Birds & Small Pets

A cage is a bird’s home, but the stuff inside it decides whether that home feels cramped or engaging. Birds are smarter than most people give them credit for. A cockatiel can learn to whistle tunes. A parakeet can figure out puzzle toys. A bored parrot will pluck its own feathers out. Good toys, perches, and accessories stop behavioral problems before they start. We tested seven products across four categories to find the ones that actually hold up. ...

There is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” bird cage. A parakeet can get its head stuck between bars spaced an inch apart. A cockatiel can bend a cage made of thin wire in under a week. And a cage that’s perfectly sized for a conure will leave an African grey cramped and miserable. The right cage depends entirely on the bird. But a few things hold true across species. Bigger is always better. Horizontal bars let birds climb. And bar spacing has to match the bird’s head size, otherwise they squeeze through or get stuck. We tested six cages to find the ones worth buying. ...