New finch owner, have some questions!

[AllyCat]

Hello there! I'm new and I joined the forum so I could ask some questions to help give my finches the best life possible! I recently got 2 female society finches ( 1 from Pet Loves and the other from Petsmart ). Also they get along great and sleep huddled together.

I bought them a fairly big cage with a plastic and branch-like perch, a ladder toy, and they have water and food. Also tomorrow I'm buying them a bird bath to go with the cage.

The cage is 18 x 13 x 28 and was wondering if it was big enough? Honestly I don't have much money, I got this cage used by someone for $15...my finches do seem happy in it though, they fly up and down in it from the bottom and top perches and to the food bowls near the bottom.

Also I've been replacing the paper at the bottom of their cage everyday and refilling their water cup with new water each day as well...and I've been giving them the 10-12 hours of light they need, and whenever I leave the house I open my window blinds and it lights up the room for me while I'm gone.

Is there anything else I need to do or am doing wrong? I wanted to get 2 Zebra finches as well but I only have a second cage that is a bit more than half the size of the one I have already and I don't think the cage I have is big enough for 2 more?

[BBry]

Hey there
I have owned finches for about a year now so though I'm not an "expert" I hope my advise helps a little Everything you are doing is great and sounds like your little finches are quite happy. In my opinion, replacing the paper everyday isn't necessary. I change my birds newspapers about once a week (maybe less if the bottom is really dirty) but we have 4 finches in a cage. Since you only have 2 they won't dirty the paper that much to have to change it every day. Consider doing weekly paper changes that way you save paper and time. That's all I have to offer

[delray]

AllyCat hi welcome to the forum!! I'm no expert, but I would say that's a bit small of a cage for your little societies. I have 2 male societies in the 30/18/18 cage and they like it a lot. And if you are planning on getting more a bigger cage is a must, and zebra finches can tend to be a little aggressive, but not always. Hope these tips help and enjoy your birds.

[Sally]

If the cage measurements are lxdxh, then I would say their cage could be larger. As delray said, the 30x18x18 cage is great for finches, because they like the more horizontal style for flying. You can often find this size cage on craigslist. If you decide to get another pair, especially if they are Zebras, I would say get another 30x18x18 cage for them, they might pick on the two Society hens.

Finches love a good finch seed mix, along with some minerals such as oystershell grit, cuttlebone, and veggies. Dark green veggies like kale or romaine lettuce are great for them, and you can try other things like cucumber, corn, peas, broccoli, etc. Spray millet is like candy, they all love that.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on diet, housing, and the Society finch. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

[finchandlovebird]

ditto on what everyone said so far, & make sure you have a cuttlebone in the cage. Mineral grit (not gravel) is a great thing to offer them. Romaine lettuce will be welcomed by them.

[linda2463]

Currently own:
2 orange cheeked waxbills
2 gouldians
4 zebra finches
1 female orange weaver
1 canary
3 parakeets
3 lovebirds
2 cats

I have a cat and am wondering how it will do with birds in a cage? Any thoughts?

[Sally]

As a rule, cats can never be trusted around birds. It isn't their fault, they instinctively like to hunt. Even when they aren't hungry, they hunt for the fun of it. So it is hard to keep them from being attracted by the motion/sounds coming from your cage/cages.

I have two sisters that are entering their 15th year, one not in the greatest of health, and they ignore all my birds. The only time they ever even reacted to them was when I had an indoor aviary with a plexiglass front. The cats would sit in front of the aviary and run at the plexiglass when a bird was on the floor of the aviary. At first the birds flew up, but with time, the birds ignored the cats too.

I have an outdoor cat that cannot be trusted at all. I started bringing her in the house on the coldest nights, and though she acted like she didn't see the cages, late that night I caught her climbing to the top of a 6' tall stack. I have no doubt she would sit patiently till she was able to snag a bird through the mesh, so I have had to move the birds in the dining room into another room where I could close the door.

To be safe, always keep a closed door between your birds and your cat.