Altering senior bird cage question

[Ephy]

Hey,

So my dove is 25/26 years old (at the minimum) he is retired and living as comfortable a life as i can give him.

He has an XL dog crate for his cage, and since the tray at the bottom is hard plastic, it's really hard on his joints when he lands.

So, for the last couple years I have tried to provide extra cushion on the bottom to soften the force on his feet and joints.

I have been using a combination of kids puzzle mat foam tiles with plush towels folded on top. The kids puzzle foam mat is still way too hard without the towels, but it is a lot of extra laundry because of how much dander her produces. He sneezes on his own dust often.

This last year, he has been in a lot of pain and discomfort with his feet so, I've been thinking of picking up a play pen baby mat.

I see some on Amazon that look thick and soft, with at least 3 inches of thickness.

Ideally I want to be able to find a waterproof mattress cover, for easy cleaning and keeping his dust from collecting inside the fabric.

However, I have no idea if they have toxic off gases? Will a mattress cover trap in any toxic odours?

I cant think of anything else to cushion his cage but i could never forgive myself if it makes him sick

Thoughts?

 

[conureluv]

@Mizzely @JLcribber might know as they are toy/bird item manufacturers. Can we get a photo of the cage?

 

[Lady Jane]

Also @Birdbabe knows about doves and the type of cage that is best for them.

 

[Ephy]

The crate he lives in during the day, (and sleeps in at night) looks like the picture attached.

49" length, 29.75 width, 34.75 height. It is almost too big. When my husband is home, Baby wont sit still. He flies laps in his cage non stop, obsessed.
We've tweaked the height level of his cage to deter the obsessive flying with low hanging blankets. Hard to explain, but it keeps him much calmer and less prone to injury with his problem feet

The large bar spacing has never been an issue.

In the evenings, he is happy to sit in a smaller cage just to be next to us, watch tv and eat millet.

He likes to stay up much later than my Kiwi.

I tried to take a picture of his cage but my old phone just wont focus properly anymore. Need a new one

 

[Birdbabe]

My old girl dosent really fly anymore, shes out most of the day. On the floor, she sleeps in a small cage with Snowpea, my pidge. I dont know about mattress ...thick towels, easily washed..maybe a smaller cage? Is he on any Metacam for his pain? Chloe's on it off and on, she has arthritis in her hips and it really helps her..

 

[Ephy]

Hey,

No he is not on metcam. He is extremely active. Too much so, we fear he will hurt his feet with hard landings, gripping the wrong surfaces etc.

I've been giving him Morning Bird, Pain relief drops in his water when the limping gets worse, 1/4 to max half dose.

I am also trying to include pigeon vitamins, milk thistle, dandelion, and immune support.

I have just ordered a rabbit air purifier which I hope will help reduce the amount of bird dust in their room.

When you live in an apartment building extra laundry can become problematic.

I'd really like to swap out the extra towels for something soft, easy to clean and wont collect dust.

I was hoping baby mats might do it?

Also, due to ignorance he lived most of his life in a way too small cage. We still regret our mstakes, something I still struggle with everyday. I will never have a bird in a small cage ever again.

 

[Ephy]

Update,

I think i found the perfect mat on amazon.

It is, XPE foam (suppose to be a non toxic, no off gasing, non absorbent material that would repel water , so less chance of fungus/bacteria)

So I got excited, bought it, and it fits perfectly in his cage, so happy!

I folded it x2 where he lands the most. The mat is so easy to clean, waterproof. I have it covered by paper also. Before use, I Washed and let it breath for 24hrs

Anything I should be worried about?