) that fits the cage appropriately" is not an emergency...lol

Edited July 4, 2013 by Janelle
spelling is challenging in the wee hours of the morning!

[Janelle]

Zooming in on this cage and also reading the Specifications, it does look like it is constructed for a small parrot at best. The wire spacing is 1/2 and it very closely resembles that of an oridinary cage you would buy for a parakeet. As Greywings said, your grey knows his cages!

 

I have no doubt it can certainly do as a temp cage for now to at least improve on your being able to clean and also not have the worry of the old cage falling a part. I would start thinking about another cage though in the future that is grey size and build sturdy for the havoc they can wreak.

 

Here is a decent Cage for a good price: http://www.birdscomfort.com/victorianparrot_bird_cages.html

 

Thank you for that link!

[judygram]

It could be used as a sleep cage as some of the members use for their greys or other birds.

[paleale]

I have to say, I have this cage and it works great for Pearl. I do remember when I was shopping for one, some complained of this same cage coming to their home damaged. I suppose I was lucky. No damage at all, went together easily, no missing pieces. I like the size of the bowls for her... and I don't even fill them halfway usually. The color is darker than it looks in that picture which I like because it goes better in my home that a white one would've. It's easy to clean and the trays are strong. Also comes apart easily to get a complete spray down every couple of weeks. It seems like a perfect fit for Pearl- she's not cramped one bit. On that note I have to say I think she's a small Grey. Recently when I was at the parrot supply store, there were little ones in their baby room who were much bigger than Pearl! I hope the replacement you get works out better!

[Vumes]

I too had this cage for a while and have nothing but good things to say about it. I had no problems with it at all, and it did not degrade the whole time I had it. Easy to clean and take apart/put together. I actually kind of miss it...

[Janelle]

I have to say, I have this cage and it works great for Pearl. I do remember when I was shopping for one, some complained of this same cage coming to their home damaged. I suppose I was lucky. No damage at all, went together easily, no missing pieces. I like the size of the bowls for her... and I don't even fill them halfway usually. The color is darker than it looks in that picture which I like because it goes better in my home that a white one would've. It's easy to clean and the trays are strong. Also comes apart easily to get a complete spray down every couple of weeks. It seems like a perfect fit for Pearl- she's not cramped one bit. On that note I have to say I think she's a small Grey. Recently when I was at the parrot supply store, there were little ones in their baby room who were much bigger than Pearl! I hope the replacement you get works out better!

 

The replacement got here last night. It is better than the first cage. This one does have some dents in one of the panels and the trays are bent also, but not as badly and I was able to sort of straighten them out enough to work. It frustrates me that I pay for something and it comes dented/scratched.

 

I too like the color. It will do until I can get a better built cage with a different gauge wire. I just think that if I can bend the wire, then so can Elliott or Roger. I know that I can compare Roger's Avian Adventure cage to this one and there is no comparison in quality. Your Pearl is beautiful!

[Janelle]

I too had this cage for a while and have nothing but good things to say about it. I had no problems with it at all, and it did not degrade the whole time I had it. Easy to clean and take apart/put together. I actually kind of miss it...

 

I will agree, it is easy to put together!

[SRSeedBurners]

I have this cage as well. Works great for our Greycie. She's a standard size Grey I'm assuming at 450 grams. All parts were there and it assembled well enough. I would prefer a ~$1000 aluminum palace but we only use the cage sparingly - sleep cage and a little cage time during the days when she can't stay out in her bird room.