Replacing bottom of a bird cage
I inherited an old parrot cage and its base needs to be replaced. The cage is pretty much a steel box, ~2 feet long and wide and ~3 feet high. The metal part of the cage doesn't have a bottom grate - it is only 5 sided, not 6. The base of the cage is made of plastic, designed to fit the steel cage and a simple plastic tray that can be lined with paper and removed for cleaning. It's a lot like this:
The plastic base is very brittle and is falling apart. As more pieces break every time I try to move it or clean it, it's increasingly flimsy and held together with duct tape.
Here are some pics of the cage's plastic base which I want to replace. The tray that slides out has already broken into pieces. There's no identification on the base, just a place where a sticker once was on the inner side and a half-ripped, faded and illegible bar code sticker on the bottom.
How can I replace the base of this cage? Any suggestions on where to buy just the base? Is there a DIY option - I thought of building a simple open-topped wooden box for the steel cage to fit on top of, but I'm not sure if a wooden base is OK for the bird and for cleaning? If all else fails and I get a new cage entirely (maybe this is for a separate question) - what's the best way to recycle this old bird cage? Throw out the broken brittle plastic and scrap the steel cage, or is there a better way to recycle/upcycle this thing?
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I'm not very familiar with bird cages and how they sit in the plastic tray, but guinea pig owners have been using coroplast for the bottom tray in custom cages for many years (I think I first heard of it nearly 20 years ago).
The benefit of coroplast is that it's a surface very similar to plastic (non-absorbent, cleans with a bit of soap/water), but you can assemble it without having to caulk the seam between the bottom and sides of the tray. Because it's a DIY solution, you can size the new tray to your existing metal cage.
Assembly instructions are very straightforward. Essentially you score (cut through only half of the thickness) the coroplast where you want the sides to turn up.
To obtain coroplast, the site guineapigcages.com suggests calling local sign stores as it's very expensive to ship coroplast (due to its size). There's also a database of local suppliers to help you locate a place to buy it.
So, somewhere on the cage (usually towards bottom front corner of cage), there's a brand label ex. Prevue, Ph, LM etc. Many companies have online websites where you can search for your cage type, find it's "style # and name, and then order "replacement parts". If their site is hard to maneuver, you can look up and call the companies consumer hotline or 1-800# and a rep should either place an order for you OR step you through how to order. Bad news is IF this is a very old cage there is a chance it is discontinued, and therefore replacement parts are too. BUT even if that's the case, being that you still have the cage bottom and it's dimensions, they most likely will have the exact bottom tray that will fit, even if it's "meant" for a newer model.
If this ends up being more expensive than replacing the cage, or too much Hassel I'd recommend finding a local bird rescue and ask them if they could use the cage. They could always slide paper towels under the grate, and use it without the tray. And you'd be doing a great thing, being that bird rescues are more overlooked when it comes to donations (dog and cat rescues get the most), therefore there's a stronger need.
If you do not have a local bird rescue, you may be able to locate a wild life rehabilitation center near by that could use is as a quarantine or travel cage for small animals and birds.
Even some SPCA centers do bird rescue and adoptions and may have a current or future need for the cage.
If you cannot find "animal" use for it by donating or giving it away you could 1- keep it for your bird, just in case for travel or emergencies OR recycle it the old fashion way, in the bin.
Make sure if you donate it, you let then know the cage can only be lined with paper or paper towels or cloths. Also, sanitize the cage with bleach and a thorough water rinse before donation.
Wooden base is not a good idea because it will be difficult to clean and will absorb liquids and harbor mildew, molds, fungus and bacteria.
Have YOU considered removing the tray completely and sliding paper towels in the empty slide? Paper towels used as a litter medium make it easier to see healthy or unhealthy fecal conditions. Also, very easy to remove and clean if everything dropped is dropped on a paper towel. If the bottom grate is missing from your cage, this may not be as great of an idea if your bird can reach and wishes to eat the paper towels, otherwise it's an option for YOU too, not just rescues if you choose do go that route.
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