Everyone knows that bird cages are built for birds – big or small, loud or quiet, with or without any vocabulary range, birds live in cages and call them home. That is purely what they are designed to do, right? Well, not exactly. Chances are that you've got someone in your family who decorates with them. Bird cages hanging from the ceiling, sitting on top of the TV and perched at the back of the toilet; they are well and truly a decorating scheme.

Certainly, most bird cages are indeed built to house an occupant. You will find these cages in pet stores everywhere, and they are generally built tough and made to withstand all sorts of ruckus from the little guy inside. There are big steel ones with fancy trim and little sliding doors for you to slip food and treats in and out. There are domed plastic ones for smaller birds, easy to move around and without the irritating clanging that comes with the metal cages. There are even enormous wrought-iron cages for those big, exotic birds who probably know how to say your name. There is no limit on size and range for this functional item.

There is also no limit to the little fake ones, woven together with willow branches or bamboo and never meant to hold a live occupant of any kind. These also come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but are purely meant to pretty up a room. Don't put your bird in these!

The cage is probably too small anyway, but the tiny doors are usually stiff and difficult to manipulate. There is a drastic difference between cages of this sort and actual bird cages. The best advice you can get about the two types is don't mix them up! Your little chirpy friend won't be happy about it. Get him a nice strong big one, and use the pretty willow one for visitors to your bathroom. They'll enjoy it more.