# Sandpaper - Apparently it's delicious....



## PC9850 (Feb 22, 2012)

Petey seems to have this thing for the sandpaper at the bottom of the cage. He loves, loves, loves chewing the edges. I honestly can't tell if he's actually swallowing it or just using it to sharpen his beak or something. I've tried to get opinions on it, and have gotten wildly different answers. Some people have told me to stop the bird from doing it immediately, some have told me to encourage it. What say you?


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## clem&peeps (Nov 17, 2009)

I would stop him from chewing it and i would use something else instead of sand paper.
I think most people here would agree that sand paper is way to hard on their feet. I use plain old newspaper. If you don't have a grate at the bottom then try to use black and white newsprint although i think most color newsprint is safe these days.


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

clem&peeps said:


> If you don't have a grate at the bottom then try to use black and white newsprint although i think most color newsprint is safe these days.


Yep. I second that as I have asked that question long ago and this is the response I got from *Mythra*: 

Newspapers use soy ink, which is non-toxic, even for the colours. They have to because kids get hold of newspapers, and young ones will eat it.You can check with the publishers of the paper your planing to use to check the ink. Generally though, all paper is safe, provided it's not perfumed, or is shiny magazine/advertising paper.


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## PC9850 (Feb 22, 2012)

I do have a grate at the bottom (right now the paper sits on top of it), but that's another thing I've gotten conflicting opinions on. Some people contest that since Cockatiels frequent the bottom of the cage, their feet could get injured between the bars.

In any event, I will go ahead and make the switch to newspaper. Since we don't get one, I'll have to ask relatives to save them for me


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## rainfeather (Jan 26, 2012)

I use white paper towels if that's any help to not having the newspaper delivered directly to you. I have that problem too so a $1 paper towel roll is the way to go with me.


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## clem&peeps (Nov 17, 2009)

I find laying the newspaper on top of the grate saves on cleaning it. it's much easier to change out the newspaper than scrub a grate every day  
Tiels have been known to get sores on the bottom of their feet from walking on sandpaper, so I'm glad your going to take it out.


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## rainfeather (Jan 26, 2012)

clem&peeps said:


> I find laying the newspaper on top of the grate saves on cleaning it. it's much easier to change out the newspaper than scrub a grate every day
> Tiels have been known to get sores on the bottom of their feet from walking on sandpaper, so I'm glad your going to take it out.


My question is: Why not just take out the grate all together? Is there some sort of reason for laying it on top of the grate?


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## PC9850 (Feb 22, 2012)

Well, in my particular cage, taking the grate out leaves a considerable gap, like an inch or so, between the tray and the bottom of the cage frame. I've read a lot of horror stories of how tiels get their heads stuck in these gaps and break their necks.


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## Simbah (Feb 9, 2012)

I've recently switched to wood shavings ; Why? because my birds have ripped apart everything from newspaper to towel paper. Ide lay it down , and in less then a hour paper shreds were EVERYWHERE. With the wood shavings im pretty satisfied with how its working, they love chewing the pieces and Its great for their beaks. Just make sure they arent swallowing it , My tiels dont but a Conure I was fostering used to. I just switched her back to town papers. Just noting for safety although I dont know many tiels who do. Anywho maybe you should try it out if your having the same problem I was . Its worth a shot


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## Szafije (Jun 8, 2011)

I did use sandpaper cover on perches...kept the birdies' claws in a better shape and it did not cause sores but I heard some bad stories about sandpaper so I stopped using it. Not sure about covering the bottom of the cage with it, I think newspaper is always the best idea


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## PC9850 (Feb 22, 2012)

I did buy a few of those gritty perches the other day. I guess those will do in terms of nail maintenance once the sand paper is removed.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

If sandpaper is swallowed, I can imagine it wouldn’t be the nicest, especially if it was big enough for them to choke on, or if it got caught. 

I am not sure why such a thing would be encouraged? I find that quite confound.


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## PC9850 (Feb 22, 2012)

There was one pet store owner that told me it's good for the bird's digestion to eat the grains. I checked the packaging of the paper, and it actually says that on it too.

After a while, it turned into one of those "I don't know what to believe anymore" type things lol


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

PC9850 said:


> There was one pet store owner that told me it's good for the bird's digestion to eat the grains. I checked the packaging of the paper, and it actually says that on it too.


It is NOT good for a cockatiel or any other parrot to eat the grit on sandpaper.
It can cause serious impaction of the crop or other sections of their digestive tracts.

Passerines, that is, finch-type birds like finches, canaries, sparrows, etc. NEED grit to help them to digest their seeds. But parrots MUST NOT have grit.

Pet stores do sell grit for cockatiels, but that does not mean it's okay. It is definitely NOT okay to give grit to cockatiels - regardless of what the salesperson says.

I managed a major pet store for years and am well-acquainted with the needs of birds of many species. I saw many products sold for birds that are dangerous. And, I've heard bad advice given by salespeople who were not properly trained.

Reason: Finch-type birds do not hull their seeds before swallowing them. So, the grit helps to break down that hard hull.
Parrots hull their seeds before swallowing them, thus do not need to break down the hulls.

You would be putting your bird at risk of serious injury or even eventual death by providing them with grit.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK...just some thoughts...the grit/sand that is on sandpaper would contain minerals which may be why the bird is chewing on the paper....so he may be defecient in minerals. 

I am replying on my cell phone so I don't have access to my links on my home computer. Do a Google search for: Liqui-kelp It is a liquid mineral supplement you can add to the birds water, a couple drops 1-2 times a week.

As to the sand from the paper, it will not harm him and access to small amounts of grit are fine for any bird. It is the glue and paper used that can be harmful...so you might consider removing it from the cage and using newspaper instead.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> There was one pet store owner that told me it's good for the bird's digestion to eat the grains.


If you want to give your bird grit then it's much better to give him loose grit instead of stuff that's glued to paper. The grit might do him some good but the paper certainly won't.

Grit is controversial and can cause problems if it's consumed in excess, so it's best to read up first on the appropriate use of grit so you can use it wisely. Probably 90% of the people on the internet will tell you not to offer it at all, but I've been giving it to my birds for about 50 years now without any problems. Psittacines consume grit in the wild, and I'm not one to argue with Mother Nature. Here are some sensible articles on grit:

http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_abo...n/Minerals and Grit - of Vital Importance.pdf

http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_abo...trition/Views on Mineral Grit for Parrots.pdf

http://www.parrots.org/index.php/forumsandexperts/answers/ask_an_expert1/

http://eclectusparrots.net/grit.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100727122208/http://www.petpublishing.com/birdtimes/articles/grit.shtml


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