My bird cage has rust and chipped paint. Is it safe or can I fix it?

This specific coating or paint is safe and is commonly used in bird cages of various sizes. "Hammertone" is just a description of the finish. It looks like the bars were hit with a hammer to give a textured appearance.

Hello! A rusty cage is not recommended for a few reasons. First, your hamster could be exposed to heavy metals like lead and zinc that are components of cage metals. Animals are protected from these heavy metals by the powder coating that’s applied, but as the cage ages and the coating cracks and peels off, exposure can occur. The rust is an indication that any powder coating is old and compromised. Secondly, the rusty bars may damage your hamsters insicors and this could become a bigger issue if there is an incisor fracture or damage to the roots. I would recommend getting a new cage for these reasons. Hope that helps.

A low VOC paint still has VOCs. The low level may not pose an issue in larger, well ventilated rooms however, if the bird room is small I would still recommend moving the cage. Wait until you can no longer detect any paint odor then move the cage back. Monitor for lethargy, tail bobbing when breathing, decreased appetite or trouble perching.

Hi, I'm happy you're thinking about the safety of Ringo. I recommend choosing a paint brand that has low VOCs or no VOCs - these are paints that don't give off dangerous fumes. Also open windows and doors, and use a fan to ventilate while you work and for a couple of days afterwards until the new paint odor is gone. You may need to remove and repaint interior doors and cupboard doors outside if the gloss paint has a strong odor.

If the wood stain is water based there should be no problem to use it in the same room. The same is true for water based paint., Your bird should have no access to the painted surfaces until they have dried completely. It would be best to put the cage into another room for 2 or 3 days.

Hello! You absolutely can get a dome top cage! The bigger the better for birds, as exercise is very important to their physical and psychological health. The major thing to consider if the bar spacing. You don’t want the parakeets to be able to get their heads through the bars, so stick with 1/4-1/2 inch spacing to be safe. Some big cages have wider spacing, around 1 inch and this may be too wide for your birds. Also, make sure the cage is high quality powder coated and not exposed metal, as zinc and lead exposure can be an issue with wrought iron or hand made cages. Good luck!

Beak and Feather Disease is extremely contagious and usually lasts for your bird's lifetime until it or a secondary illness cause your bird to pass away. Even birds not showing symptoms can still be carriers for it. If you currently own any birds affected with this illness it would not be good to bring more birds into your home as it is likely to spread between them. If you do have both sick and healthy birds, keeping them separated in other rooms and in completely different environments, as well as using gloves/washing hands between handling can help reduce the chances of spread. Bleaching the cage and letting it sit for several days should kill any virus present, as well as replacing any porous materials such as perches as you've done. However, to be completely sure, it is always best to replace all affected items to be on the safe side.