Reddit reviews JW Pet Comfy Perch For Birds Flexible Multi-color Rope

Your list looks pretty good so far!

EcoBedding has a couple of advantages over other beddings. It's very low dust and it won't really get kicked out of the cage. Its drawbacks are that it doesn't provide a good floor covering because it just kinda sits on top of the floor (I had to use sheets of paper under it) and it's not very absorbent so it doesn't do much to control odors. Its also very expensive for just being crinkle kraft paper. You can purchase gigantic boxes of crinkle-cut kraft paper from Staples for $20 (they don't keep it in stock, you have to pre-order it). I tried this as a primary bedding once but did not like it very much. I've been much happier with aspen shavings. They can be messier and would require a deep pan but they're better for controlling odors/ammonia.

I prefer water bottles to water bowls because bowls can get dirty with loose bedding, food bits, and even poop. Bottles are a sure-fire way to provide a constant supply of clean water. It can be a good idea to have two water bottles so if one malfunctions or stops releasing water, there's still a backup.

You can use a food bowl if you want but it's not necessary. You can also just scatter their food around the cage so they'll have to forage for it. Scatter feeding works best when mixed into a loose substrate like shavings or paper based beddings.

Hammocks are really easy to make yourself from old clothes or really any scraps of fabric. You'll want multiples because they need to be washed very often. When I used a Critter Nation, I used several hammocks and I had a few sets so I could quickly swap them out. I swap hammocks out every few days because they get stinky quickly. They can also get destroyed quickly so spending money on fancy store-bought hammocks might not be the best idea.

Some other items to consider;

Small Animal Carrier: I use a small hard-sided cat carrier for my boys. It's great for vet visits or general travel. The one I use has a door on the top and it makes it a lot easier to get timid rats out. Fabric/mesh carriers should be avoided because they may be chewed through.

Travel Cage: If you ever need to bring your rats with you on a trip or if you need someone to look after them for you, you may want a more portable cage for them. Something lightweight and/or collapsible is handy. You can sometimes find good deals on used cages on apps/sites like craigslist, marketplace, kijiji, etc. A bin cage would also work for this purpose and it can double as storage when not in use.

Various Cage Accessories: The cage is really the main expense to get started. After that, cage accessories can be dirt-cheap or free. For the most part, there's no reason to buy stuff besides bedding/litter from a pet store. The recycle bin, your basement/garage, thrift stores, and dollar stores are great sources for cage accessories. There are a few official pet items that I like, though. Space pods, lava ledges, and bendy rope perches are fantastic cage items.

Litter Box / Litter: Rats can be trained to poop in a litter box to some degree (they'll still pee all over). If you can train your rats somewhat, you can change the litter box every couple days and you wont need to clean the whole cage as much. A litter box should be big enough for your rats to fully step into. I use inexpensive corner ferret/rabbit litter trays with fragrance-free paper pellet cat litter.

You'll also want to consider how you're going to cover the shelf in the cage. The shallow pan doesn't hold bedding but it still should be covered with something. I made "mats" out of fleece with an inner layer of an absorbent material and it worked well on the cage shelves.

Beautiful birds! Don't pay attention to people being aggressive here. This is not how you educate people about things that need to be done or not. They are right about different types of branches, I personally have a few of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002563O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I also have 1 set of stairs. Your cage is huge! which is really nice for the birds!


Branches like this is also nice: https://www.amazon.com/SNNplapla-Parrot-Natural-Toy-15CM-Birdcage/dp/B075WTWZ9S/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=wood+perch&qid=1562340533&s=gateway&sr=8-7 . I've heard from several places that these type of perches are not that good, but I still have some in my cage. As long as you at least provide other types it's not that bad! They also love toys that can be easily destroyed. Mine love to destroy cardboard, so I cut some squares and attach to the cage.

I do like your setup. I would suggest getting baby teething rings to hang across the cage and possible a bird rope that they can walk on. Though I have to warn you about that edible hut. If it's one of those snack shack things. They have alfalfa in it, which some people say rats cannot digest. Usually the rats won't actually eat it, but the honey in it can encourage them to ingest it and cannot digest the alfalfa. Plus, depending on what one you got, it might have pine shavings as an ingredient. This is all things that I have heard or read and have never experienced myself because I erred on the side of caution. You make your own decision based on your little ones, I just wanted to give you the information.

Good to know about the wing trims! There is definitely an art to it - the more feathers that are left on, the better their flying ability. So you can get the first two or three flight feathers trimmed (if you like) which leaves a lot of flying ability intact (just not his full flying ability).

Harnesses are awesome, and get them sunshine which is very important if you can take them outside.

I would look into adding some perches like this, which are bendable so you can make different shapes (here is an example). In my experience birds really love these! Additionally, adding in some branches (cleared of foliage/debris and sterilized, of course, or store bought) would be good, because the width is varied and it provides some vertical climbing opportunities.

Sounds like you are on the right path! Awesome job. :)

bird rope for the birdies to play on. They like the scramble around and chew on stuff. It's perfect.

Optimus Prime

Our booda comfy bird perches are a match! although the one on your list is large, and mine is medium!

What zoo do you work for? (Fellow keeper here!)

I have a bendy rope perch for my gcc, and it would probably work for your lovebird as well. As I understand it, bumblefoot in perching birds is due to lack of variety more than anything else, but I have also read to avoid things that splinter or could otherwise scratch his feet for the main perch.

Edit: Not this exactly, but something very similar