Cat and bird aviaries

Cat enclosure

A timber frame with posts every 1–2 m, walls of welded mesh and a roof of polycarbonate, steel sheet or bitumen shingles, or a mesh top. Inside there are shelves at several heights, a scratching post and a cat house. An airlock can be added at the door: two doors with a small chamber between them so the cat cannot slip out.

VMVT B1-508 sets 4 m² for one cat and 2 m² for each additional cat for breeders, a height of at least 1.8 m and climbing equipment on at least two levels. For a private keeper this is a guide.

Bird aviary

Birds need finer mesh, an airlock, perches and nest boxes, with a board-clad shelter at the back. Annex 5 of the wild animal use rules sets 2 m² for five small birds, +25 % for each additional bird, a height of 2 m and a shelter of at least 1 m². For pheasants it is 3 m² for one bird and +30 % for each additional one. The act does not say clearly whether these rules apply to pet birds, so the system shows them as a guide.

No keeping permit is needed for canaries, budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds or pheasants. Large parrots may need a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Pigeon loft

A pigeon loft is an aviary with an enclosed part at the back, with perches and one nest box per pair, and a wire run in front. The wild animal use rules do not cover domestic pigeons (item 4), and we found no loft area standard. So the enclosed part is sized by a hobbyist guideline — about 1 m² per two pairs — and clearly marked as not a standard.

Typing “pigeon loft for 20 pigeons” is enough. The landing board and trap are not included in the estimate.

Ostrich paddock

For ostriches, row 20 of Annex 5 Table 2 of the wild animal use rules sets: for three birds 50 m² outdoors and 20 m² indoors, +50 % outdoor and +25 % indoor area for each additional bird. Height 2 m, a paddock without a roof, a fence of at least 2 m and a shelter. The indoor shelter depth is chosen so the required area fits, and chain-link mesh is used for the paddock.

No keeping permit is needed for ostriches (item 16.3). A 2 m fence sits right at the limit of group I enclosures, so a taller one would be group II.

Building rules

- An aviary is an enclosure: up to 2 m high it is Group I, taller — Group II (a permit is needed in a city). The recommended height of 1.8–2 m is right at the Group I limit, so the system checks the highest point.

- With a roof: closer than 1 m to the boundary the neighbour must always consent, and at 1–3 m when the aviary is taller than the distance (STR 1.05.01:2017 Annex 7).

- Cats and birds are kept without contact (VMVT B1-336 item 16).

- No norm for the mesh aperture was found — the system uses market practice and says so.