Here's my one contribution to the combined wisdom of mankind: painter's tape.

Mumbles (Blue Quaker) loves to have the run of the house. And he particularly loves to climb curtains and roost on curtain rods. It makes for the occasional fright as a previously unseen angel dives at a passing stranger... but is also makes for yucky dropping stripes.

The tip is painter's tape. The blue stuff that doesn't stick very well. A couple of well places strips of the tape behind the curtain (where you just wiped the droppings away) will make weekly cleanup a breeze. Clean up is just a peel, toss, and reapply.

Do others have tips on how to make a house fit for a roaming fid?

well we took the carpet out of our 3 season porch. it needed it anyway, but the deciding factor on tile over new carpet was bird poo. i still put a sheet down to catch the mess, but it will be easier to clean/disinfect since i can just steam it.

the rest of the house is already carpetless (the downstairs anyway), but i can't steam the unsealed hardwood floors. ugh.

kris