CARE OF CAGES.
Though canaries when acclimated can endure a great degree of cold without discomfort, they are susceptible to sudden changes in temperature, and cold drafts may soon prove fatal. This should be borne in mind in choosing a place for the cage. Direct exposure to a strong draft of cold air must always be avoided. A cage may be placed on a small shelf along the wall or suspended from a bracket attached to the wall or window casing. Swinging brackets are inexpensive and are convenient for use when it is impracticable to fasten hooks in the ceiling. When one or two canaries are kept as pets, it is usual to suspend their cages before a window, where the birds may enjoy light and sunshine, a good practice where the window is kept closed during cool or stormy weather and the joints are tight. It may be necessary to line the edges of the window frame and the junction of the upper and lower halves of the window with weather stripping to prevent drafts, and it is best to suspend the cage so that it will hang opposite or below the junction of the two halves of the window frame. The room must remain at a fairly even temperature day and night, and in cold weather it is well to cover the cage with a towel or other light cloth at night. A cage should never be suspended directly above a radiator, and it is best to avoid keeping birds in small kitchens, as the fluctuations in heat are perhaps more marked there than in any other part of the house. Exposure to damp air may prove fatal, another reason for avoiding the steam-laden air of small kitchens.
Wherever placed, the cage must be kept scrupulously clean if the canary is to remain in good health and free from vermin. The supply of water should be renewed daily, and the seed cup replenished at least every other day. The receptacles for these necessities should be cleaned and washed carefully at short intervals. Cages that have removable bases should have the tray in the bottom covered with several thicknesses of paper, or the heavy coarse-grained sandpaper, known as gravel paper, that may be secured from dealers in cage-bird supplies, may be used. This should be renewed whenever the cage is cleaned, and in addition the pan should be washed in hot water from time to time. Lime on the perches may be removed by means of a scraper made of a bit of tin fastened to a wire or tacked at right angles to a stick small enough to pass easily between the wires of the cage. Cages with bottom attached should be provided with a sand tray that slides in and out through a slot in the front. This serves to catch droppings, seed hulls, and other waste, and may be easily pulled out, cleaned, and refilled with fresh sand.