Your cockatiel will spend more time in its cage than anywhere else, so this is not the place to save a few dollars. The single most common beginner mistake is buying a cage sized for a budgie.
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PTFE coatings on pans, some ovens, air fryers, drip pans, space heaters and even certain hair tools release fumes that are odourless to us and rapidly fatal to birds. Keep the bird well away from the kitchen and consider replacing non-stick with stainless or cast iron.
At least 24 in wide, 18 in deep and 24 in tall for one bird — and treat that as a floor, not a target. Horizontal bars on at least two sides give the bird built-in ladders. Rectangular, with a large front door and a top that opens for a play area.
Search Amazon →A cage that ships with two smooth plastic dowels of the same diameter is setting your bird up for sore feet. Vary the diameters, and add one rope perch plus one cement or mineral perch positioned where the bird pauses but does not sleep.
Search Amazon →A varied diet that is mostly not seed. The book's feeding chapter covers the conversion, which takes patience.
Search Amazon →Birds hide illness until they cannot. Weight is the signal that arrives first.
Search Amazon →Avoid cheap metal hardware. If a bird suddenly acts sick after chewing something metallic, tell your vet.
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