I like the looks of that toy! Although the tiels can shred that sort of thing pretty quickly. If I used a small plastic plate instead of a basket they couldn't chew their way through to the hazard zone.

I have grave doubts about my ability to remove the decorations. Even if I got someone to do it for me, there would be a problem with effectively covering the exposed metal where the decorations used to be attached.

Doing some creative thinking, I realized that the decorations were just about the size of a CD/DVD, and that the clear plastic blanks that come on top of a spindle of discs might be a good way to cover it up. That idea won't actually work since the decorations are a slightly larger diameter than a CD, but I think I could take a slimline jewel case for CDs apart and attach it on top of the decorations. The plastic is tough enough to resist tiels and there are little tab holes in the case that I could run some plastic craft lace through to tie it to the cage. The case is big enough to cover the area. Until I try it I can't be sure that it won't create some new toe-catching hazards, but so far it sounds promising. I'm not sure which idea I like better - this or the plastic plates!

I have a side-mount toy that uses plastic plates for washers. Something like that would work, acrylic washers with ss bolts.

Was thinking....there are two different sized hazard areas there, right? One on the big circle and one on the small circle. On the big circle, if you were to take a pair of pliers or vice-grips, and wrap the wire with a rag so the pliers don't scratch the powder coat, it looks like you could bend the straight wire slightly to bring it closer to the arc of the circular one. On the small circle, you could do the same, only this time bend out the circular wire so that it is at a 90 degree angle to the wall of the cage. Only thing I'm not sure of is whether the powder coat would stand up to the bending without flaking off.

I think I know the type of toy Nate is talking about-the plastic plates would cover the danger spots. I have some of these which I bought from Bird Paradise.

He sure is a handsome boy, congrats on your new fid! What's his name?

His name is probably Buster but time will tell. When I get a new bird it usually takes 2-3 weeks to find a name that will stick.

I haven't put them on yet, but I bought some cheapie disposable plastic plates (like paper plates only plastic) that are 7" in diameter plus some nylon screws and nuts to attach them with. The circles are only 5-1/4" so the plates will more than cover them, and they'll be reasonably tiel-resistant if I use a double or triple layer. This is a temporary solution - I'll probably eventually use thicker non-disposable plates with or without toys attached, but plates like that are much easier to find in the summer than they are right now.

This is crude, but it's safe and effective:


I have a double layer of 7" plates on the outside and inside, back to back with the decorations sandwiched between them. Before putting them up I poked four holes in them, then fastened them together with nylon screws. I can attach toys to the screws if I want to. The cage as a whole is big enough that it doesn't look obnoxious, even though the plates look pretty big in the picture. The white marks that aren't screws are reflections from the camera flash.

The bottoms of the plates are a slightly larger diameter than the decorations, so if I wanted to I could cut the lip off the plates. But I like it the way it is - the extra width and height from the lip makes it basically impossible for anybirdy to get caught or cut their feet. There's enough clearance at the top for tiel safety too. I'll be on the lookout for some nicer plates or better still, some clear plastic discs that would work well, but the cage is useable for now.

Buster sat on the cage top and watched me install the plates, then volunteered to go inside the cage as soon as I was through. So there's no fear factor at all!

Elegant solution! Not the prettiest thing I've seen but far better than the problem. There seem to be a couple of "toenail catchers" in that design that you might want to keep an eye on but that could also be the angle of the photo. He is a handsome boy, that's for sure! Congratulations!

Other than those bad spots in the circular decorations, I can't find any V shapes in the bars or anything else that's any more of a hazard than all my other cages have. So I think this cage is basically safe now.