How to Decorate Bird Cages

Decorate a bird cage with natural branch perches and toys for entertainment.

Since birds are playful pets, they require toys to keep boredom and destructive behaviors at bay. Decorating a bird's cage with plenty of interactive toys will reduce anxiety-driven behaviors such as feather plucking and vocal outbursts for attention. Even everyday items such as perches, food bowls and water bowls can be decorative and fun for the pet bird.

Things You'll Need

• Perches
• Food bowl
• Water bowl
• Ladders
• Hanging toys
• Mirror toys
• Bedding
• Cage cover

Instructions

1. Choose perches made of natural branches. Sold in pet stores, these cleaned natural fruit tree branches give the bird cage an outdoor feel while providing essential posture for birds' feet. Varying thicknesses of branches help exercise the muscles and adds interest to the look of the bird cage.

2. Pick food and water bowls that double as play areas. Choose bowls attached to mirrors or plastic toys with beads. These add color to the cage and provide an activity for the pet bird. This decoration is good for a picky eater, since they may choose to stop at the bowl to play and inadvertently try the food, too.

3. Add ladder toys to the bird cage for mobility and activity. Birds will use ladders to get from one area of the cage to another. Athletic birds, such as cockatiels, will use the ladder decoration to hang upside-down and do tricks.

4. Hang edible toys from the roof of the cage. Offer the bird toys that can be chewed. These are often made from rawhide, unpainted wooden toys, recycled paper, dried fruits or whole nuts. Allow the bird to preen, chew and disassemble these decorations.

5. Add mirrors. Birds love to look at themselves. Single birds enjoy looking at a friend that seems to share the cage with them. Singing, nuzzling and hissing at the bird in the mirror are all common reactions to a mirror.

6. Use colorful bedding on the bottom of the birdcage. Hide unsightly poop and seed messes with colorful and absorbent recycled paper bedding. Decorating the base of the cage will give an impression of an overall clean bird cage.

7. Decorate the exterior of the bird cage. Drape a cage cover over the cage that accents the room where the bird is kept. Coordinate with curtains, the wall color or style of flooring. Use a towel, small blanket or bed sheet for larger bird cages.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid using painted or toxic plastic toys to decorate a bird cage. Birds will chew on everything in their cage. Choose non-toxic dyed toys and accessories.

References

• What to Put in a Bird Cage
• Setting up A Bird Cage