If you only started keeping birds at home, you might need to learn pretty fast to protect your walls.
After a while, the space behind your bird’s cage starts to look like a bad Pollock painting, with all kinds of grime and debris that stick to paint like a fresco.
For instance, my green conure will splatter everything around, from seeds, berries, and drinks if feeling mischievous or bored.
Let me just say he can be a naughty boy when he wants to.
So, if by ill chance your feathery pal is anything like my boy, with a liking for all things and dirt on walls, make sure you cover the space behind the cage or the back of your pen.
I have tried hanging an old sheet behind my cage and taking them down when they get dirty, though I’ve recently shifted to using plexiglass sheets and peel and stick papers because they look a lot better.
Wood or plastic wall panels from your local hardware store might also work, but I have not tried them yet. Most are light and easy to cut to size and fit behind your cage.
How Do You Keep Birds from Pooping on Your Walls
Now, the kind of dirt you’ll most likely see on the walls behind your cage is food grime and poop. Fortunately, protecting them from this dirt requires the same hacks.
The most common and perhaps the easiest solution is to place an old sheet or shower curtain liners behind the cage. However, there are other more aesthetically pleasing and practical solutions, such as birdcage splatter guards.
Below is a comprehensive list of the options you have.
- Purchase birdcage splatter guards for your pen.
- Clear plastic shower liners taped behind the birdcage to protect the wall.
- Clip an old sheet around 2 or 3 sides of the cage to catch everything your bird flings.
- Attach plexiglass (perspex) sheets behind your bird’s cage to protect your walls.
- Press and seal saran wrap behind your bird’s cage.
- Use melamine or coroplast sheets meant for dry erase boards to cover the wall behind your bird’s cage. They wipe off easily and are not too challenging to install.
- Install wood or plastic wall panels bought from Lowe’s, Home Depot, or a local hardware store behind your bird’s cage.
- Wax paper or removable peel and stick, contact type wallpaper that’s easy to wipe down.
- Use old calendars, greeting cards, or random picture printouts to cover the wall behind your cage.
Below is a few things you’ll need to know about each of the solutions mentioned above.
Protecting Your Walls from Birds—8 Workable Hacks
All the hacks and tricks I’ve mentioned above will work for most owners, but let’s look at each in-depth just so you are sure what you’re getting into.
Birdcage Splatter Guards
Splatter guards range from elastic branded cage skirts which prevent seeds from flying outside the cage to bolt-on shields metal that protect food, water, and poop from getting to your walls.
Plastic and acrylic guards also work great for most bird sizes but make sure they come with both the side skirts (to protect your walls) and bottom tray to keep seeds from your floor.
In case store-bought or seed guards that come built-in with most cages don’t make much of a difference for you, take a clear plastic bin, cur a doorway, and set your birdie’s food dish inside.
The bin may not be an actual splatter guard, but it will keep most of your birdies’ mess from your walls.
Tape Shower Liners on Your Wall
Shower curtain liners seem like the best idea to me since they’re pretty cheap, easy to clean, and easy to hang with 3 M hooks.
This is perhaps the easiest way to protect your walls from your feathery pet’s messes.
You can hang the shower curtain from a curtain wire, on a rail if you prefer, or tape them to on the wall behind your bird’s cage.
You will also need to have at least a pair or more to switch between when one is dirty and needs cleaning.
Shower curtains are easy to clean and come in many prints and designs, making them more aesthetically pleasing, than say old sheets.
Clip An Old Sheet on The Cage
Clipping an old sheet on your bird’s cage is uncomplicated. You just need to attach the sheet at the back and sides of the cage and leave the front open for air to flow freely.
Use a sheet from light-weight breathable material that’s not too hefty on the cage.
I did mention above sheets are a little off aesthetically, but they will get the job done pretty decently, but like shower curtains, you may need more than a pair to be safe.
Plexiglass, Plastic or Wood Sheets
Lowes, home depot, and most local hardware stores will sell wall panels. Some are wood, others plastic, and even plexiglass. Most are light-weight and easy to cut.
You’ll only need to measure the backside of the cage, drill holes at the back and attach hooks and hang.
Be sure to measure the distance from side to side to allow the hooks to hang between the verticle bars.
Wax Paper and Removable Peel and Stick Wallpaper
Wax papers and removable wallpapers are easy to get. You can purchase one on Amazon or your local home interior store.
They are also easy to install, come in different sizes and designs, colors, and patterns. Wiping them is easy with just a towel and water.
With that said, whatever you use to cover your walls, make sure the material is not anything your bird can chew on. It’s not uncommon for birds to succumb to ingested debris, which the owner assumed was safe.
Can Birds Chew Through Walls
Birds like to chew on anything and everything they can get their little beaks on. They may even acquire a taste for paint and plaster when housed next to a wall.
I’ve noticed mine nibbling on the wall of my apartment but seem more interested in old drywall partitions than the exterior concrete wall.
So, I think most birds will chew on walls if they can get their beaks and claws through them. It’s pretty much what they do with furniture. They are more attracted to things they can destroy.
If it’s a concrete wall or new drywall that is sturdy, your bird will only attempt to bite on it as a test. Once they learn it’s indestructible, they will move on to the next subject.
Thats all for this post.
Happy birding????????.
