Hello Windy City Parrot
 

I am going to move my 7 birds inside to a bedroom.  They have been in my attached garage which has been fine so far this year, but I want them inside and warmer for the winter.
 

I'm wondering if there is something I can add to the cage to help keep the floor from getting so dirty/covered with food etc.Any ideas?

Thanks

Linda

Dear Linda

Keeping your birds inside is fine idea. Keeping up with the mess should be no more trouble than in your garage. Allowing food and debris to build up in your bedroom or your garage can attract rodent, odors, insects and other unpleasant problems. It is just easier to accept or overlook/ignore it when it is outside your home.

Daily sweeping or vacuuming will help immensely.

Additional suggestions are carpet mats or office chair mats, if you can locate the ones without the points on the bottom if you do not have carpeting will lay nicer. A good office supply company can order them for you.

A quality washable wall paint will help when you get food spatters, etc on the walls.

Poop Off is a wonderful, bird safe cleaner that you can use without having to remove the birds from the cages or the room.

The 32 oz spray bottle will work wonders on walls and cage bars and hard floors.

If you have carpeting or upholstery to touch up then the 16 oz brush bottle is best.

The one gallon container is an economical way to refill the smaller bottles and save your sanity and money.

A daily wipe down will eliminate the hassle of having to remove heavy grates and make a huge hassle out of cleaning if you wait weeks to do this. The birds if not used to having your intrusion into their cages so often will learn to expect it especially if after the cleaning you give them fresh food and water and maybe some treats afterwards. Even some loose leaves of crunchy romaine lettuce will be a treat.

Flour moths can easily be overlooked in a garage but in your home can be unpleasant. These traps work wonders and a package of 2 will last you for 3 months and will catch most every one.

If your perches get loaded with poop, then rearrange them so one does not reach over another. This will avoid the typical stalactites of poop that are also unsightly.

One other tip that has worked well for me to protect the walls behind the cages and cut down on pulling them out to clean back there so often is to go to your large hardware store and buy inexpensive plastic sheets used for dropped ceiling lights. They come in clear and textured. Cut to size to fit the backs of the cages, the bottom half is plenty, and then drill tiny holes in the corners of them and wire them in place using wire, not twist ties (too flimsy), this will deflect a lot of the mess back into the cages and save your walls

Also be sure to visit our "winterize your bird" catagory.

If you have other questions please visit our 24/7 help desk and I will assist.