Putting Your Birdcage in the Right Place

Your bird’s environment is very important, and though it seems as though what’s inside his cage would be more so, it is just as important to find the right location in your house for your birdcage. This location is an integral part of your bird’s environment and daily life and a healthy bird must live in a well-placed cage. Doing so will make your life and your bird’s much easier and more enjoyable. Here are some guidelines to finding the right spot in your house:

Keep it Level: Wherever you put your bird cage, make sure it’s not too high or too low; around chest level is perfect. Birds get scared and anxious if they’re too low. If they’re up higher than eye level, they’ll take it as a sign that they are superior to their owners. If they’re even higher, they will feel isolated from the people below.

Human Interaction: Keep your birdcage in a place where your birds will be able to frequently see and interact with the members of your family. Many birds love attention and would be bored and lonely in an empty, unused room. Make sure that you don’t put the cage in one of the high-traffic, high-volume centers of your house. While birds love interaction, too much noise and commotion will cause the bird to be anxious and could lead to health problems.

Walls and Windows: If your birdcage is in the center of a room, your birds will feel anxious and scared, as they have nowhere to hide from danger. Birds need at least one side of their cage up against a wall, as it provides them with a feeling of security. The ideal placement is in a corner where they can have two walls. Additionally, you shouldn’t put your bird’s cage directly in front of a window, as outside factors like dogs, hawks, and storms will scare them. The temperature can rapidly change by a window as well. A partial view of a window is fine.

Heat Changes: Try not to keep your bird close to a heat or air conditioning vent as the rapid changes in temperature are unhealthy.

Forbidden Rooms: You should not keep your birdcage in the kitchen. It can get too hot for your bird, and the fumes from cooking can be toxic. Other factors, such as open flames, sharp edges, and dangerous appliances make the kitchen treacherous for any bird. On a similar note, don’t keep your birdcage in the bathroom. In addition to the changing heat and humidity, there are too many toxic chemicals such as hairspray that could poison the bird.

Poisonous Places: Keep your bird’s cage away from anything that could be toxic to the bird. This includes not only man-made poisons like air fresheners and scented candles but also naturally poisonous plants like oleander, azalea, poinsettia, and philodendron. Also, if you have any smokers in the house, make sure they don’t smoke anywhere near the bird. The fumes from cigarettes can be toxic to a bird.

If you follow these steps, your bird will have a safe, healthy, and fun home!