Newspapers questions

[Irissama]

So yea, I have this kakariki... She's lovely and everything, but man is she loving to make a mess in the bottom of her cage. She likes to rip her newspapers. A lot. Which is fine, I mean I don't really mind that much.

The part that bugs me is that I constantly have to fight up with my mother about it. She's just harping at me that Pixel eats the newspaper lining. As in literally eating it. I'm not quite sure she does. When I see her do it, she rolls it in her mouth and sometimes it vanishes.... only to come back a few seconds later. Sometimes I find bits of newspaper in her drinking water (And everyday she shakes her drinking bowl and soaks up the newspaper and shreds it in that area.)

Do you guys think there's harm done here?

 

[gopack041]

I definitely wouldn't let the bird eat it. I've read that they can't digest paper and it can potentially be harmful. I use Glad's press n seal for the bottom of the cage. It looks better than newspaper and is soooo easy to clean.

 

[Irissama]

Errr wouldn't she just...start eating plastic instead?

 

[gopack041]

If you have a cage grate then she shouldn't be able to get to the plastic since it sticks really well to the bottom...at least my GCC can't get to it. Another bonus is that its clear, so it doesn't attract the bird's attention as much.

 

[MikeyTN]

Just make sure you don't give her color print. Mine used to do the same. Or get a cage with grate on the bottom so she can't get to it.

 

[Irissama]

Just make sure you don't give her color print. Mine used to do the same. Or get a cage with grate on the bottom so she can't get to it.

She did the same? Seemed to swallow it and all?

The cage DOES have a grate, but I don't use it because it's such a mess to clean up... Plus that way her feet don't fall between the bars. Well, that's the way I rationalized it with the budgies, she does have bigger feet.

 

[jew1187]

Do you not have a separation to the bottom of the cage where the newspaper is? I have a good four inches that Skyler won't be able to touch the newspaper. But the press n seal actually sounds like a great idea. But if your bird can get to it, I would suggest something else... I know our local pet stores here have wood shavings at the bottom of the cages that the birds can get to. It smells good at least... But I am not sure what kind of damage that could do either.

 

[MikeyTN]

Yes and she spits it back out like spitball. Put the grate back in and that should solve the problem.

 

[Irissama]

Do you not have a separation to the bottom of the cage where the newspaper is? I have a good four inches that Skyler won't be able to touch the newspaper. But the press n seal actually sounds like a great idea. But if your bird can get to it, I would suggest something else... I know our local pet stores here have wood shavings at the bottom of the cages that the birds can get to. It smells good at least... But I am not sure what kind of damage that could do either.

I use wood pellets for my budgies but my vet told me not to use that for my kakariki since they're ALWAYS at the bottom of the cage. Said it's not very good for birds.

The grate would make it impossible for her to reach the paper, or at least way harder, but I'm not sure about how sanitary or comfortable it is for her.

Yes and she spits it back out like spitball. Put the grate back in and that should solve the problem.

Yea... I think I'm gonna have to. At least until I gather some money and buy her a new cage with sliding trays. Then I'll just be able to ditch the paper and grate alltogether I guess since it'll be easy to clean up

 

[jew1187]

Do you not have a separation to the bottom of the cage where the newspaper is? I have a good four inches that Skyler won't be able to touch the newspaper. But the press n seal actually sounds like a great idea. But if your bird can get to it, I would suggest something else... I know our local pet stores here have wood shavings at the bottom of the cages that the birds can get to. It smells good at least... But I am not sure what kind of damage that could do either.

I use wood pellets for my budgies but my vet told me not to use that for my kakariki since they're ALWAYS at the bottom of the cage. Said it's not very good for birds.

The grate would make it impossible for her to reach the paper, or at least way harder, but I'm not sure about how sanitary or comfortable it is for her.

As long as you clean it regularly, and I know comfortability is a high priority, but so is safety. If you are not sure whether its safe or not, I would definitely put the grate back in until you can talk to your vet.

 

[Irissama]

I just went and put it back in. And you know what? I think she's actually pissed off at me.

I wonder, how regularly is regularly? The paper was easy to clean out, I could just change it through the door, but that grate's a pain.

 

[jew1187]

What kind of grate is it? The one that I have slides in and out. The more often you clean it the easier and more sanitary it will be. Using hot water and vinegar. Do you have to screw the grate in and everything? It might be more of a pain, but like I said, until you talk to your vet about it, better to be safe then sorry. Your fid is definitely worth the extra work. And she will get over it. lol. Just give her some kisses and a treat. lol.

 

[MikeyTN]

Oh you have one of those cages. Yea, get another cage where you can remove the bottom to clean it. Just don't leave her unattended cause they can be destructive!!! I watched a video of a flock of kakariki dis-assemble a truck.

 

[Irissama]

To remove the grate I have to lift the whole cage to remove it from the bottom! These vision cages are really cheap in money but they are REALLY not useful when it comes to cleaning.

It was fine when I had a budgie in there (Don't worry, cage's big and she's out of it most of the time anyway, the little guy looked lost in there when he was alone.) cuz I had wood in the bottom instead and Godzilla was more interested in staying way up there than down below. When I got Pixel, I moved Godzilla in with his father Pat (Who has been alone in his cage ever since the mama died. The two didn't look happy about the idea of sharing cages together. But when I got the big scary yellow bird, I dunno, they really started liking the idea of hanging out together...) and gave her his old cage. But he just went down to eat...While she goes down at the bottom to wreck destruction and mayhem and get as much ink as possible all over her.

Handful I tell ya. And yea, I don't leave her unattended, she's always with someone. If I DO leave her unattended out of inattention, I suddenly hear a cackle of "Yea I'm gonna wreck the whole place while you're gone, just go away." and I come back... Either that or she runs after me in a "WAIT FOR ME!!" fashion. She's an odd little thing.

 

[suebee]

The cage DOES have a grate, but I don't use it because it's such a mess to clean up... Plus that way her feet don't fall between the bars. Well, that's the way I rationalized it with the budgies, she does have bigger feet.[/QUOTE]

use the grate, solve the potenially sick bird problem, as to wipe clean a grate takes all of 5mins aday if that

 

[Ratzy]

Why would your vet suggest wood pellets for your budgies if they aren't good for birds? My budgies usually stay at the top, but sometimes they do come down to shred the newspaper ( usually when Marigold is in breeding mode ). I'd just use the grate. No problems that way except a little extra hassle cleaning.

 

[SharonC]

To remove the grate I have to lift the whole cage to remove it from the bottom! These vision cages are really cheap in money but they are REALLY not useful when it comes to cleaning.



I used to have the Vision cages, two of them, and I totally agree. They are a pain to clean! I sold mine, and bought new cages....

 

[Irissama]

Why would your vet suggest wood pellets for your budgies if they aren't good for birds? My budgies usually stay at the top, but sometimes they do come down to shred the newspaper ( usually when Marigold is in breeding mode ). I'd just use the grate. No problems that way except a little extra hassle cleaning.

She didn't suggest it for my budgies. She told me I should ideally get rid of them for the budgies too but said it's less worse since they're not always at the bottom of the cage.

But well, thanks everyone, I put the grate back in. I'll look into buying a cage with a tray bottom eventually, so I can just skip the litter part.

 

[PickleME]

Our first time having Pickle, we used to put newspapers on the bottom of her cage. She used to do the same thing but we stopped using anything on the floor (including newspapers) because the ink is harmful to them and if they ingest the newspaper obviously isn't healthy either.

 

[MikeyTN]

Our first time having Pickle, we used to put newspapers on the bottom of her cage. She used to do the same thing but we stopped using anything on the floor (including newspapers) because the ink is harmful to them and if they ingest the newspaper obviously isn't healthy either.

As long as its not color print or the wax advertisement. Its not that bad! My birds don't really chew them, I have open bottom aviary. So I don't that problem. My macaw will chew. His cage have grate on the bottom.