We want to ensure that our pets are happy in their homes, so it's common to want to embellish your bird's cage with every neat cage accessory you can find. It's alright to "spoil" your feathered friend, but one must take caution when choosing the items that will go in a bird's cage. Not all products intended for birds are as safe as they claim to be, so keep your bird safe by checking out this short list of items that you should pass on next time you visit the pet store.
1. Cement Perches
While a perch that claims to trim your bird's nails automatically sounds like a great product, the truth of the matter is that concrete and cement perches usually do much more harm than good. When a bird stands on a concrete perch all the time, the rough surface will begin to leave abrasions on the bottoms of the feet. This can lead to soreness, bleeding, and possible infection -- making that good old fashioned nail trim sound like a much better idea.
2. Chains
Swinging chains might look like they would be fun for your bird, but beware: a bird's beak or sensitive toes can easily get caught between the links, causing a potentially traumatic injury. Opt for woven ropes instead -- while you still have to watch your bird to make sure he doesn't ingest any threads or become entwined in a worn spot, your pet can still have fun swinging from "vine to vine" without nearly as much risk.
3. Mite Protectors
Mite Protectors are products that are made to hang on the bars of a cage. These products claim to eliminate the risk of your bird being attacked by parasites, but they have the potential to make your pet sick. The Mite Protector emits a fume that can overcome a sensitive bird, and can lead to respiratory distress. Most well cared for pet birds never have a mite problem, but if you suspect an infestation, you should contact an avian vet immediately.
4. Split Ring (Key Chain) Attachments
Bird toys must have strong fasteners to hold them to the cage while a bird is using them, but toys with the split ring keychain type attachments should be avoided. Beaks, toes, and even tongues can get caught between the rings, so be sure to choose toys with safe clips on the ends of them.
5. Corn Cob Cage Liner
Corn Cob usually comes in little styrofoam-like balls, and is used to cover the floors of small animal cages. A bird can ingest small bits of the material, causing intestinal impaction. Corn cob in particular has a tendency to swell when it comes into contact with liquid, adding additional danger to the crop. For a safe, easy way to keep your bird's floor clean, the best thing to do is buy a bird-safe cage liner.
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