Domesticated birds have become part of the family in a large number of modern homes. There's great importance attached to choosing the right material for the construction of a cage meant for a domesticated bird. This article explores the good and bad side of using stainless steel mesh for the construction of bird cages.

Information contained herein would be most beneficial to first-time keepers of domesticated birds. 

The Good

Stainless steel mesh is preferred for the construction of residential bird cages for various reasons. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Structural strength. In a large number of cases, bird cages are made of welded stainless steel mesh. This material is known for its sturdiness, which makes it nearly impossible for a domesticated bird to snap or bend the wires that make up the cage bar. Thus, the possibility of the bird getting trapped (or pierced) by a bent or sharp-pointed cage wire is eliminated. Also, the possibility of domesticated birds ingesting tiny pieces of steel that may break off from the mesh is almost entirely eliminated. Also, the fact that domesticated birds will have a hard time distorting cage bars means that the bird owner won't have to replace the cage as often.
• Health-related concerns: Stainless steel mesh is a "healthy" choice of material for the construction of residential bird cages. For one, a large number of bird cage manufacturers employ the use of surgical-grade stainless steel in the fabrication of their products. Because surgical-grade stainless steel is non-porous, the bird cage won't have holes inside which harmful bacterial micro-organisms can hide. Also related to this is the fact that a large number of cage manufacturers do not apply secondary coatings on stainless steel wire mesh after construction of the bird's cage. This eliminates the possibility of a domesticated bird ingesting tiny chips of paint when pecking the cage.

The Bad

The main concern that a prospective bird owners should have about investing in a bird cage made of stainless steel mesh is the financial implications of making such an investment.

Bird cages made of this material are almost always more expensive than those made of different materials such as wood and plastic (often used for the manufacture of breeding cages).

However, the extra cost of bird cages made of stainless steel mesh is compensated by the positive aspects discussed above among several others. Good things seldom come cheap.

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