- This page is about BDSM play; for other topics see Cage (disambiguation).
In BDSM, a cage is an enclosure, usually made of metal bars, sometimes also of wood, used to confine a submissive. In dungeons, cages are standard equipment; however, cages are also placed in residential basements or spare rooms. Cages are used as a means to restrict the freedom of the enclosed person in an obvious way. They have a connotation both of animal husbandry and of prisons. Cages are relatively weighty and costly, and are therefore found less frequently in the non-professional sub-culture, even though they are highly appealing to many sadomasochists. Cages come in the following variants:
- Free-standing cage. The enclosed person can be seen from all angles and is unable to conceal himself/herself.
- Cage door. Closes a room by a lattice.
- Hanging cage. After a person has been enclosed in it, the cage can be hoisted up using a winch.
- Hanging chaincage (often consisting of a groundplate connected to several steel chains which themselves are interconected a reaching to the ceiling. Tightens around the enclosed person as soon as it is pulled up.
Most cages are built in rectangular box shape, but they are also built in various other forms, e.g., as a pyramid, dome, or sphere. Cages can be built in various sizes, reaching from the size of a coffin to a cage that holds several persons. Very small cages do not only prevent a breakout, but they can also restrict the enclosed person's movements, who then can — depending on its design — only stand, lie, or squat.
