newspaper cage lining

[Tigerlily]

I've been using the "back to nature small animal litter" to line the bottom of the cage as it was what the pet shop was using and find it very good.

 

but typically it seems like the two shops that sell it near me have stopped selling the large sacks and the other sizes really arent worth bothering with.

 

my question is

 

is newspaper REALLY the best alternative as i've just read some other threads that mentioned risks of it getting wet and i've just linned the cage and it doesn't LOOK that great either;)

[judygram]

Does your cage have the grate above the tray for the paper, if so your grey will never have to touch it, thats how Josey's cage is and who cares what it looks like. I use newspaper because we get the daily paper so it is free and disposable.

[Dave007]

Newspaper is the way to go. Everything else is a rip off aimed at people who are new to owning parrots. What's good about newspaper is that you can see the bird's droppings easily ( color--consistency) Other bedding is BS. Usually a person who's had their parrot/parrots for a long while start to realize that newspaper is the best to use. Another reason to use it is that yor birds can sh*t on the pictures and stories of politicions that are currently running for office. Animal bedding isn't good for birds.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/09/03 19:01

[judygram]

OMG, you are right, they can do just that and it gives me an idea, I'm gonna see if Josey can hit the bullseye on them too, what fun this will be, who will she crap on today.:woohoo: :sick: :whistle: :laugh:

[Tigerlily]

I dont use the grate as When i first got tigerlily she fell off her pearch a few times and also forrages at the bottom sometimes and easier to clean without grate.

 

i guess i can but give it a go and leave tigerlily to be the judge of whether its any good or not:)

[BMustee]

If lily is still falling I would put the grate back in and put a folded beach towl at the bottom to cushen the fall. Also, use natural perches that are ruff, not the smooth dowels.

 

For the bottom of my cages I use astro-turf. I put it on top of the grate for the finches and under the grate for Elmo. I would use Newspaper for Elmo's cage but I don't get the paper other than the occational Sunday paper.

[judygram]

You can give her other foraging opportunities besides the bottom of her cage, we have threads that have some excellent ideas for making foraging toys.

[Tigerlily]

thanks all

i'm heavilly investing in forraging toys at the moment, most of which tigerlilies using and she's not falling off her pearch anymore so we'll see how the newspaper goes;)

[siobha9]

Dave007 wrote:

Another reason to use it is that yor birds can sh*t on the pictures and stories of politicions that are currently running for office.

 

{Feel-good-0002006E}

 

Well that's one reason for using newspaper you won't find in the parrot books!

[nims]

I use newspaper (its cheap!) a grate is always good for your bird as it stops them rolling around in their own muck! I have a grate and then newspaper underneath. I would also suggest getting natura branches or perches with different textures. I have a wide range as it keeps their feet in good condition as BMustee said keep away from the smooth dowels and plastic perches.

 

Nims

[darth_mint]

Make sure the grate is high enough that their little beaks can't reach the newspaper through it! Mine was set a bit low and Nicky had a ball dragging the (pooped-on) newspaper through the grate and tearing it to pieces which he then threw around...poop and all. I had to jury-rig wire fasteners to prop it up :laugh:

[Jadewolf32]

I have to bring something up that I just found out about newspaper in the cage. My mother has a lovebird, she was lining the bottom of the cage and also putting a piece on top of the crate for his snacks, well the bird developed these open soars that would not go away, they was open and nasty, she tried everything and then FINALY after me telling her I was going to turn her in for animal abuse because it looked so bad, she took him to the vet~~~ IT WAS THE NEWS PAPER causing it, the vet said with the recycled ink they use now its not good for birds, he told her to go home and smell a piece of newspaper and it does smell strong, they gave him some medication and did some kind of dip and she switched to paper towels and he has gotten better, maybe it was because he was in contact with the paper, but he would not even touch his treats on it after awhile. So I play it safe and use paper towels, dollar stores are great and you can see their poop and change just a few pieces or all at once....

[mas]

When we took Zahzu to the vet, I had newspaper in the bottom of her carry cage, and in questioning the vet about possible heavy metal poisoning as a cause of Zahzu's (now significantly reduced! yay!) feather plucking, he told me that he usually only sees h.metal poisioning in birds around the age of 20 who have always had newspaper in the bottom of their cages.

He told us to rather use butcher's brown paper and avoid the newspaper due to the ink containing lead (i think he said lead)...

However pls note that we are in Sth Africa, so the ink used here is probably different to what is used elsewhere.

-Sameera

[judygram]

I use newspapers in Josey's cage but there is a grate about 4 or 5 inches high over the tray that holds the paper so she does not come in contact with it, I would think that would be safe enough.

[she]

I was under the impression that news paper was safe.I thought all ink used had to meet safe standards. I have used it for years, so far without problems. I am also not a fan of grills on the bottom of cages, maybe misguidedly thinking they could injure the birds foot , I always remove them. I change the papers 2-3 times a day and the cage base is clean. I would be interested in hearing some more comments. Maybe with a view to a re think.

[Tigerlily]

well, after reading the last few posts i'm a bit more weary about using newspaper as I don't want to use a grate, maybe another trip to the pet shop is in order!

[pmaholm]

I emailed the editor of our local paper asking about the types of ink they use. He replied and told me the majority of the inks they use are soy based however one process the black ink is a "clean oil based" ink. He also noted a concern that even the soy ink may be harmful if ingested. Below is the full reply.

 

"Most of our ink is soy based. The black ink we use in the KBA portion of the press is clean oil based. I would say however, that even soy based ink could possibly be harmful to consume. I will say I’ve never heard anyone report that they thought newspaper ink caused their pet to get sick. You might recommend that they check with their vet to see what they think."

 

I'll be cutting back on the amount of newspaper we give them to shred up. I've got plenty of just clean brown paper that they like too.

 

hope this helps!

 

-Patrick

[she]

Thanks Patrick. It is interesting to read what the editor said.I will also give my vet a ring and get his views.

[casper]

This is all very interesting as I have always used newspaper as well without any worries!

She, could you let me know what your vet says about it please?

Caroline:S

[she]

Yes caroline I will put a post to let you know

[Cagal08]

Roscoe cannot reach any litter that I put in his cage but I find it easy to use puppy pads since I do not have access to alot of newspaper and the puppy pads work very well and easy to fold up and remove and they are cheap enough at walmart.

[BaxtersMom]

I'm glad this topic came up. The man I got Baxter from was using kitty litter in the bottom of the pan under the grate and that is what I have continued using. It's absorbant, clean, I scoop his mess out easily between scrubbings. I am assuming it is safe to use because I haven't heard any warnings about it and that's was he's had for about a year or two. Any thoughts or comments on kitty litter? It's pretty cheap, too. I buy tidy cat and get a huge bag for about 3 or 4 dollars.

[judygram]

I don't see the harm if you are using the grate so Baxter does not come into direct contact with the litter but I will stick with newspaper as I have a ready supply of it all the time.

[she]

I used cat litter when I first got birds. I was told to only use wood based and unperfumed. I went on to use newspaper. I am going to ring the vet on Monday and get his views but my gut instinct is that newspaper is fine. People have used it for years and years without problems.

[she]

Hi all. I have just spoken to my vet who has assured me newspaper is safe.He uses it for his birds and thinks the only disadvantage is that you may get ink on your bird making him look dirty if he is light. I am going to carry on using it, its cheap, safe and yes you can have fun seeing who gets s..t on.