Cage Covers

[Doyle'sMommy]

Doyle goes to bed whenever he's tired. He takes naps throughout the day, even when his cage door is wide open. He climbs in his little hut bed and goes to sleep. We cover his cage because I thought that was what you were supposed to do, plus sometimes we are up and walking around late and I think if he saw us he would want to be with us.

[cfulhage]

Ollie has a Cozzy Cover. I really like it. it's made with a front flap that velcros down, so you can just cover part of the cage if you want to. I spent like $70 on it though (got it before Ollie even came home, and now I wish I would have just got a big sheet!

I cover Ollie because I live in an apartment with a roommate who doesn't feel she needs to be quiet except when SHE is sleeping (between like 4-11 am. Ollie lives in my bedroom now, and I have to cover her, because I'm up studying late most nights, and because I don't need anywhere near the amount of sleep that she does. Maybe someday when I'm a "grown up" and I have my own house, and Ollie has her own room, then I won't need to cover her any more.

[CALVINS MOM]

Thanks for the responses on the covers. People ask all the time - "Should I cover my cage?" I usually tell them only if the bird is housed in an area of the house where the family stays up late, or if they wish the bird to sleep later in the morning (or the human for that matter)

[lilmama]

Not to sound like a dummy but I thought covering the cage in winter keeps them warm.

[Quito's Qage]

Well, that's true too! We had Parakeets when I was a kid, and lived in a big old drafty farmhouse. That was the main reason we covered them then, if memory serves.

[The Outlaw]

I'm a retired trimmer. I can make covers for anything from cars to planes.

Here's the easiest way to make a custom fitted cover.

Tape about 4 sheets of newspaper together and make one big sheet.

Hold it up to the front of your cage. Using double-sided tape, tape the sheet to the cage front. Now, take a dark crayon and follow the shape of the cage front. Make sure to also draw the bottom of the front and add 2 inches. Add 2 inches to your cutting line. This is the pattern front and the back.

Now, measure how deep your cage is. Add 2 inches to that measurement. Starting at the bottom edge of the actual cage, measure up the side, across the top and down the other side. Add 4 inches to that measurement. This is the sides and top.

The back of the cage will be the same shape as the front pattern.

Fold the pattern front in half, vertically. Make a little notch on the top of the fold. This is the center of the front and back. Fold the long top and side panel and fold it in half. Make a small notch on the fold line on either end. This is the center mark.

With right sides together, pin the front to the center section matching the notches. Sew from the center down. Turn over and sew from the center down on the other side.

Join the back to the center, matching the notches. Repeat same as front.

Turn 2" along the bottom and sew a hem.

You now have a basic cover. You need to cut an access for the door opening.

Find the center of the front. Draw a vertical line starting 4" from the top and going to the bottom. Turn project inside out. Add a 4" strip of material to both sides of the of the cut. With right sides together, sew one long seam down the center joining the strip to the project. Do on both sides. Open up the strips and turn them to the back. Press. At top of cut, use a piece of left over fabric and sew a reinforcement to the end of the cut on the inside of the project.

Now, measure down 10 inches on both sides of the cut out opening and sew in ties, every 10 inches on both sides. Sew one extra tie to the outside seam of the front of the project matching to the top ties on the door opening. This will hold the door open.

This is a simple custom fitted cover. You can line this if you choose. I make mine out of felt for the lining and colorful tropical prints on the outside. I also make them about 4" short. That way nosey birds can climb to the bottom and peek out instead of chewing holes in the fabric.You can also cut windows in the cover and use velcro to make shutters for the closing. Its a bit more involved, however.

This is a simple, beginner sewing project. Heck, you could hot glue it instead of stitching. Just be sure to use Hi temp glue sticks.

I sometimes make these with no door openings and no back. My cages all sit close to the wall. This way, they get the benefit of no light from the front, but better ventilation. Great for the winter when you need to get heat in the cage. It just sits on the top, sides and front of the cage.

Try it. Its not hard.

[Eliza]

I don't cover Beetle.

I work 2-10pm so he's usually anxious to see me until about 12 midnight. He settles down then and is quiet until 8am. That said, I have a decent sized apartment so even if he's being rammy in the AM, I can tune him out ;) He does appear to nap during the day, it seems. I keep a similar schedule on the weekends (more for my sleeping issues than for Beetle) and I notice that he's quiet between 4 and 9pm. That's when I'm likely to catch him napping, although he always wakes up before I can snap a photo.

I used to cover the budgies when I lived in the dorms at college. My mom made the cover for me out of some extra navy blue fabric. I think that I covered them b/c I thought that's what you were supposed to do with birds :/

-e-

[CALVINS MOM]

I still cannot figure out how covers put heat in the cage. Wouldn't it stop the heat from going into the cage and block the heat? How does the heat get into the cage? Am I being totally dense?

[cfulhage]

Originally Posted by CALVINS MOM

I still cannot figure out how covers put heat in the cage. Wouldn't it stop the heat from going into the cage and block the heat? How does the heat get into the cage? Am I being totally dense?

Do you lay under covers at night? Does it make you more cold? Covers keep drafts out. If the room is warm, a cover is not going to magically make it cold inside the cage.

[hcarey]

I am trying to follow your simple directions. I think where I have an issues is the dome top is cathedral (from front to back dome) And the cage is huge! I tried a king size sheet like some have suggested as well, but it will not cover the whole cage. My cage is 36" x 24" and total length is 54" including the 12" cathedral dome.
I dont mind paying for a Cozzzy cover except the darn bird chewes them to shreads. She LOVES to make holes in in and it is toast in a matter of a few days. I have had to layer the old shreaded covers on top of each other as well as a moving blanket over the top. Looks tacky, but if she can see out she will let you know it! I am trying to figure out how to invent something that would go on the outside of the cage to keep a cover away from the bars so she couldn't shread it, but I am not real handy.
You think she chews it so she can see out? She seems to love to chew it to entertain herself. Hmmmmm. You intrested in coming out of retirement to do a little side work??? We have the birds in the living room so I have to have it covered due to the humans! She likes her cage covered so I really need to find a solution that will last! LOL

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

I'm a retired trimmer. I can make covers for anything from cars to planes.

Here's the easiest way to make a custom fitted cover.

Tape about 4 sheets of newspaper together and make one big sheet.

Hold it up to the front of your cage. Using double-sided tape, tape the sheet to the cage front. Now, take a dark crayon and follow the shape of the cage front. Make sure to also draw the bottom of the front and add 2 inches. Add 2 inches to your cutting line. This is the pattern front and the back.

Now, measure how deep your cage is. Add 2 inches to that measurement. Starting at the bottom edge of the actual cage, measure up the side, across the top and down the other side. Add 4 inches to that measurement. This is the sides and top.

The back of the cage will be the same shape as the front pattern.

Fold the pattern front in half, vertically. Make a little notch on the top of the fold. This is the center of the front and back. Fold the long top and side panel and fold it in half. Make a small notch on the fold line on either end. This is the center mark.

With right sides together, pin the front to the center section matching the notches. Sew from the center down. Turn over and sew from the center down on the other side.

Join the back to the center, matching the notches. Repeat same as front.

Turn 2" along the bottom and sew a hem.

You now have a basic cover. You need to cut an access for the door opening.

Find the center of the front. Draw a vertical line starting 4" from the top and going to the bottom. Turn project inside out. Add a 4" strip of material to both sides of the of the cut. With right sides together, sew one long seam down the center joining the strip to the project. Do on both sides. Open up the strips and turn them to the back. Press. At top of cut, use a piece of left over fabric and sew a reinforcement to the end of the cut on the inside of the project.

Now, measure down 10 inches on both sides of the cut out opening and sew in ties, every 10 inches on both sides. Sew one extra tie to the outside seam of the front of the project matching to the top ties on the door opening. This will hold the door open.

This is a simple custom fitted cover. You can line this if you choose. I make mine out of felt for the lining and colorful tropical prints on the outside. I also make them about 4" short. That way nosey birds can climb to the bottom and peek out instead of chewing holes in the fabric.You can also cut windows in the cover and use velcro to make shutters for the closing. Its a bit more involved, however.

This is a simple, beginner sewing project. Heck, you could hot glue it instead of stitching. Just be sure to use Hi temp glue sticks.

I sometimes make these with no door openings and no back. My cages all sit close to the wall. This way, they get the benefit of no light from the front, but better ventilation. Great for the winter when you need to get heat in the cage. It just sits on the top, sides and front of the cage.

Try it. Its not hard.