# Here is a photo of my bird's new mansion =)



## Guest (Sep 22, 2012)

I finally assembled the new cage (it is huge almost too big but that's ok). I ended up putting cat liter into the bottom tray (only $2 for a large bag and works great). I'm having trouble finding one of these http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Guard-Sheer-Large-Assorted/dp/B0002AQ340/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_6 that will fit my 30x20 cage... any ideas? The seed catcher works great but it doesn't protect against the seeds that fly out of its food bowl which I'm going to place lower in the cage.

I've renamed the bird from Chico to Rascal because it's mischievous and always getting into trouble. Is that a good name... Rascal? Don't let its cute innocent looks fool you 

I kind of prefer Rascal over Chico.... what do you guys think?


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## Erinsmom (Sep 7, 2012)

Nice I have something similar for my Annie and Frosty and they love it...congrats!!


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## triinket (May 5, 2012)

I like the cage it's really nice ^.^ Grats.
&& I like Rascal. How are they settling in?


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

You might be able to get in touch with a seller on etsy.com to see if they could make a custom one for you. Petco has some kind of plastic seed catcher wrap thing too that you can check out. 

I like rascal.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i would use plain paper, not cat litter for bedding. the reason being is that the dust from it is not safe for cockatiels to breathe in  wood shavings and corn cob bedding or carefresh are not safe either because they grow mold and bacteria very fast and easily. if the bedding gets wet, it grows mold fast. and corn cob bedding is a culprit for aspergillosis in birds. so plain paper is the safest  or fleece blankets, i use those, but only because my cage does not have a grate and my tiels get nesty with paper if they get to it.

i love the set up, some great natural branches in there! i would put a nice long perch closer to the top of the cage  he's got a lot of space, so lets add some perches at different heights too


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## *Snowy* (Aug 31, 2012)

Rascals a nice name.
he is so lucky to get a big new cage!


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2012)

I know the cage needs more perches as it's very empty. I will have to go get some more perches soon.

Its name is officially lil' Rascal


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## JudiNH (Sep 10, 2011)

Thats a great cage, and an adorable bird.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

That is a great cage, and the seed catcher rim will be a life saver. Rascal is very cute, great name


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## Scribbles (Jun 28, 2012)

That's a great sized cage. Monte's is a similar size but a different design with 2 doors. We call it Monte's Mansion lol. Yes I like Rascal too.


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## SunnyNShandy (May 24, 2012)

Great cage and I love the name!!! Congrats!


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

Hey, Sunny's cage is pretty much the same size it looks like, all for ONE bird.  Sunny is a spoiled little brat. And she's NOT sunny either. Should have named her Stormy, Tantrum or Meanie. :wacko:


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Rascal is the name for him.I love his cage but would also prefer paper sheets for bedding,instead of cat litter.Paper heets are changed every day,but not the litter,and that could cause bacteria and mould to grow.Dont forget that cats dont spend all their time on the litter tray,whereas litter in the cage will be there all the time with poop in it.Sorry,it just doesnt seem right. X x


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## Korvia (Aug 3, 2012)

I have a big cage 36L x 23W x 25H and I use a fitted crib sheet as a "seed catcher" works great. I love the name to.


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## Payton Leeroy (Sep 10, 2012)

Eh, I don't like the look of a seed catcher rim, so instead I got a little handheld, battery operated, rechargeable vacuum. Takes just a minute or two a day and keeps everything nice and neat! Well, until I drop LD's food bowl...


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Rascal is adorable and the cage is very nice!


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2012)

I think there are rodent droppings in the food the shop who sold the bird to me gave me (they are keeping the bird seed inside barrels which they feed all their birds with). There are many "droppings" like this... and it looks like this... rat droppings: http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&h...dsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:18,i:210&tx=129&ty=84

Could it be something else? To me it looks like rat droppings!?!?!

Here is photo of just one of the "droppings" in the bird seed.


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## SyddyBird (May 17, 2012)

If you can sew at all, you can make one of those seed nets yourself, I did. Walmart sells that similar kind of netting, in the craft section (the craft section near the bathrooms, no the one in the front by school supplies.) They also sell elastic string. I'm not sure about the edge binding, I already had that from Hobby Lobby. Measure the mesh a little bigger then the cage, so you have some slack to take it on and off. Place the edge binding on the top edge of the mesh, and lay the string elastic in the crease. Do not sew over the elastic, except to hold the end in place. Then sew a 1/2 in to an in from the edge, all the way around. Do the same for the bottom. Then pull the elastic tight, so that it stays snug to the cage. 

This is what the seed catcher looks like:









http://s1148.photobucket.com/albums/o563/ambergrimm/?action=view&current=DSC02003_zpsa46a0fe0.jpg


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## Homer2012 (Aug 19, 2012)

That is a great cage...


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2012)

I have noticed a serious design flaw with this cage. There is no opening high on the cage... if I place this type of seed catcher on the cage http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Bird-...x 52" - 100"&gclid=CJyEveOAzLICFQs3nAod8z8ARg ... how am I going to put it on the cage when the cage door is open most of the time? That's not going to work. They should have made another smaller opening door on the cage high up. This is a disappointment! It really aggravates me when they make any items like this as if no common sense was used.

I will have to figure something out.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2012)

Am I the only one here who thinks birds smell good? I'm starting to feel like a weirdo LOL... I always sniff my bird :blink:


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

they do smell nice (unless when wet! then they smell like wet dogs lol), im not sure what they smell like but they have a very nice smell


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

and the thing in the seed looks like a raisin  or some of the stem from a sunflower, some seed mixes miss some of that stuff that they normally fill out


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## lethalfire (Aug 29, 2012)

I love the name Rascal also. He is such a cutie, sorry I can't help any on the seed catcher. I also am an OD vacuum-er so I have it out every day and it's just as easy for me to use the hose on my vacuum to vacuum up all the seed and mess. My cage came with the seed guards that stick out all around the cage but I don't like those either so never put them on.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Am I the only one here who thinks birds smell good? I'm starting to feel like a weirdo LOL... I always sniff my bird


You are definitely NOT weird lol. My hubby sniffs our birds all the time. We have one who really does smell like dust, but not bad dust. We had a hen a couple yrs ago that smelled like maple syrup and I used to just sit and smell her all the time! So no, that's a normal tiel parent thing!


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## Kermieluvr (Aug 25, 2012)

Juliet said:


> Am I the only one here who thinks birds smell good? I'm starting to feel like a weirdo LOL... I always sniff my bird :blink:


Good... I'm gald I'm not the only one. I was scared I might be weird!


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## Jony N Me (Sep 20, 2012)

I agree haha! i do the same thing!


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2012)

Glad to see I'm not the only one too. Dogs are stinky (I would never volunteer to sniff my dog, pheeew)... but birds have a nice smell 

I just figured something out. I realize that 99.9% of the mess is coming from its food bowl because it keeps thrashing around in it and jumping around. I just bought a new food dish which I think will make a MAJOR difference. Here's a photo. Do you guys think I that enough food fits into bowl that for one day's worth of food? I can always place another bowl exactly like it right next to it to increase food amount. 

Rascal is obsessed with the new food bowl (seems much more comfortable than previous oversized bowl).... which is good because it has lost weight so he needs to eat.

I don't even think I will need to bother with the mesh seed guard now... I think this will be good solution.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2012)

Glad to see I'm not the only one too. Dogs are stinky (I would never volunteer to sniff my dog, pheeew)... but birds have a nice smell 

I just figured something out. I realize that 99.9% of the mess is coming from its food bowl because it keeps thrashing around in it and jumping around. I just bought a new food dish which I think will make a MAJOR difference. Here's a photo. Do you guys think I that enough food fits into that for one day's worth of food? I can always place another bowl exactly like it to increase food amount. 

Rascal is obsessed with the new food bowl (seems much more comfortable than previous oversized bowl).... which is good because it has lost weight so he needs to eat. I'm going to move the perch closer so it can sit on perch rather than what he's standing on now.


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## Jony N Me (Sep 20, 2012)

I think that bowl is perfectly fine for a days worth of food... and if your tiel likes it, hey it works!  i actually have that same cage by the way, only the little bit smaller one  ( its a prevue brand right?) i love it! My bird hasnt used it yet... i brought the one home that she was used to from the store ( they it may be a little easier for her to settle in at first. they said to just bring it back when she gets used to our home and comfy ) shell be moving in to her better place soon, cant wait! the cage shes in now is not cute LOL!!


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2012)

Sorry to dig this thread back up but I've noticed something odd. LOL... I cannot believe I'm about this!... but suddenly for the past couple of days my tiel has lost its "birdie smell". It definitely no longer has such a strong scent... perhaps I've just become used to it by sniffing it all the time


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The smell varies in flavor and intensity. If he's taken a bath recently that will usually have an effect on the smell.


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2012)

He hasn't had a bath. I'm somewhat disappointed in this since now I'm not getting my birdie sniff fix. LOL, alright perhaps I am a lil strange but I liked the birdie smell  Now he doesn't really smell like anything anymore.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

You are probably acclimating to it.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Maybe if you give him a bath the original smell will come back. Birds don't smell good when they're wet, but once they've dried off I like the post-bath smell better than the pre-bath smell. 

My experience is that baby birds have to learn to enjoy a mist bath, so unless Rascal got baths in his previous location he probably isn't going to like it at first. The best technique for beginning bathers is to have him in the cage so he can't flee, and spray a mist from a spray bottle over the cage so it falls down like rain. Be prepared for some very disgruntled looks and maybe even some fear the first two or three times you give him a bath, but eventually he will start to joyfully spread out his wings and tail to catch the droplets.


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## anthrogirl80 (Jun 2, 2012)

That is an awesome cage! I really love cages with playgyms/perches on top. Its one of the only drawbacks to the cage I have for Kevin. 

I love the name Rascal too. And I agree that the black thing in the seed is just a raisin. Some seed mixes have them thrown in. I cut one open the first time I found one in a mix around 6 years ago...just to make sure.


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