Between the light from your TV and the sound of your stereo, and any night owl activities you do when your birdies retire to bed, it is possible to disrupt their sleep pattern.
So, you want to cover his (her) cage at night.
However, you need to make sure the way you cover the cage is not only cozy but also allows air to enter the cage rest you suffocate your bird.
You can use a cage cover from a pet supply store or even a blanket or towel but make sure it’s a single layer, light-weight, and breathable fabric.
It also helps if it does not let light in, more so if you share a room with your birdie and go to bed later than he (she) does.
Now, if you are not sure whether you should cover your bird’s cage at night, consider the lighting and noise in the room.
If the bird is subject to the light and sound of people and activities around him (her), then Yes, you should cover his cage and not with something fragile.
See more insight on the topic below.
Should You Put A Blanket Over Your Bird Cage at Night
As we’ve seen above, you should cover your bird’s cage at night to keep your activities from affecting his sleep. The materials you can use are not too limiting but make sure they are safe and serve the purpose.
You can use a clean, spare blanket as long as it does not pill too much and is perfectly clean because birds are susceptible to dust and lint balls.
A birdies in a dusty environment will sneeze continuously and may have nasal discharge.
Sneezing is defined in birds, as it is in humans, as the body’s way of cleaning dust and other debris from the airways.
One advantage of using a blanket is that it darkens your bird’s cage better than a sheet or an average light, throw blanket. It is best if you do not have a dark, secluded space for your bird to sleep, such as in an apartment.
As with any fabric, use a light, single-layered, and breathable blanket to cover your bird’s cage to provide the needed darkness but still allow air to get through to your birdie.
Can You Cover A Bird’s Cage with A Sheet
A sheet is almost as good as a blanket to use as a cover for your bird’s cage. However. a sheet will let in more light than a blanket, so use it when you have a dark spot to place the cage at night.
Avoid using a sheet to cover your pet bird’s cage if you share a room with him (her), more so if the ambient lighting is a little on the brighter side.
And if you must use a sheet to cover your birdies cage, choose a material that is not too thin and will adequately block out the light.
That said, a bedsheet is a lot better during summer days, with the ambient temperature tipping towards the higher side, and also for safety reasons, you know beak and claws getting tangled and what not.
How to Cover Your Bird’s Cage at Night
It’s imperative to be aware that covering your bird’s cage can cause your bird respiratory problems if not done correctly: Mike Long, Quora.
Now that you know what to cover your bird’s cage with, there is a need to learn the correct way to do it as well, since a wrong move may cause your bird injury or long-term breathing complications.
I think the two most common issues I see, and you should be concerned about, are mild suffocation, air drafts causing him (her) breathing issues, and threads from a blanket or whichever cover hurting your birds.
Lets start with drafts…
First, if you live in an old drafty house, you should certainly cover your bird’s cage. You’ll want to cover the back and sides (3 faces), but leave the front open to allow air to get in freely.
I do not recommend, but it’s not odd for some people to cover the whole cage, more so on colder, windy nights. The only caveat is you make sure there is ventilation enough for your birdie to breath properly.
You will also hear some owners say they only cover one part of the cage, usually where the bird prefers to sleep.
If the spot is at the end near the wall, they’ll only cover that part and leave the rest open for air to move around. Ideally, the covered part should be about a third of the cage, with the rest left open.
Of course, this is appropriate on warm nights in a well-insulated room.
Placing the cage about six inches away from walls and windows also helps keep out air currents but allows extra airflow, especially if you choose to cover the cage partially (a third or on the back and side.
Make grommets and use ss-hooks to hold the blanket or bed sheet in place. At the top, you can place a tray or any other material that can hold the cover down.
Now, just for clarity, drafts are cold?, uncomfortable currents of air that come into a space, such as a house?, through ill-fitted (or old) doors?, windows, and walls, with the potential to cause respiratory problems to both humans (hello?, pneumonia??), and pets, case in point, your parrot.
With the draft issue sorted, it’s time to consider threads and the harm they can cause your birds.
A claw or the beak may get stuck within the thread work, or worse still, your birdie might chock if loose threads twist around his neck.
One…
…, you do not want to cover your bird’s cage with the chunky knitted blanket you like to cuddle up with on your couch because, with a few well-placed beak and claws, your birdie might find itself in a very precarious situation.
I’d also choose a bedsheet over a blanket or bath towel because claws can’t get tangled in them.
Perhaps one last thing worth mentioning is the piece you use to cover your birdie’s cage should be clean and free of dust. You also don’t want a blanket that traps dust, such as wool.
See, I cannot cope with a woolen blanket, it wakes all kinds of dusty allergies in me, and I’m wary of what it will do to my bird. Well, maybe I’m a little paranoid, but you get the gist.
No dusty or pilly blankets!
That’s all for this post. Bye?♀️??♀️, see you in the next one.
Happy birding??.
