Choosing a rolling bird cage for a flat comes down to brakes, depth and the space inside. A rolling cage works in a flat because it moves aside when the floor needs cleaning, rather than needing permanent clear space around it. The wheels bring a stand, though, and that takes floor space of its own and adds weight.
- Brakes: Braked wheels hold the stand once it is parked, so the cage stays put after a clean.
- Depth: A cage usually goes through a doorway on its narrower side, so the depth rather than the length is what has to clear the frame.
- Space inside: For a bird that spends most of its time in the cage, the RSPCA asks for height, width and depth of at least twice its wingspan.[1]
The four PawHut cages below are compared on all three, with their footprint, height, weight and price alongside.
Why Does a Fixed Cage Make Flat Life Harder?
A fixed cage needs clear space on each side, and many flats have little to spare once a sofa, shelving or a dining table is in place.
A clean that works around the cage
A fixed cage is cleaned around rather than moved out of the way. The hoover has to reach under and behind it, and seed and feathers gather against the nearest wall, where they are harder to get at without shifting furniture. A rolling cage is wheeled aside for the clean, then wheeled back.
Why Do Wheels Alone Not Solve the Problem?
Wheels add movement, but not every rolling stand lists a brake. PawHut’s 1.53 m aviary lists four universal wheels and no brake, so the check is worth making on any model.[2] The four here each list two braked wheels, which is what lets a stand park as well as roll.
What Should a Rolling Cage Get Right?
Brakes, depth and space for the bird come first. One more, the stand’s footprint, decides whether the cage fits the spot you have in mind.
| What to check | What to look for on the listing | Why it matters in a flat |
| Brakes | Number of braked wheels, as listed | The stand has to park as well as roll |
| Depth | Depth set against the narrowest doorway on the route | A cage is often pushed through a doorway with its narrower side first |
| Footprint | Stand footprint set against the parking spot | The base has to fit the floor it stands on |
| Space for the bird | Inner space set against the bird’s wingspan | The smallest inner figure sets the largest wingspan the cage suits |
Approved Document M, Volume 1 gives 775 mm as the minimum clear opening for the principal private entrance door, and Table 1.1 sets 750 mm as the minimum for internal doorways.[3] That guidance covers newly erected dwellings and material alterations in England, so older flats may have narrower doors. The four depths here run from 45.5 cm to 53 cm, well inside 750 mm.
How Much Space Does the Bird Need?
The inner measurements show how much space the bird has. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 requires reasonable steps to meet an animal’s needs, including its need for a suitable environment.[4] The RSPCA also asks for uncluttered space to flap in.[1] It does not say whether the twice-wingspan figure is measured inside or out, so the figures here use inner space.
The smallest inner figures are 41 cm on the divider cage and 45 cm on the tall cage.[5][6] On the double cage’s single side it is 45 cm, and on the aviary 49.5 cm.[7][8] Halving them gives upper wingspan limits of 20.5, 22.5, 22.5 and 24.75 cm. Treat these as upper limits.
Bar spacing is a separate check. The divider cage is 1.2 cm and the tall cage 1 cm.[5][6] The aviary is also 1 cm.[8] The double cage is 1.25 cm, a figure its listing gives outside the specification list.[7]
Wherever the cage ends up, the RSPCA advises putting its back against a solid wall, and keeping it away from a radiator, fire or stove, and out of a draught.[1]
Four PawHut Rolling Cages Compared
The table below sets out the four cages side by side.
| Model | PawHut Divider Cage on a Braked Stand[5] | PawHut Tall Cage With Stand[6] | PawHut Double Cage With Divider[7] | PawHut 3 Tier Aviary on a Rolling Stand[8] |
| Wheels | Four nylon, two with brakes | Four, two with brakes | Four universal, two with brakes | Four, two with brakes |
| Listed item weight | 7.7 kg | 13 kg | 17 kg | 20.6 kg |
| Overall height | 116 cm | 133 cm | 102 cm | 180 cm |
| Overall length and depth | 76 x 46 cm | 79 x 49 cm | 95 x 45.5 cm | 83 x 53 cm |
| Inner space | 76 x 46 x 41 cm | 75 x 45 x 86 cm | Not stated (single cage 47 x 45.5 x 45 cm) | 80 x 49.5 x 132 cm |
| Price | £51.99 | £79.99 | £83.99 | £141.99 |
Note: Prices are accurate at the time of writing but may change. Please check the live product listings for the latest prices and details.
PawHut Divider Cage on a Braked Stand, for Frequent Moves[5]
The divider cage is the lightest of the four at 7.7 kg and has the smallest footprint at 76 x 46 cm, so it takes the least effort to move and the least floor to park. Its divider makes two separate compartments or one open space, so the same cage works for a pair kept apart or a single bird with the run of it.
Features: Steel and plastic, 76 x 46 x 116 cm overall, with 76 x 46 x 41 cm of inner space on 1.2 cm bar spacing. Front doors measure 17 x 17 cm and 8.5 x 6.5 cm, with 9 x 12.5 cm side doors. The stand is 70 cm high with a shelf beneath, and the four nylon wheels include two with brakes. Four wooden perches, four food dishes and the tray come with it.
Best suited to: A flat where the cage is moved most weeks and the bird’s wingspan is 20.5 cm or under.
Pros: A bottom net holds the birds above the tray, the 74 x 44 cm tray slides out at 4 cm deep, and the 38 cm between the shelf and the cage base takes a seed tub or a cleaning kit.
Con: Its 41 cm inner height is the lowest of the four, which caps the wingspan it suits at 20.5 cm.
Choose another option if: You need more headroom for the bird (PawHut 3 Tier Aviary on a Rolling Stand[8]) or a taller cage on a similar footprint (PawHut Tall Cage With Stand[6]).
PawHut Tall Cage With Stand, for Working at a Higher Level[6]
The tall cage sits on a 46.5 cm stand, so its tray and doors come up to working height rather than floor level. Most of its openings are small doors beside the dishes, so the daily routine rarely needs a large door opened at all.
Features: Steel, 13 kg, 79 x 49 x 133 cm overall, with 75 x 45 x 86 cm of inner space on 1 cm bar spacing. Ten doors in all, two large at 23 x 26 cm and eight small at 8.5 x 13.5 cm. Two of its four wheels have brakes, and the shelf sits 23 cm off the ground. Three wooden perches, four food containers and four bird toys come with it.
Best suited to: Owners who would rather not kneel for the clean, with a bird whose wingspan is 22.5 cm or under.
Pros: Its 75 x 45 cm tray matches the cage floor exactly, the small doors take the supplied food containers at 8 x 7.5 x 5 cm without a large door being opened, and the shelf beneath keeps supplies off the floor.
Con: The usable height inside is shorter than the cage body, so the bird gets less than the outside measurement suggests.
Choose another option if: You want the most vertical space (PawHut 3 Tier Aviary on a Rolling Stand[8]) or the lightest cage to move (PawHut Divider Cage on a Braked Stand[5]).
PawHut Double Cage With Divider, for a Straight Route[7]
At 45.5 cm the double cage is the slimmest of the four, which is the figure that decides whether it clears the narrowest door on the route. Its middle grate pulls out to turn two separate cages into one, so it holds two birds apart or one bird across both halves.
Features: Metal, steel, wood and plastic, 17 kg, 95 x 45.5 x 102 cm overall, each single cage measuring 47 x 45.5 x 45 cm on 1.25 cm bar spacing. Eight ways in, counting two front doors at 18 x 23 cm, two side doors at 13 x 12 cm and four sliding feeding doors. The shelf beneath runs the full 95 x 45.5 cm, and two of its four universal wheels have brakes. Four wooden perches, four food containers and two trays come with it.
Best suited to: A straight route with a narrow door, and a bird whose wingspan fits the 22.5 cm the single cage allows.
Pros: A bottom grate holds the birds above both trays, the four sliding feeding doors take top-ups without opening a front door, and the two 45.5 x 43.5 cm trays pull out separately, so one half can be cleaned while the other is left alone.
Con: At 95 cm long it is the longest of the four, so it needs the most uninterrupted wall to park against.
Choose another option if: You need a shorter cage to park (PawHut Divider Cage on a Braked Stand[5]) or more height for the bird (PawHut 3 Tier Aviary on a Rolling Stand[8]).
PawHut 3 Tier Aviary on a Rolling Stand, for a Larger Room[8]
The aviary gives 132 cm of inner height, more than three times the divider cage, and its 49.5 cm inner depth sets the highest wingspan limit of the four at 24.75 cm. Two ladders and two platforms break that height into levels the bird can climb between.
Features: Steel and plastic, 20.6 kg, 83 x 53 x 180 cm overall, with 80 x 49.5 x 132 cm of inner space on 1 cm bar spacing. Twelve doors, two large at 24.5 x 56 cm and ten small at 8.5 x 13 cm, the most of any model here. The shelf sits 24 cm off the ground and two of its four wheels have brakes. Three wooden perches, six food containers, four bird toys, two metal platforms and two metal ladders come with it.
Best suited to: A room with floor space for an 83 x 53 cm stand and headroom for 180 cm.
Pros: Its 77 x 49 cm tray is the largest here at 4 cm deep, six food containers against four on each of the others, and the 24.5 x 56 cm front doors give the tallest reach into the cage.
Con: At 20.6 kg it is the heaviest of the four, so it takes the most effort to move and to park.
Choose another option if: You need the lightest cage to move (PawHut Divider Cage on a Braked Stand[5]) or the slimmest for a narrow route (PawHut Double Cage With Divider).[7]
Choose the Right Cage for Your Flat
Each one solves a different problem.
- A tight doorway: The double cage is the slimmest of the four at 45.5 cm.
- Little floor to spare: The divider cage takes the least at 76 x 46 cm and is the lightest to shift at 7.7 kg.
- A bird that needs more room: The aviary gives 132 cm of inner height and suits the largest wingspan here at 24.75 cm.
- Daily feeding without a large door: The tall cage has eight small doors out of ten, set beside the dishes.
If the bird’s wingspan is over 24.75 cm, or the cage will never need to move, none of these four is the one to buy.
Aosom UK offers a range of bird cages, including rolling stands.
FAQs
1. Is a taller bird cage better than a wider one?
Height on its own is not enough. When a bird spends most of its time in the cage, the RSPCA asks for height, width and depth that are each at least twice its wingspan, so a tall but narrow cage can still come up short.[1]
2. Is a bird cage divider worth it?
With the divider in, one cage keeps two birds apart. Take it out and it becomes a single open space, so the same cage covers both. If two birds do share, the RSPCA says there should be enough perches for all of them to perch at the same time.[1]
Do I need brakes on a rolling bird cage for a flat?
Yes. For a rolling bird cage for a flat, brakes hold the stand once it is parked, so it does not roll when the bird moves or when you clean around it. Wheels alone only help it move, brakes are what let it park safely, so always check how many braked wheels the listing gives before you buy.
References
[1] RSPCA, Environment, giving your bird a good place to live. Covers cage space, the twice-wingspan rule, placement and time outside the cage.
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/birds/environment
[2] Aosom UK, PawHut 1.53(m) Bird Cage, Pet Viary, Feeding Stand, with Wheels, Perch (D10-024V01).
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/pawhut-large-parrot-bird-cage-aviary-budgies-finch-cockatiel-birds-stand-feeding-station-stand-w-wheels-51l-x-51w-x~1H14382D9N000.html?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=organic
[3] GOV.UK, Approved Document M, access to and use of buildings, volume 1, dwellings (2015 edition with 2016 amendments), Table 1.1, minimum widths of doorways and corridors.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f8a82ed915d74e622b17b/BR_PDF_AD_M1_2015_with_2016_amendments_V3.pdf
[4] legislation.gov.uk, Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9, duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/section/9
[5] Aosom UK, PawHut Bird Cage with Divider, 4 Wooden Perches, Slide Out Tray, 4 Feeders, for Budgie, Lovebird, Canary (D10-106V01BK).
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/pawhut-bird-cage-with-divider-4-wooden-perches-slide-out-tray-4-feeders-for-budgie-lovebird-canary-76-x-46-x-116cm-black~1V6T3FD5I6800.html
[6] Aosom UK, PawHut Bird Cage w/ Stand, Toys, Accessories, for Canaries, Finches, White (D10-090V00WT).
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/pawhut-bird-cage-w-stand-toys-accessories-for-canaries-finches-white~1NQ0L5P584G01.html
[7] Aosom UK, PawHut Large Bird Cage Parrot Cage with Divider, Slide Tray for Finch Canaries Parakeets Cockatiels (D10-052).
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/pawhut-large-modern-bird-house-with-food-and-water-bowls-black-and-grey~D10-052.html
[8] Aosom UK, PawHut Large Bird Cage Budgie Cage 3 Tier Aviary with Stand Wheels, Toys, Ladders, Shelf for Canaries, Finches, Cockatiels, White (D10-089V00WT).
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/pawhut-3-tier-bird-cage-with-stand-wheels-toys-ladders-for-canaries-finches-cockatiels-parakeets-budgie-cage-with~1ET095RFAD801.html