Trying to refurbish an old cage

[aurithegrey]

So I bought a cage off someone who had kept the cage in storage for a number of years. Her bird, before she rehomed him, was definitely a bar chewer and much of the powder coating has been removed. I bought the cage for $200 before I really noticed the extent of the damage. Not only is the coating chipped away, but some rust has settled in too. Not wanting to be out the $200 I did some research into my options and found the first choice would be to have the whole cage re-powder-coated. But after calling around and receiving quotes of $200+ I decided to check into some alternate options. Upon consulting the President of our local Parrot Club I decided to try the following: remove the worst of the rust with hairspray and fine grit sand paper. Rinse extremely well. Then once dry, apply a rust proofing paint on the areas with no coating. This ended up being a significant portion of the cage... It's not pretty to look at, but it's bigger than the one she's in right now and I definitely think she needs a bigger cage, especially since I often work 8-9 hour shifts. I'm just starting to worry this isn't worth the risk... I don't have the extra $200+ to spend on re-coating the cage right now. Eventually I'd like to buy a big stainless steel one for her but that's going to take a year or two of saving. I can't leave her in the small cage for that long. Any advice? 

[SRSeedBurners]

Keep your eyes peeled on CL/FB for one of these if you can't get one outright from Petco:

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/you-and-me-standing-parrot-cage

[Greytness]

I actually had quite a number of those Petco cages in the beginning. Plus: lots of room for the bucks. Minus: caster rolling wheels easily bust from moving your cage around to clean floors, etc. And unfortunately there aren't any replacements that fit into the legs. We ended using those furniture sliding disks once they began snapping off.

I believe you can also find these cages through Wayfair as well.

[SRSeedBurners]

I found casters at Lowes (I believe) that work.  I'd prefer nice big pneumatic tires but that's a pipe dream.

 

[aurithegrey]

4 hours ago, SRSeedBurners said:

Keep your eyes peeled on CL/FB for one of these if you can't get one outright from Petco:

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/you-and-me-standing-parrot-cage

I've been keeping an eye out but there's not a lot of cages out there in my price range that don't need a ton of work done to them like the one I've got does. And I'm in Canada so there's no Petco here, sadly. Even the pet store I work at I can't get a good enough discount right now. Shipping on cages is huge and the cheapest I'm looking at is $500+ if I go for the most basic model,  Since I've already spent $200 on this cage I'm working on I don't have enough left to buy a new cage right away, even a used one. That being said, I went out and checked on the cage today and the paint actually seemed to work really well. It's cured right on and I did a scratch test to see how easy it is to peel off and it seems to take a fair amount of force, I couldn't get it to come off. Auri isn't a bar chewer at all, and she will have a constant stream of new and interesting toys to keep her attention. So I think I'm feeling a bit better about using that one temporarily so I can save for a really good cage and hopefully only have to buy one more cage in her lifetime. 

[Greytness]

3 hours ago, SRSeedBurners said:

I found casters at Lowes (I believe) that work.  I'd prefer nice big pneumatic tires but that's a pipe dream.

 

No way! And to think that I've been struggling with those darn flimsy casters all this time.

[Timbersmom]

Just be very sure that paint is bird safe. Even if she doesn't chew the cage bars, she will still use her beak on the cage to move around (at least Timber does).

[aurithegrey]

I'm pretty sure it's safe, it was recommended to me by the President of our Parrot Club and I trust her not to recommend something dangerous. I got the cage set up tonight with all her perches and toys. So far she seems to be enjoying the larger space. I'll be keeping a very close eye on the painted spots though to be safe, and I'm going to double check with her vet on Monday whether she has any other recommendations. I'm keeping her smaller cage so that if I get together the funds to get the powder coat redone she has a place to stay while that happens, plus when I move later this summer it'll probably come in handy for the transition. Here's a photo of her new cage set  up. 

[Greytness]

The cage looks to be in very good condition! You're a wonderful bird parront!

[neoow]

I think you've done your homework. It's not a project I've ever undertaken myself so I can't really comment I'm afraid! But it looks good and I'm sure Auri will love it.

It's always good to have a second cage kicking around if you have the space to store it- useful if you ever need a holiday cage for your bird. Alfie's cage won't fit out of my doors so I have a smaller cage upstairs which he goes in when I work from home (so we can keep each other company instead of being in separate parts of the house) and that one will also be used if he ever has to stay at my parents house or elsewhere for any reason. Also if a fault ever develops with his current cage I have a backup too!