Hey Everyone, I have been using newspaper to coat the bottom of the cage and was thinking about trying the litter.

Personal Preference
Any health benefits
etc??

Litter is a danger if the bird can get to it and eat any of it.I have also been told that litter promots bacteria growth.Once the litter gets wet..it takes a short time for the bacteria and mold to grow.
Stick with newspaper...be on the safe side

News Paper, News Paper, News Paper....Oh did I mention News Paper...

Here are the reasons...By using litter...you can be creating several health risks. Depending on the type of litter you were to use. Vets have found that birds will actually become impacted with litter because they eat it and then it goes into the intestines and swells and plugs them up...OR it will scrape and gouge causing internal bleeding That's the Worst case scenerios...Some that maybe not initially as dangerous is that with litter. it holds the moisture in and bacteria is allowed to grow in just a short period of time. NOT good...Also by using litter you can not observe the droppings well enough and might not catch a problem quick enough since you aren't able to see the droppings as well as you can with news paper.

Besides why pay for a litter when you may already have newspaper on hand OR you can get the weekly nickel nicks or Exchanges or what ever your local little free magazine is and it not cost you anything AND its truly biodegradable!

Just my opinion of course.

newspaper!
Its one of the practices I learned after joining this forum (thanks everyone btw).
I used to spend lots of $ on white cage liner pads but after reading all the benefits about newspaper (which I am sure others have mentioned already) as well as the cost (I get the free papers at the supermarket) it is well worth no matter how you look at it. Its much easier to clean out a cage with it too btw.

Newspaper.

I use newspaper too. One of the things I did in my birds free standing perch was hand tear the newspaper into strips and fluff it up a little. Kinda the same affect as litter but newspaper. It was nice sometimes as it "hid" the poopies a bit longer. I eventually went back to using just straight newspaper though, easier to change.

I agree with everybody that newspaper is the best. It is also a mind set thing, when you pay for the expensive liners you are apt to change them less than inexpensive newspaper. I think almost all newspapers now use a soy based ink so the stuff is safe too.

I use newspaper. My grey doesn't have a grate and she loves to climb down and shred it

That's cool.
I am sticking with the free newspaper.
Just wanted to hear about people's experiences.

I use old magazines (from the publishing company that fired me this summer ) because I have heard the newsprint can be bad for them. Mine doesn't even kick it at the bottom of his cage though, although who knows what he's doing when I am earning his toys

As we've discussed, news print ink is now soy based not petroleum based, so if you're using paper other than that, make sure that the ink used is not petroleum based as that can be very harmful to your birds. Also newsprint soaks up the moisture where as slick shiny paper just runs off.

I have been using corn cob litter since I got Poe, and have never seen her down there trying to eat it or anything, but I don't have a grate. I think I will switch to newspaper now.
I guess I thought the litter was better for germs and stuff, but apparently not, lol. It does look so much nicer than paper though, .
Lena.

Do you guys know if the colored parts on the newspaper is safe for birds too? I've always tried to use only the sides without the color, but you end up throwing out alot of paper that way. Thankfully I get it free and lots of it. I have a couple of birds that chew the paper sometimes so am wondering. I use the paper on top of the grate. Gee it would be nice to have one less thing to do.(not sorting paper)
hee hee
tikileahsmom

want it to get .'s Mom' date='Mar 25 2007, 12:53 PM' post='274766']
As we've discussed, news print ink is now soy based not petroleum based, so if you're using paper other than that, make sure that the ink used is not petroleum based as that can be very harmful to your birds. Also newsprint soaks up the moisture where as slick shiny paper just runs off.
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There is a product called Sani Chip or Aspen Chip. It is an Aspen wood chip that has gone through a sterilization process and is completely safe for birds and all animals. It is used in most laboratories that house animals. It is a great product if you like your cage bottom looking clean but do not like to change it often. I used it in my finch aviary. I had 30 or so finches and cleaned my aviary every 3-4 weeks. And then only because I knew it needed it not because it looked dirty. It is really a great product.

Bird on the rocks, not to be rude but I have a great aversion toward Aspen chips and the like-especially for quakers. Quakers like to gnaw and chew as most parrots do and I personally do not trust a "treated material". Finches are extremely self sufficient and it is very hard to know what they are feeling. I still think newspaper is the best overall bird poop catcher. JMHO

You are not being rude! Just stating your opinion. That's fine.
I use paper towels in my quakers cage. I was just giving my opinion on the litter question.
By the way, Aspen Chips are NOT "treated" with any chemicals. They are simply "sterilized" therefore completely safe if a bird were to consume them. Actually much safer than any wood toy you might buy for your bird to chew on! They are used in laboratories because there are NO chemicals in them, unlike newpapers, and they are completely sterile, unlike newspapers.
That was the point I was trying to get across.


Bird on the rocks, not to be rude but I have a great aversion toward Aspen chips and the like-especially for quakers. Quakers like to gnaw and chew as most parrots do and I personally do not trust a "treated material". Finches are extremely self sufficient and it is very hard to know what they are feeling. I still think newspaper is the best overall bird poop catcher. JMHO
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Newspaper. My hubby gets one for work every day anyhow so I just use that. Ya can just fold it up and throw it out. Perfect!





I've heard to only use the actual newspaper and no ads such as target, walmart ect. Colored is ok..like the comics..or whatever ...just as long as it is the actual newspaper and not the ads.