The Canary As a Pet – Canary Cages
A single cock songster canary will spend most of his life in a cage because they don’t usually get tame enough to fly around a room. Single canaries can live 8-10 years. so make sure that the cage design and quality is correct from the start. This article looks at the main requirements for companion housing your canary.
Size of cage
This is a crucial requirement because canaries are active and agile birds and your cage must be big enough to allow the canary to fly. Width of the cage is particularly important as canaries tend to flit to and fro and not move up and down unlike a budgerigar. A rectangular cage with the minimum dimensions for a canary would be a width 24 inches (60 cm); height and depth of 18 inches (45 cm) and be fitted with 2 perches towards each end of the cage to enable your canary to exercise properly. The best cross section shape for a wooden perch is oval which helps keep the canary’s feet healthy and problem free.
Shape of cage
A rectangular-shaped cage is better than the perhaps more attractive domed-round cage as it doesn’t ‘frustrate’ the canary. Housed in a round cage, a canary can circle the cage ‘thinking’ it is getting somewhere because there are few if any reference points. A rectangular cage has four corners as reference points that orientate the bird and stops any tendency for stressful circling which improves the bird’s quality of life.
Construction material
Metal with a coat of non-toxic paint is an easy to clean and durable material for a canary cage. Make sure the cage bars are at the correct spacing to keep you canary from injuring itself: the bar spacing should be one-half inch (12 mm). You could also buy a cage with bars made of stainless steel which will last many years but is more expensive. The bottom of the tray can be metal or plastic and may be covered by a metal grill but this is not essential. If the cage you choose has a metal grill, make sure it is removable because it will need to be cleaned regularly.
Positioning the cage
Remember that a cage with metal bars is open all round and this is has a bearing on where you should position your cage. Your canary may feel more secure if its cage is placed in a corner or near a wall but keep it away from a draufty door, the top of an open window or an air conditioner. A metal barred cage provides no shade and your canary will become distressed if the cage is hung in a window on a hot sunny day as both the bird and the cage can get overheated.
By: Robert Turberville
About the Author:
Robert has been a pet keeping fanatic since boyhood when kept slow worms, a tame Jackdaw and fish in addition to the usual cats and dogs. He likes to write articles about pet keeping because pets deserve the right treatment and care. He also is the webmaster of several websites such as http://www.castironbaths.org/ which helps people find great deals on claw foot tubs.
Categories: Parrot Care Tags: Budgerigar, Canaries, Companion
