Playtop cages - Pros and cons?

[Gator]

Playtops are good if you are tight on space. I personally don't use them anymore because with the top tray they are dark. I use a dome top with tons of perches/toys on the inside and outside for Platinum's screen porch cage and his sleeping cage/cage for when we're not home is a cabinet style cages by design cage.

[Koki]

I've got two huge cages with playtops and extra trays. I've removed the trays b/c it's just too dark in the cages.

[Sashagirl]

I like Playtop cages and have several Playtop Cages as well as Dometop cages.Our parrots utilize the Playtop cages better when they are outside of their cages.

Marcia

[pippy]

I'm a soon-to-be CAG owner and when choosing the cage I weighed up the pros and cons. I was choosing between THIS ONE and THIS ONE.

My mind was ultimately made up when I read about an accident with an opening dome top cage, the parrot managed to squeeze it's head through the tiny gap between the two opening parts and hung itself

I'm going to look into getting a clear acrylic top, that's a great tip.

[goodshep]

Originally Posted by DianeJ

Im not keen on play top cages myself, I find that it makes the cage really hard and awkward to cover at nighttime. BUT I buy playtop cages so that I can use the parts from the playtops to make playstands for my guys, it works out really well.

I'd love to hear how you did this. I have a playtop cage that my TAG came with. I noticed that he rarely got up on the perch so I removed it. He still likes to play on top of the cage but now its just the tray and whatever foot toys etc...I put up there. I have the ladder and perch with two bowl holders sitting on top of my fridge right now and I was trying to come up with a way to incorporate it into a playstand we could move around. Any suggestions or photos would be greatly appreciated!

[GoldenPhoenix]

just reading your posts i think becuase im a little tight on space myself i'll get a playtop for my Tiel. my cage is not a flat top but i think i can find a location with the family for the playtop. Also my Tiel will not be flighted. we have too many trees and alot of wind aroud here. as for poop, im responsible for cleaning up after the bird

[SisterBlue]

Originally Posted by Gator

Playtops are good if you are tight on space. I personally don't use them anymore because with the top tray they are dark.

I almost never have the top tray in, and that's one of the reasons. If Sam poops while he's up on the play top it drops through the grate, not a big deal.

-SB

[sweetpeaches]

I have a dome top cage. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have at least a flat top so Bailey good roll around when I let him out! But he does have a Wayne's Bottlebrush playstand which he absolutely loves. I love it too as I can wheel it around to where ever I want it. Lots of times I'll open his cage door and put his playstand right next to his cage so he can play on both.

[Addicted to Tequila]

Originally Posted by DianeJ

Im not keen on play top cages myself, I find that it makes the cage really hard and awkward to cover at nighttime. BUT I buy playtop cages so that I can use the parts from the playtops to make playstands for my guys, it works out really well.

I finally figured out the answer to this! I put self-stick velcro around the top rails of the cage (trim, peel, stick!) Then I made the cover from a plain rectangle of fabric that is 54 inches wide (I have a tall cage so used the salvage edges - the ones that were not cut and do not fray - for the top and bottom edges). I simply sewed a rolled (double) hem on each "short edge" and then used the opposite sew-on velcro (the loop side) on the top! Now it is SO easy to say nite-nite!

I admit... the sound of velcro takes a bit of getting used to for fids. But they LOVE that sound now. Only drawback? When my daughter undoes her sneakers (velcro again!)... my babies think it is screaming time! LOL