For those of us who share our lives and homes with rescued or unreleasable pigeons and doves, providing a safe and comfortable environment is paramount. While ideally all birds would live wild and free, the reality is that many domesticated pigeons and doves need our care and protection. This guide focuses specifically on Pet Cages – essential home bases for these gentle birds, ensuring their safety and well-being indoors and, when appropriate, outdoors.
This article will delve into selecting the perfect pet cage for your feathered companions. While this article focuses on cages, you can explore more about pigeons as pets here and doves as pets here. For those considering larger outdoor setups, information on creating an aviary can be found here.
Pigeons and doves are highly adaptable and thrive as indoor pets, becoming cherished members of the family. They can also reside outdoors in a secure, predator and rodent-proof aviary. However, it’s crucial to never house a single pigeon or dove alone outdoors. These are flock animals, and solitary outdoor living can cause significant stress and loneliness. Indoor pigeons and doves, on the other hand, bond with their human families, considering them as part of their flock. If your bird will be spending any time outdoors, even briefly, a predator-proof pet cage is non-negotiable. It’s important to understand that standard bird cages are primarily designed for indoor use and lack the robust construction needed to withstand predators. A truly predator-proof pet cage requires sturdy materials, narrow bar spacing, and secure, raccoon-proof latches. When in doubt about safety, always seek expert advice – your bird’s life depends on it.
A spacious indoor dove cage, showcasing ample room and appropriate bar spacing for pet doves.
For rescued or adopted indoor pigeons and doves, a suitable pet cage serves as their personal sanctuary and a safe haven within your home. Alongside a secure cage, daily out-of-cage time within the house is essential for exercise and socialization. To manage droppings during their indoor explorations, consider using pigeon pants, information about which can be found here. It’s critical to remember that domestic pigeons and doves should never be allowed to fly freely outdoors. They are vulnerable to numerous predators, including hawks, ravens, gulls, cats, dogs, and raccoons, in the outside environment.
A large dog crate repurposed as a safe indoor pigeon cage, demonstrating appropriate size for indoor use but unsafe for outdoor environments due to wide bar spacing.
The size of your pet cage is a crucial factor – bigger is always better. For pigeons and doves, length and width are more important than height, as they are not climbing birds like parrots. A minimum recommended cage size for one or two (mated) pigeons is 42 inches wide, 27 inches deep, and 30 inches high. For one or two doves, the minimum dimensions are 32 inches wide, 32 inches high, and 21 inches deep.
Inside the pet cage, the bottom should be covered with a smooth, easily cleanable material such as wood, linoleum, plastic, or a yoga mat cut to size. Wire cage bottoms are uncomfortable and detrimental to the foot health of pigeons and doves and should be avoided. Include shelves within the cage to provide landing spots and areas for exploration. Shelves are more beneficial than perches for these birds, offering space for strutting, courting, lounging, and resting. Enhance their environment with a large mirror and a weighted basket or nest box. Use heavy, ceramic, flat-bottomed crocks for food and water, which can often be found affordably at thrift stores. Provide a casserole dish or large plant saucer for bathing.
Locate the pet cage in a well-lit area, as pigeons and doves have limited vision in low light, and even brightly lit homes are dim compared to the outdoors. They also benefit from safe access to unfiltered sunshine or avian-safe full-spectrum lighting. Position their cage where they can be near the family for companionship and interaction. Fresh air is beneficial, so drafts are generally not a concern. However, be aware of household hazards for pet birds, such as Teflon-coated cookware, smoke, scented products, aerosols, open windows or doors, hot stoves, and ceiling fans. Resources like “Top Ten Household Dangers to Pet Birds” and “Bird Proof Your Home” offer valuable safety information. Note that while some resources recommend wing clipping, this practice is generally discouraged as it only prevents indoor flight and doesn’t prevent outdoor escapes and dangers.
A crucial aspect of choosing a pet cage is its ability to protect your birds from predators. If you don’t have cats or dogs that might try to reach into the cage, wider bar spacing, like that found in dog crates, can be acceptable for pigeons (though not for doves, who can slip through wider bars).
An extra-large dog crate utilized as a spacious indoor pet cage for pigeons, equipped with shelves for enrichment. Emphasizes suitability for indoor use only.
However, enclosures with wide bar spacing are never safe for outdoor use, even for short periods. Predators are quick, opportunistic, and highly motivated.
An example of an unsafe outdoor pet cage with wide bar spacing, highlighting the vulnerability to predators like cats, hawks, and raccoons.
If you have dogs or cats in your home, you’ll need a pet cage with narrower bar spacing to prevent paws and snouts from reaching inside. While these indoor cages are usually sufficient to protect birds from well-fed household pets, they are not robust enough to protect against determined wild predators if used outdoors.
A double-flight cage, suitable as an indoor pet cage for pigeons or doves, illustrating appropriate size and bar spacing for indoor safety.
A large indoor flight cage with narrow bar spacing, designed to keep household pets out, featuring zip-tied doors for added security and shelves for enrichment.
An example of a poorly furnished indoor pigeon cage, lacking shelves and with a wire bottom, unsuitable for pigeon comfort and well-being.
A double-decker bunny condo adapted as a suitable indoor pet cage for pigeons or doves, providing multiple levels and space.
A large double-decker small animal cage transformed into a comfortable indoor pet cage for pigeons, showcasing appropriate furnishings like shelves, mirror, and bath.
A flight cage providing ample space as an indoor pet cage for doves, emphasizing the need for daily out-of-cage time for exercise.
A parrot cage used as an indoor dove cage, highlighting the need to cover wire bottoms for dove comfort and noting its unsuitability for outdoor use due to bar spacing.
An indoor cage with added hardware mesh for increased safety, raising the question of whether such modifications are sufficient for outdoor predator protection.
Be wary of assuming that enclosures marketed for outdoor use are inherently safe. Many commercially available hutches and coops, even those sold as outdoor pet cages, are not predator and rodent-proof without significant modifications. Without a secure bottom and raccoon-proof latches on all doors, these can become death traps for any animal housed inside. Always exercise caution and critically evaluate the safety features.
A commercially available hutch marketed for outdoor use, serving as a cautionary example of enclosures that may not be predator-proof without modifications.
Ensuring latches are raccoon-proof is vital for outdoor pet cages and aviaries. Raccoons are intelligent, persistent, and strong, capable of opening many standard latches.
A close-up of a raccoon-proof latch, emphasizing the importance of secure latches for outdoor pet cages to prevent predator access.
An unsafe small animal hutch, despite being sold for outdoor use, illustrating the potential dangers of inadequate predator protection in commercially available cages.
For truly safe outdoor housing, consider building or purchasing a properly constructed aviary. Aviaries designed for pigeons and doves prioritize predator and rodent protection, ensuring a secure outdoor environment.
A safe and pigeon-friendly aviary, built with predator and rodent-proof features for secure outdoor housing.
A secure dove aviary designed for outdoor use, highlighting predator and rodent-proof construction and secure latches.
A round aviary cage with wide bar spacing, deemed unsafe for outdoor use due to predator vulnerability, despite its size and sturdiness.
An outdoor-safe flight cage, designed with predator and rodent-proof features, suitable for housing pigeons or doves outdoors.
A predator-proof bird cage suitable for outdoor use due to sturdy construction and narrow bar spacing, though limited in size for full-time outdoor living without indoor access.
An outdoor-safe aviary constructed with sturdy materials, narrow bar spacing, and a secure floor, approved for safe outdoor housing of pigeons or doves.
For more detailed information about creating safe outdoor environments, refer to “How to Create an Aviary for Rescued Pigeons or Doves”.
Ultimately, choosing the right pet cage is a critical decision for the safety and happiness of your pigeons and doves. If you are ever uncertain about the safety or suitability of a cage or aviary, seek expert advice. Share photos and questions with experienced rescuers or avian experts. Resources like pigeon and dove-friendly rescues in the US and online groups such as Pigeon & Dove Rescue International and Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions are readily available to provide guidance.
Our pets rely entirely on us for their well-being, safety, and lives. By carefully selecting an appropriate pet cage and providing a nurturing environment, we can ensure they thrive as the cherished angels they are.
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