Your bird, like
any other pet, needs a clean and safe environment to live in to remain healthy,
happy and fit. Your bird cage should be cleaned daily and you should observe if
any changes occur inside the cage, such as excess feathers on the bottom of the
cage. The daily clean should include a simple change of the liner and cleaning
out of food trays etc. As well as the daily clean, a bird cage should have a
thorough cleanout every 4 - 6 weeks.
Firstly you need to take out your bird. This seems pretty obvious but it must be
done. You then need to take out all the loose items inside such as feeding
trays, baths, perches and toys. These items need to be cleaned very well!
Firstly, all excess dirt such as droppings should be removed, you can then begin
cleaning with a NON toxic cleaner. Common dishwashing liquid should be
acceptable for this process, but make sure everything is thoroughly rinsed off
afterwards. Another product that can be used is common household bleach; use
around half a cup of bleach to a gallon of water to clean down the cage.
Some cages may have a removable bottom, so take this out and remove all the
filth from it, if not you should remove any liner from the bottom of the cage.
The cage can now be totally washed, this can be done in any tub or simply
outside with a hose. Again use a NON toxic cleaner and scrub down every part,
including the wire cage, as food stuffs and bird droppings can get caught up in
it. All parts of the cage should be rinsed afterwards, and it is better if it is
left in the sun to dry off completely.
Any item inside
the cage such as feeders that do not come clean should be discarded and replaced
with new or clean items. This can stop any potential diseases or foodstuffs from
remaining inside the cage. Dirty feeders can be very unhealthy for your bird.
After all of the items are clean, place them back in the cage and replace the
liner at the bottom. Newspaper is the best option for liner, but remember to
only use black and white paper, as some coloured text can be toxic to birds. You
are now done and can replace your birdie, just remember if there are any
problems or inconsistencies consult a vet or your local pet store.
And for a random fact:
What start with S, ends in T and is at the bottom of every bird cage.........
Answer: Shell Grit
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