Bird Cage Liners: Best Paper & Eco-Friendly Options

Lila Johnson

Bird cage liner and cleaning guidance reviewed 9 October 2026

For most pet birds, the best bird cage liners are simple disposable paper: plain paper, paper towels or newspaper that can be changed every day. Paper keeps the cage floor easy to clean and, importantly, lets you see changes in droppings. For a lower-waste routine, use plain uncoated paper cut to the tray size rather than scented, glossy or plastic-coated liners.

The Association of Avian Veterinarians recommends newspaper, paper towels or other plain cage-liner papers over loose substrates such as wood chips, chopped corn cob or kitty litter. This guide compares the practical paper options, explains where reusable liners fit, and shows how to combine the liner with a sensible cage-cleaning routine.

Bird Cage Liners Compared: Which Material Is Best?

Liner material	Best use	Main advantages	Main drawbacks / checks
Plain white or kraft paper	Everyday cage trays	Cheap, easy to cut, low dust and simple to replace daily	Choose uncoated, unscented paper; lighter paper makes droppings easier to inspect
Newspaper / newsprint	Low-cost daily lining	Readily available and easy to replace	Avoid glossy inserts and heavily coated pages; coloured print can make droppings harder to read
Plain paper towels	Small cages, travel carriers and short-term monitoring	Very absorbent and gives a clear view of droppings	More expensive and wasteful for large cages; choose unscented, unmedicated paper
Pre-cut commercial paper liners	Owners prioritising convenience	No measuring or cutting; easy daily replacement	Usually costs more; avoid grit, fragrance and unnecessary plastic coatings
Washable fabric liners	Only where an avian professional is comfortable with the setup	Reusable rather than discarded daily	Need thorough laundering and drying; can retain moisture/soil and make droppings harder to monitor
Loose litter or bedding	Generally not the first choice for ordinary cage floors	May look tidy initially	Can hide droppings, hold moisture or create dust; AAV prefers plain paper liners

Best all-round choice: plain paper that lies flat and can be replaced daily. It is difficult for a more complicated liner to beat paper on visibility, cleaning speed and cost.

Two Practical Paper Options for Bird Cage Liners

The two existing options below solve the same problem in different ways. The IDL Packaging kraft roll is useful when you want to cut liners to an unusual tray size. The Bryco Goods newsprint sheets trade custom sizing for the convenience of ready-cut paper.

Both are packaging products rather than specialist veterinary bird liners, so check the current listing for coatings, fragrance or other treatments before use. Where your cage has a grate and your bird cannot reach the tray, keeping the paper beneath the grate also reduces access to soiled liner material.

CUT-TO-SIZE PAPER LINER

IDL Packaging natural brown kraft paper roll, 24 inches wide and 1,200 feet long

IDL Packaging Natural Kraft Paper Roll

This large roll of plain brown kraft paper offers a practical alternative to scented or plastic-coated bird cage liners. Cut a fresh sheet to fit your cage’s removable tray, then replace it during your daily cleaning routine. Its uncoated, unwaxed surface also makes it easier to inspect your bird’s droppings.

Best for: Bird owners who regularly replace cage liners
Material: Natural brown kraft paper, uncoated and unwaxed
Size: 24 inches wide × 1,200 feet long
Paper weight: 30 lb
Eco angle: Paper-based alternative to disposable plastic-coated liners
Worth checking: Cut to fit beneath the cage grate, away from your bird’s reach. Replace whenever soiled or wet.

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PRE-CUT PAPER OPTION

Bryco Goods Unprinted Newsprint Packing Paper, 320 Sheets

These ready-cut sheets offer a convenient alternative to measuring and cutting paper from a large roll. Their plain, unprinted surface makes it easier to see droppings during daily cage cleaning, while the 320-sheet pack provides a substantial supply for regular changes.

Material: Unbleached, unprinted newsprint paper
Quantity: 320 sheets
Sheet size: 27 × 17 inches; trim to fit your cage tray
Practical benefit: Pre-cut sheets make daily replacement straightforward
Worth checking: Confirm the paper is uncoated and unscented before use, and keep it beneath the cage grate where possible

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What Should You Put on the Bottom of a Bird Cage?

Use plain paper whenever possible. The Association of Avian Veterinarians specifically prefers newspapers, paper towels or other plain cage-liner papers and recommends changing cage paper daily so the enclosure stays clean and droppings remain visible.

VCA’s avian cage-hygiene guidance also recommends disposable paper such as newspaper or paper towels. It advises against sandpaper cage liners because birds may ingest the grit, causing irritation or obstruction.

Good starting materials: plain paper, kraft/butcher-style paper, unprinted newsprint, ordinary newspaper and unscented paper towels.
Avoid as routine liners: sand/grit paper, kitty litter and loose substrates that make daily droppings monitoring difficult.
Keep it simple: fragrance, deodorising additives and decorative coatings do not improve the core job of a cage liner.

See the Association of Avian Veterinarians’ basic-care guide and VCA’s cage-hygiene guidance for the underlying avian-care recommendations.

Are Reusable Bird Cage Liners a Good Idea?

Reusable fabric liners can reduce disposable paper, but they are not my default recommendation for a bird cage floor. Plain paper is easier to change daily, easier to inspect for abnormal droppings and does not create a laundry stream contaminated with food waste and faeces.

If you are considering a washable liner, discuss the specific setup with an avian vet—especially if the bird can reach the tray. The fabric needs to be changed promptly when wet or soiled, washed thoroughly, dried completely and kept free from loose fibres, loops or damaged backing.

For most owners looking for the lowest-hassle “reusable” approach, the better compromise is a reusable roll dispenser or pre-cut template paired with ordinary recyclable paper. You reuse the system while still giving the bird a fresh, visible liner each day.

Can You Use Newspaper as a Bird Cage Liner?

Yes. Modern newspaper is widely used as a cage liner. VCA notes that modern newsprint no longer contains lead and considers it non-toxic to birds. Newspaper is inexpensive, easy to replace and useful for monitoring droppings.

That does not mean every printed paper product is identical. Skip glossy magazine pages, laminated advertising inserts, heavily coated papers and anything strongly scented. If your bird can reach and destroy the liner, plain unprinted packing paper is the more conservative option.

Do not rely on the claim that all modern newspaper ink is soy-based. You usually do not need to know the ink formulation at all: ordinary newsprint is accepted in avian-care guidance, while plain unprinted paper removes the uncertainty completely.

How Often Should Bird Cage Liners Be Changed?

Change the paper every day. AAV recommends daily changes both for cleanliness and so you can monitor droppings. If the liner becomes wet or heavily soiled sooner, replace it sooner rather than waiting for the next scheduled clean.

Every day: replace the cage paper and look at the fresh droppings before disposing of it.
As needed: wipe or wash the tray when food, moisture or faeces reach the surface underneath the paper.
During the week: clean grates, perches and other cage surfaces as they become soiled rather than treating the liner change as the whole cleaning routine.
Any sudden change in droppings: keep a fresh paper sample or photo and contact an avian vet if the change is persistent or accompanied by illness signs.

This is one reason a plain liner is so useful: the AAV’s illness guidance specifically recommends paper underneath cages and perches so changes in droppings are easy to see.

How to Clean the Cage Tray When You Change the Liner

Remove the soiled paper, discard loose food and debris, then clean the tray whenever contamination reaches it. Use a bird-appropriate cleaning product according to its label, rinse when required and let the tray dry before replacing the liner and allowing the bird access.

Avoid spraying cleaners, fragrances or aerosols around the bird. For the wider bird-care routine—including bathing and feather care—use our bird grooming at home guide.

Daily routine reminder for changing bird cage liners and cleaning the cage tray

If you are choosing a household cleaner for nearby surfaces, our eco-friendly pet cleaning products guide explains surface compatibility and why birds need extra caution around fumes and fragrance.

DIY Bird Cage Liner Ideas That Keep the Routine Simple

You do not need to buy a product marketed specifically as a bird liner. Useful low-cost options include:

Plain kraft or butcher-style paper: buy a roll and make a reusable cardboard cutting template for your tray size.
Unprinted newsprint packing paper: ready-cut sheets can be stacked near the cage for quick daily replacement.
Clean office-paper misprints: suitable when the paper is ordinary, dry and free from labels, staples or coatings, particularly when kept beneath a grate.
Plain paper grocery bags: cut flat sections from clean, uncoated bags and discard handles, glue-heavy seams and contaminated areas.

Do not turn used cage-liner paper into enrichment. Once a sheet has been in the tray, treat it as contaminated waste. For shredding, foraging and chewing activities, use clean material selected specifically for play; our eco-friendly bird toys guide covers those materials, while the bird foraging guide covers enrichment design.

Should You Compost Used Bird Cage Liner Paper?

Do not assume that a paper liner automatically belongs in home compost once it contains bird droppings. The paper itself may be compostable, but used cage waste can contain pathogens, food residues, medication residues or other contaminants. Local composting rules also vary.

If you want to compost healthy-bird waste, check local guidance and your avian vet’s advice first, especially before using finished compost around edible crops. If a bird is ill, being treated with medication, undergoing disease testing or sharing a home with vulnerable people, dispose of the cage waste according to veterinary/local-health advice instead.

From a sustainability perspective, choosing an uncoated paper liner is still useful even when the used sheet goes into household waste: it avoids the extra plastic layer found in some leak-proof commercial liners.

Bird Cage Liner Materials to Avoid or Treat With Caution

Sandpaper or grit liners: VCA advises against them because birds can ingest the grit.
Corn-cob litter: moisture can be retained in the substrate, making hygiene and mould control harder; plain paper is easier to inspect and replace.
Kitty litter: not recommended by AAV as a cage-floor substrate.
Scented or deodorising liners: unnecessary around birds and add fragrance exposure to a respiratory-sensitive species.
Glossy, waxed or plastic-coated paper: harder to recycle/compost and adds materials that offer little benefit when ordinary paper is changed daily.
Loose shredded paper within reach: can encourage nesting behaviour in some birds and makes droppings harder to monitor than a flat sheet.

Final Verdict: The Best Eco-Friendly Bird Cage Liner

For most cages, choose plain paper and change it daily. Kraft paper, unprinted newsprint, ordinary newspaper and unscented paper towels all do the essential job without requiring a specialist liner. Cut-to-size rolls create less offcut waste; pre-cut sheets save time.

Reusable fabric sounds greener, but the cleaning burden and reduced visibility of droppings make it a less straightforward choice. The simplest combination of bird care and sustainability is usually plain uncoated paper + daily replacement + a clean reusable tray underneath.

Eco-Friendly Bird Cage Liners FAQs

What is the best material to line a bird cage?

Plain disposable paper is the best starting choice for most pet birds. Newspaper, plain kraft or butcher-style paper, unprinted newsprint and unscented paper towels are easy to change daily and allow you to monitor droppings.

How often should bird cage liners be changed?

Change the paper every day, and sooner if it becomes wet or heavily soiled. Daily replacement keeps the cage cleaner and makes changes in droppings easier to notice.

Can I use newspaper at the bottom of a bird cage?

Yes. Veterinary guidance accepts modern newspaper as a cage liner. Avoid glossy inserts and heavily coated papers, and use plain unprinted paper if your bird can reach and heavily chew the liner.

Are reusable bird cage liners better than paper?

Not necessarily. Reusable fabric reduces disposable paper but needs frequent thorough washing and complete drying, can retain moisture and makes droppings less easy to inspect. Plain paper remains the simpler default for most cages.

Can I use paper towels as bird cage liners?

Yes. Plain unscented paper towels are an accepted liner option and are particularly practical in smaller cages or when close droppings monitoring is useful. They are usually more expensive than bulk paper for a large cage.

Are sandpaper bird cage liners safe?

They are not recommended. VCA advises against sandpaper cage liners because birds can pick off and ingest the grit, which may cause gastrointestinal irritation or obstruction.

Can used bird cage liner paper go in compost?

Do not assume it can. The paper may be compostable, but bird droppings can introduce pathogens, medication residues and other contaminants. Check local composting guidance and veterinary advice before composting used cage waste.

What should I avoid putting on the bottom of a bird cage?

Avoid sand or grit paper, kitty litter, scented or deodorising liners and loose substrates that hide droppings or retain moisture. Plain paper is usually easier to inspect, replace and keep clean.

Eco-Friendly Bird Cage Liners: Best Paper & Reusable Options