Bird cage floor is not flat, is this a problem?

Question

I've got a cockateil in a large bird cage, the cage came from the same store as the bird. Anyway, it's floor is a wire mesh suspended above a plastic poop tray, so the bird, when not on it's perches, walks along a surface which is not a flat surface, it doesn't seem to mind, and I would assume getting its talons around the wire cage mesh floor is totally fine as in the wild they walk on twigs on trees, which have a similar circumfrence and hardness. My grandma says it should be a flat floor, like I should put some paper down or something, but as I said, there is a poop tray below the surface, and poop belongs in that, not on any substrate in the actual cage, like she is calling for. My grandma's bird cage, a separate cage and a similar bird, has a plastic floor that is flat. My grandma is suggesting that my cage floor is a problem, what do you think? I feel that they wouldn't make and sell cages with floors that were inappropriate, and I kind of just wanna show my grandma these answers

Answer 1

unless your birds are highly trained rollerskaters you have no problem with your flying pets

Answer 2

some people keep their birds in cages where they can walk on the floor. The also pick up and eat seed that has been on the floor of the cage. The wire grate keeps the birds form eating soiled seed. It also keeps them from walking in their poops, so it is more sanitary for the bird. Both ways work, but when don't use a grate you should clean the bottom of the cage every day.

I raised my canaries on flat floors with newspaper covering it. My parakeets were on wire grates that kept them off of the floor. This way both grandma and you can be right because you are.

Answer 3

The problem with newspaper is the ink. It's not very good for a rat to get the ink all over them. They will end up ingesting it, and well, it's kinda gross. Also it isn't very absorbant, so you will have to change it much more often to keep the cage from smelling. the best bedding for a rat in my opinion is the recycled paper composite you can buy in the best stores, its good for the enviroment, relatively cheap and unlike pine shavings, they won't breath in the sawdust. Newspaper works as a temporary solution, but I wouldn't use it for long if you want happy healthy rats!

Answer 4

It"s fine, you'll notice your bird wont spend a whole lot of time on the floor of it's cage anyway, if it does you should be concerned, birds like to be up high. As you said it's just like the twigs and branches they have in nature, in fact it's god for a bird to have perches of different widths shapes and angles, it helps their muscles develop the way they should be.

Answer 5

The cage you describe is one mainly designed for larger parrot type birds.

they are notorious for picking over dropped food, and if bored, their own droppings, so this wire mesh will allow dropped food and droppings to collect without the danger of the bird eating them.

i would refrain from taking the metal out, or covering it up, the bird will be just fine walking in it, they are natural climbers anyway, and will probably enjoy the chance to exercise its toes!

Answer 6

sorry it's so late but I'm a "late owl" - I have a blue crown conure- and your cage is the proper cage to have that way they do not get their waste all over their feet which is unhealthy- the wire floor is like the side of their cage and they enjoy walking on it-and it keeps it much tidier for you and them...tell grandma to relax....

Answer 7

grill floor should be.