Suction Cup Tips for Bird Shower Perches
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If your bird is a picker, ...
...you may want to choose a shower perch for birds (or parrot window perch) where the suction cups are positioned out of beak’s reach or be prepared to supervise. Small nibbles (or big ones) on the suction cups could eventually break the seal (release the vacuum between the cup and surface) and cause the shower perch to fall. Not good. For some, it may be a better option to consider a cockatoo or macaw shower perch stand that does not use suction cups. What’s the best test to check a suction cup perch before using? To test a suction cup mounted shower bird perch, clean the face of the suction cups with water and dry them. Then, clean the mounting surface area and attach the perch. If it holds for more than 48 hours, the suction cups and mounting surface are both good. As an added test, fill a plastic grocery bag with 2 or 3 pounds of soft weight (like towels) and hang it from the shower perch arm. If it holds for 24 hours, it’s a safe bet that the suction cups and mounting surface are a good match. If the product FALLS, the mounting surface is, most likely, not suitable for a suction cup bird perch. To confirm that it's not the suction cups, do the exact same test, but mount the parrot shower perch to a clean, scratch-free mirror or window glass. If the product STAYS on the mirror or window, then the suction cups are good. How long should suction cups hold a bird shower perch? When mounted to a clean, scratch-free glass surface, a good suction cup will hold for weeks or even months. If you have a suction cup perch that falls shortly after mounting it to a shower wall or shower glass door, test the product on a clean bathroom mirror or nearby window. If the product stays on the mirror without falling, it usually means the original surface it fell from is NOT appropriate for suction cups. The most common reason a suction cup won't hold is... ...the mounting surface. It's not smooth (like a glass window or mirror). It's rarely a bad suction cup. Many ceramic tile walls and molded composite plastic shower stalls are suitable for suction cups. However, if the tile has ANY texture, or the composite plastic gets scratched, suction cups are at risk of falling off. If a suction cup can ‘suck’ air through a small scratch or around a small bump in smoothly textured tile wall, the cup will fail. Before concluding your suction cup mounted parrot shower perch is defective, test it on a clean, scratch-free window or mirror. If the perch falls off the window or mirror, then the face of the suction cup is likely damaged or defective. Should water be used to moisten the suction cups before mounting? When suction cups are mounted to a clean, scratch-free window or mirror, wetting the cups is NOT necessary. In fact, using too much water on certain surfaces could even cause suction cups to slide or slip along the surface. However, adding some moisture to the face of the cups before mounting will allow some perches to be used on surfaces that are not normally suitable due to small scratches. The water used on the cups will often ‘fill in’ fine scratches, allowing for a vacuum hold - at least until the water dries out, which could be quite awhile. Some have even used a very light coating of petroleum jelly, which won’t dry out. Either way, always TEST your parrot bath perch before using. About that pull tab: Most suction cups come with a ‘pull tab’ making them easy to remove. Those tabs are a target for some birds. You can carefully trim them off or make them harder to get at by rotating the suction cups. When trimming them off, be sure not to trim into the face of the cup. Trim parallel with the outside surface of the cup. Of course, removing the pull tabs will make the bird shower perch just a little more difficult to remove. |