If you share your home or a room with a pet bird, you probably know they’re not very tidy roommates. Empty seed hulls, molted feathers, droppings, and flung food, make cleaning your space a daily struggle.
Although cages today are designed to help with the mess, they cannot fully contain it. So, we will share some tips on how to keep your house clean with a pet bird.
1. Try Using a Net
In most pet stores, you can find a net that you can place on the outer perimeter of the cage. It can come in handy if you have a problem with seed hulls flying around every time your bird makes the slightest movement.
If the net isn’t enough, we recommend buying a robot vacuum cleaner that is designed to clean up bird droppings. It can collect anything the net might have missed.
2. Use Specially Designed Cups
Some manufacturers make food cups specially designed to contain the mess in and around the cup. A food cup with a detachable hooded top, for example. The idea is to have the bird lean into the feeding station to eat so most debris stays inside.
3. Think About Debris Catchers
However, if your bird is not fond of being told where to eat and has its own favorite spot — like the cage door — we suggest going for a debris catcher. Not only will it help with the mess, but it’ll also look better than newspaper sheets spread over the floor.
4. Buy a Bolt-on Perch
Some bolt-on perches have a food cup or a toy at the end. They are designed to keep the bird at the center of the cage, which means fewer cage fallouts.
5. Use the Layering Trick
This one is an oldie but goldie. The layering trick is basically stacking up a few layers of newspaper or cage liners. So, when cleaning, all you have to do is remove the soiled top layer, and the next one is ready. It would be even better if you had a trash bin nearby to avoid leaving a debris trail across the room.
6. Try Training The Bird
Depending on a bird, it’s possible to train your pet to keep the most mess inside the cage. You can teach the bird by using the treats they love but don’t get very often. Encourage and reward them for good behavior, such as sticking to their cage when nature calls.
7. Purchase a Bigger Cage
Of course, we can’t keep the bird in the cage all the time, but if they have enough room, they’ll enjoy spending more time there. Adding toys and materials the bird can shred will keep it busy and entertained. As a result, the cage won’t feel like a prison, and the bird will feel more comfortable going back there when they need to make a mess.
8. Regularly Clean the Bird And the Cage
This should go without saying, but if you want to keep your home clean, you need to clean the bird and the cage fairly often. Occasional grooming will make your bird less likely to feather pick and create a mess. And, by keeping the cage clean, you’ll prevent the debris from spreading and droppings to leave a smell in your home.
9. Consider Plexiglass Barriers
Some bird owners have attached transparent plexiglass sheets or custom cage protectors to the side of the cage. They serve as barriers to bits of food and water that the bird might fling onto the walls or drop on the floor.
Conclusion
Adopting a bird pet means adding a new family member. And just like all the others, your bird needs grooming and its space kept clean. Yes, we know this takes a lot of time and energy. However, such a loving and affectionate pet is worth the extra cleaning time.
