How to Use Newspaper to Line a Bird Cage

Birds cage liners catch bird droppings, seed hulls and other debris, making daily cage-cleaning a quick and easy process. When the cage lining is changed every day, cage washing can be a weekly affair. Newspaper is the top choice for lining bird cages because it is cheap and readily available. Most U.S. newspapers are printed with nontoxic soy-based inks.

Things You'll Need

  • Large stack of newspaper
  • Marker
  • Piece of cardboard
  • Utility knife or scissors
  • 1:1 vinegar solution
  • Paper towels
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Instructions

  1. Lining Large or Oversized Rectangular Cages

    • 1
      Large rectangular parrot cages are a perfect fit for newspaper lining.

      Start with a clean, sanitized cage. Place your stack of newspaper (remove color inserts) in the cage tray under the grate. If the newspaper is too small to cover the cage bottom, place the corner of a sheet flush with a corner of the cage. Place additional sheets of newspaper flush with the other cage corners to cover the tray bottom. Repeat the process until you have a stack of 10 to 14 cage liners.

    • 2

      To clean the cage, fold the corners of the top sheet toward the center to contain the debris and remove. Wipe any debris stuck to the grate and cage bars with paper towels and vinegar solution. Do this once or twice per day to keep your cage clean.

    • 3

      Alternatively, place few sheets of newspaper under the grate and place your stack of 10 to 14 cage liners on top of the grate. This will keep the grate clean, but the bird will have access to the newspaper on the cage floor and may shred it, making daily cleanings more difficult.

    Lining Small or Non-Rectangular Cages

    • 4
      Make a cardboard template for cutting newspaper to fit your cage tray.

      Place your cage tray on the piece of cardboard. Use a marker to trace the bottom of the cage tray onto the cardboard to make a template. If you want to put the newspaper on top of the grate and it differs significantly in size, use another piece of cardboard to make a grate template.

    • 5

      Place your template on top of a large stack of newspaper. Use a utility knife to cut the stack along the template edges. Or use a marker to trace the template onto the newspaper and cut with scissors. Repeat with the grate template, if needed.

    • 6

      Line the bottom of the cage with a stack of 10 to 14 sheets of your custom-sized newspaper. Alternatively, line the bottom of the cage with a few sheets of the paper, and line the top of the grate with 10 to 14 sheets.