Stainless Steel Facts

Don't listen to the hype about stainless steel! 

The purpose of this article is to educate you, the customer, about stainless steel as it pertains to bird cages.  Many companies are using "BUYER BEWARE" tactics to scare you into buying cages from them and not their competitors.  Let's just discuss the facts, and then you can buy from anywhere you feel comfortable buying.  This article is not to convince you to buy from us, it's strictly to give you the facts so you feel educated enough to make an informed decision.  After all, stainless steel cages are very expensive, and they're worth the money, but the financial investment is large enough that you should be educated about the topic before making your decision.

Stainless steel does contain Chromium.  That's a fact that no one can deny.  If stainless steel doesn't contain Chromium, then it's not stainless steel!  End of story!  I've seen websites out there saying "cheap stainless steel uses chromium to make the stainless artificially shiny".  Yes, cheap stainless steel does contain chromium, but so does high quality stainless steel.  So avoiding stainless steel that contains Chromium is not something you should do.  The same statements hold true for Nickel; all true 304-grade stainless steel does contain Nickel.  That's what actually gives it the shine.  The level of shininess depends on the amount of polishing is administered to the cage after completion of construction.  We do recommend getting a stainless steel bird cage that is slightly toned down as far as the level of shininess.  Some experts say that the unpolished, extremely shiny cages "freak birds out".  I have personally talked with a few customers that are replacing their stainless steel cage because the cage they originally bought was unpolished & extremely shiny.  They say their bird is a lot more nervous and jumpy because of the over-stimulation.  We may never know why the unpolished cages freak birds out, but the fact remains that it can.  So look for a stainless steel cage that is slightly toned down and polished.  It doesn't need to be dull, the polished cages are still beautiful and extremely vibrant, but they just need to be polished a little bit.

Now don't let that previous paragraph scare you away from buying a stainless steel cage.  My professional opinion is that customers should always purchase stainless if they can afford it.  There are some huge advantages to buying a stainless steel cage rather than a powder-coated cage.  Here are a few examples of the benefits:

• Stainless steel cages are much better looking.  This is important if you're getting a large cage that will become the focal point of a room in your house or apartment.

• Stainless steel cages are a lot easier to clean.  They can be pressure washed or cleaned with strong non-toxic cleaners.  After time powder-coating wears off, stainless steel doesn't.

• Even the safe powder-coated cages have small levels of toxic components in them.  Stainless steel bird cages expose your parrot to none of these components.

• Stainless steel cages generally last 4 to 5 times longer than powder-coated cages.  Plus they look good their entire lifetime, rather than looking less & less attractive the longer you have them.

• Stainless steel parrot cages rust & deteriorate at a much slower rate than powder-coated cages.  Once a powder-coated cage gets nicks & dings, it's only a matter of time until the rusting begins.

The last bit of advice I'll leave you with is to stick with the brand names!  EVERYONE claims to be selling genuine 304-grade stainless steel cages, but the big companies are the ones that have the most to lose if they lie.  If a small fly-by-night brand gets sued over claiming to use 304-grade stainless when they're not, they just close shop.  But on the other hand, if Avian Adventures, Interpet Products, or A & E Cage Company claims to be using 304-grade stainless steel, you better believe they are!  These bigger companies are not going to risk their reputations just to make a quick buck.  You pay a bit more for a brand name genuine 304-grade stainless steel cage, but that's exactly what you get!  Not a cheap imitation that wont outlive a powder-coated cage!

So in closing I'll give you some links so you can browse stainless steel cages equipped with a basic education to make a good decision:

Stainless Steel Cages @ Everything For Birds; featuring Avian Adventures, A & E Cage Company, and Interpet Product Cages

Avian Adventures Manufacturer of high quality stainless steel cages

Interpet Products, Manufacturer of high quality stainless steel cages