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Litter or Paper?

Bird rooms, aviaries, cages, foraging trees, play gyms, and stands. Discuss your parrot's locations and perches.

Do you use litter or paper as your primary cage liner

Litter
3
9%
Paper
30
91%
 
Total votes : 33

Litter or Paper?

Postby entrancedbymyGCC » Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:33 pm

I'm curious what people are using and why. If you are a paper fan, do you go with tried and true newspaper or do you buy precut cage papers? If you use litter, what type?

We currently have litter in the cage drawer under the grate and paper in the non-grate-equipped drawer for the playstand. I find the litter more aesthetic and it seems perhaps a bit more environmentally friendly since both walnut and kay kob are made with material that might otherwise be discarded. However, I don't really want Scooter eating it and I do want to see some of his droppings every day (not that that is really difficult to arrange) so I'm fairly happy with the dual system. I bought some precut liners but so far haven't used any as the packaging paper my jewelry supplies come in is white and nearly the right dimensions so I can just fold it and use it rather than tossing it in the recycle.

I just switched from walnut to kay kob in the cage proper and I think I like the cob based stuff better. It is lighter, it clumps better and it also disguises the mess better -- a two pronged sword, I know...
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby lzver » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:06 pm

I voted for paper ... and we just use newspaper. Honestly, I can't justify spending money on something they're going to drop food on and poop on. There are grates on the bottom of their cages, so they can't get at it.
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby HyperD » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:11 pm

I just use pages of the local newspaper... it's free and it works fine :)
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby miajag » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:13 pm

I just use newspaper, under a grate. I've read that some kinds of litter can harbor fungal spores and/or bacteria, whereas the ink in newspaper is naturally antibiotic.

I've also noticed that a lot of people seem to be vehemently anti-grate, does anyone know why this is?
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby Brittanyv326 » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:31 pm

Newspaper for the win! My boyfriend's work gets the local paper delivered monthly and rather than throwing it away when the new issue is out, it now comes home and we have a huge stack. It's economically and environmentally friendly as well as Brittany-friendly. ;) It's easy to clean, I couldn't imagine dealing with the litter. I just take off a layer of newspaper every day. Couldn't be easier.

Also, Sade's playstand and cage are grate free, so I don't really have an informed opinion on grate vs no grate since I've only experienced one side. I can say it's probably a LOT less mess and no scrubbing between bars. The only downside is that when Sade falls or gets spooked, she lands in whatever mess is down there. I accidentally scared Sade this morning and she flew (the best a clipped parrot can) around her cage and landed on the floor and got poop all over her tail feathers. So in my opinion that's the only downside to not having the grate.
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby skeetersunconure » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:36 pm

newzpapa! works fine and its cheap!
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby pchela » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:59 pm

Litters are bad for the birds. The walnut and corn cob can both cause crop compactions even if the bird doesn't have direct contact with the litter. I saw some study with cockatiels about it. I'll have to see if I can find it. Also, with the importance of keeping a watchful eye on your birds droppings paper is better because you can see what the litter would hide. Hmmmm... I'm starting to feel preachy. Sorry!

Oh, there are some recycled newspaper litters that are bird safe and may work for you. They still hide the droppings though.
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby Marnie » Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:28 pm

i use paper too, its already here, no need to go buy litter. its easy to just take up a layer each day and start fresh.
i don't use grates either, much cleaner without them. the only bird i ever had who was interested in being on the bottom was the cockatiel.
the Amazon, IRNs, keets and Sennie don't ever go there.
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby bmsweb » Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:59 pm

Newspaper here too
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Re: Litter or Paper?

Postby entrancedbymyGCC » Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:22 pm

I guess I'm in the minority in that we don't get a paper, we get our news from the internet and TV. We even canceled the Sunday paper!

Pchela, let me know what you find out. I've read about litters getting contaminated and causing issues if consumed, which is why I don't use it in the playtop, but how could something cause a crop impaction if it never got into the crop?
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