Keeping the floor clean

[ptuga72]

We don't use the seed catchers that came with our cages for a number of unrelated reasons, but what we do us are the plastic floor mats that you buy for a roller chair. They are easy to vacuum and wipe down, I actually prefer for them to poo on them instead of in the cage! We buy them off of craigslist or at costco whenever they are on sale. I have one under each cage (well Scarlet gets 2 ) and an extra that I move to wherever they are going to hang out.

I'm with Entranced- liners get changed and cages a light wipe down every other day, a decent cleaning once a week, and a big cleaning once a month. I try to vacuum every other day but my vacuum has been on strike as of late

[TheNzJessie]

We don't use the seed catchers that came with our cages for a number of unrelated reasons, but what we do us are the plastic floor mats that you buy for a roller chair. They are easy to vacuum and wipe down, I actually prefer for them to poo on them instead of in the cage! We buy them off of craigslist or at costco whenever they are on sale. I have one under each cage (well Scarlet gets 2 ) and an extra that I move to wherever they are going to hang out.

I'm with Entranced- liners get changed and cages a light wipe down every other day, a decent cleaning once a week, and a big cleaning once a month. I try to vacuum every other day but my vacuum has been on strike as of late

a seed catcher came with my cage with was listed as for rainbow lorikeets...one problem....they dont eat seed. a poop catcher would of been a much better idea

[snakesentwined]

Like the others here: we have a seed-catcher around the cage which definitely helps to catch some of the worst of the scattered food mess. We also feed a fresh food and pellet (Harrisons) diet, so there is a lot less mess from discarded seed husks etc - but even so, we still have to vacume around her cage every day (we have a little rechargable 'pod' from Gtech which is a godsend!).

As has been said, parrots are very susceptible to infection (fungal and bacterial) by coming into contact with waste food or poop and so we take cleanliness very seriously. Cage papers and the bottom grate/tray get changed and cleaned every other day - or daily if they are messy. All her bowls are cleaned when we change her food (fresh food in the morning, pellets in the afternoon, a taste of whatever we are having in the evening). Perches and toys are cleaned whenever we notice they are dirty or have been popped on, the cage is also lightly cleaned every week and deep cleaned monthly (we use a solution of f10, which is the same Vets use).

We're slowly trying to potty train Isis to only poop in the cage or over her play stand when out and about - but any mess she does make is cleaned up imediately (do it when it's wet and it's easier to get up )

[entrancedbymyGCC]

a seed catcher came with my cage with was listed as for rainbow lorikeets...one problem....they dont eat seed. a poop catcher would of been a much better idea

LOL! Ours do double duty as poop catchers being solid metal, but I don't know how well they'd do with projectile lorikeet poop! And I sometimes wish I could put a big plexiglass shield around about half of Scooters cage as the seed guard does nothing as a "bits of fruit flung off beak" guard. His main beak-cleaning technique is momentum.

[Kyle]

Interesting topic. What if you had an extended "shield" aroung the cadge with water running down the sides into a drain. Think it would work? Please see attatch. Thanks

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Not for Scooter. He gets all the way up the wall with his beak flings... you'd have to run the guard pretty much as high as the cage wall. Easier to wipe the mess up.... but an interesting idea.

[a.susz]

actually i have seen a tree with a fountain type thing on the bottom for the tray, it is just full of water and constantly moving, just sweeps away all the mess. i'll have to find it again.

[captwest]

Just noticed this thread , here's my 2cents , I have a friend who is a roofer, he saves small pieces of vinyl type roofing material and welds them together to form a shallow "pan" with 4-6" sides. in put paper in them and chang often, the "pan" can be rolled or folded up and carried outside once a week and easily hosed off (i power wash} it really helps contain the mess. got the idea from someone who used a pickup truck bed liner with an out side cage.I'm sure a landscape outfit could weld up pond liner to do the same thing.

[TheNzJessie]

You should see the mess my budgies make.

i fully agree for something so tiny they sure can make a mess! especially when there moulting their feathers go everywhere! =p

[StarbucksMom]

I have a Sun Conure and quickly clean his cage daily with baby wipes. I put a stack of newspapers at the bottom and I just take off the top sheet each evening. I do a thorough cleaning once a week with Simple Green. Oh, a Dustbuster is a must for the floor for the seeds that missed the cage!

Starbuck's Mom