Creative solutions wanted!

[asterroc]

I do not use a grill in the bottom of Kappa's cage and above the tray for two reasons: (1) I like her to have the opportunity to forage among the things she drops (both food and foot toys), and (2) it encourages me to change her papers daily since I don't want her foraging in poop and day-old veggies. The problem is that Kappa has learned how to move around the papers on the bottom of her cage. Her favorite game is to slide them right off the edges of the tray and onto the floor outside, dumping half the refuse on the floor outside of her cage, and half onto the tray.

I tried putting the grill back in and she lost many of her favorite treats and foot toys out of reach beneath the grill, and I found myself slipping back to not changing the papers daily since I know that she can't get to the gunk since the grill's in the way - but of course some gunk accumulated atop the grill, so this wasn't healthy for me to do. Then I tried taking the grill back out and putting on a couple of binder clips (they're like metal clothes pins) on the edges of the newsprint, clipping it to the tray, and I swear she figured out not only how to rip the paper, but also how to fold it up into a tent she could burrow under. She's doing friggin' origami!

So now I'm stumped for ideas. How do I get Kappa to not move the papers around so much, without having to put the grill back in, or switch to something like corncob or cedar shavings? (Since both corncob and cedar bedding are neither good for birds [they grow mold easily and spores irritate birds' lungs more than mammals'] nor easy to clean [they'll get thrown even farther than the papers are being thrown now].)

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Comments

[kellyclikes.livejournal.com]

We don't use papers! We use dollar store fleece blankets that are changed daily (they sit ontop of the grate, we have the same cage as you). We tuck the one end of the blanket outside the front and fold it in, and then stick some behind the grate and push it tight. Keeps the blanket in position, they get to forage, and fleece is easily cleaned. (we do weekly bird laundry, and pick off dried poops before washing).

Seriously, best way ever!

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Huh! I like that idea. I do generate a lot of bird towels - I put them on the floor right outside her cage door under her "porch" - so adding some fleece I'm sure I could make a load a week. I've actually got a bunch of scrap fleece that I picked up as remnants at a fabric store a couple winters ago when I went through a kick of giving scarves as presents, so I wouldn't need to buy more fleece most likely.

Thanks for the idea!

[l0stmyrel1g10n.livejournal.com]

duct tape? my roommate's rats keep pulling down their water bottle, and we keep ducttaping it back up. also they try to push up the top of the cage and have an es-cape so we duct tape that down too. it's the cheap 3M duct tape so it doesn't leave too much stickum on the cage. maybe you could tape the papers down...although the rats nibble at the tape sometimes, i don't know if Kappa would try the same thing.

[gemini6ice.livejournal.com]

Put the grill directly ON the newspaper instead of leaving a gap. It will weigh the newspaper down so she can't knock it out. It will probably require daily cleaning though.

[soapfaerie.livejournal.com]

Don't know if this'd help... but what i do for my flock is take newspapers and bend the sides up a couple inches to act as a guard of sorts, which helps with hulls and feathers and such staying in the cage. Not sure, but it might help keep the papers from sliding out so easily.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Good idea, but not physically built for that to be possible. The grill is wider than the lip of the tray underneath. However, it may be possible to wrap the newspaper around the grill in its normal position.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

I already do this, and Kappa still slides the papers out. I have an image of her sitting and working at the papers for hours to get them lined up with the small slot where they can slip out.