Cleaning Your Bird’s Cage

If you have a pet bird, you have likely noticed that our winged pals can be a bit sloppy. Cleaning Polly’s cage may not be the best part of having a bird, but it is crucial. If your pet’s cage gets dirty, it will soon start harboring dangerous bacteria and viruses, which can make your feathered friend very sick! Read on as a local Thorold, ON vet discusses cleaning Polly’s cage.

One way to make cleaning Polly’s cage much easier is to simply keep up with small daily tasks. Cleaning food and water dishes is one thing that absolutely has to be done every day. This is very important, as dirty dishes quickly begin to harbor dangerous bacteria. They can also be contaminated by waste. Other daily tasks include changing cage liners and wiping the cage off with a wet cloth or paper towel. You may also want to vacuum the area beneath Polly’s cage. (Note: it may be worth your while to get a good handheld vacuum for this.)

About once a week, you’ll need to give your feathered buddy’s home a more extensive cleaning. Washing the cage tray is one task that should be done about once a week. You’ll want to remove it first, so you can clean the whole thing. You’ll also need to scrub, disinfect, and rotate Polly’s toys and perches. This will help keep things fresh and interesting for your pet.

You should give your colorful pet’s cage a good deep cleaning about once a month. If Polly’s cage is fairly small, you may want to bring it into the bathroom and scrub it in the tub. If it’s too big to fit in the bathroom, take it out to a deck or patio when weather permits. With this cleaning, you’ll need to really scrub all the nooks and crannies of your pet’s home. Use a brush with stiff bristles to get rid of all that icky gunk that builds up between the cage bars, in tiny crevices, and on the floor. You may find it helpful to get a handheld steam cleaner. Once you’re done, rinse the cage well. Then, pat it dry with a towel before setting it back up.

Do you have questions about your pet bird’s health, behavior, or care? Please feel free to contact us, your local Thorold, ON pet hospital, anytime.