Cage Liners

My Top 3

Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Orlando, Florida
What’s going on: “Cash” my 2 year old Military Macaw, helping me change his cage!

I like cage cleaning to be an easy process with little to no work for me, don’t we all? While living on the island of Saipan, we had an entire outside (yet sheltered) area for our birds. Their cages were lifted up off the concrete ground and we simply power washed underneath them and everything went down a huge drain (left over food, poop, toy parts, everything!) and it was the best way to clean. I really loved the simplicity of it all.

Then I moved to Orlando, Florida and couldn’t quite do that again (the birds are inside this time)! I did, however, get a house like most in Florida that came with what is called a Florida room. My parents, as amazing as they are, keep a single cage at their house in Idaho for when I visit so I can bring a bird or two. They helped me raise Bondi for the first few months of her life and she is pretty much their grandchild (since they don’t have any without feathers!)

My mom was actually the one to introduce me to a new cage liner and that was crushed walnut shells. She had been recommended to get them at a local pet shop in her town and told me all about them. Instead of having to completely change out any newspaper (or other paper product lining) she just used a cat scoop/strainer and sifted out the droppings, left over foods and pieces of toys left and the rest of the crushed walnuts there to stay. The crushed walnuts also seemed to help with smell – where paper product linings absorb droppings, water spills and juices from fruits and other real foods in your bird’s diet – the walnut shells clump them together for easy disposal and don’t soak in the entire stench.

However, with almost all liners, there is a health risk if the bird is able to get to the liner and eat it, inhale the fumes, etc. So it’s important your cage has a grate in it so that your bird doesn’t have the desire to go to the bottom of the cage and mess with the liner. A grate is basically like a bottom before the tray bottom of the cage. Your bird can walk on it, but it makes it so that they cannot usually reach the cage liner that lays in the tray just below the grate of the cage.

Cat litter is another option cat owners seem to more commonly use because the droppings clump together and like the walnuts, can sift out easily and eliminate bad odors. Most cat litters also seem to have fumes and things that come off the litter when poured into any type of box or tray which can be harmful to your bird’s respiratory system, especially on a common basis. Cat litter is best with cats and not birds just because there are better options out there that can achieve the same thing you want with using the litter.

Paper products such as newspaper, paper towels, paper bags, wax paper and cotton liners are the most affordable liners. Most will recommend you do not use colored newspaper as it can be toxic if you bird gets ahold of it (ink) so it’s recommended black and white is used only when it comes to newspaper. I have newspaper delivered to my house just for cleaning cages and it is definitely cost effective but it needs to be changed daily. Newspaper, as all the paper liner products, absorb everything and will cause a foul odor and allow mold among other things to grow if left uncleaned for days at a time which can be extremely detremental to your parrot’s health.

Sometimes when you buy your bird cage, they sell or include cage liners with it. My Cages by Design cages are this way and I can simply hop online or get on the phone and order refill wax paper pages for my cages from them. They are cut to size for my cages which makes it very easy to roll one or two pieces and throw them away, wash the tray and simply put 1-2 new pieces down that are the perfect size for the cage.

I have heard of people using paper bags from buying groceries and using them as cage liners to save money and I have seen people use other paper products. There are also gravel roles which I have never used but did come across. Cotton liners are also another option on the market today.

When at my parents’ house, I use ground up walnut shells but when at home, I use wax paper refills from my cage company as well as black and white newspaper. For custom cut liners, I found one, two sites (I’m sure there are more).

Here is a great resourceful website on detailed cage cleaning instructions with additional information on cage liners as well by Holly Dash DVM.