HELOISE Cedar shavings should not be used in aviary

Dear Heloise: I have several varieties of finches, so my husband built me a covered aviary on the back deck of our house. I have been placing newspaper on the bottom, but it gets so messy so fast.
I was wondering if I could put cedar shavings on the bottom. The bottom would look cleaner, and the chips absorb odors. I know this works well for small rodents, so why not birds? K.M., San Antonio
Chirp, chirp, peep, peep! Well, we took your interesting question to an avian specialist, Dr. Tom Vice, and here is what he had to say:
You should not use cedar or wood shavings in a bird aviary. Because the pieces are so small, it is possible for the birds to kick up the small particles and ingest them into their crop (where food is stored before digestion).
Instead, you can use crushed corncob on the bottom of the aviary. You can usually find it at larger pet stores and sometimes at discount stores. The good thing is that you don't have to change all of it -- just scoop out the area that is dirty (like you do in a litter box). Heloise
Dear Friends: Mary Ann Johnson of San Antonio sent us a picture of her 4-year-old bichon fris & eacute;, Koukla, who is a pet-therapy dog, wearing a tiara! She has been through lots of training and visits children's hospitals. She puts on a little show, including dancing, for as many as 13 children at a time. She also enjoys riding in her stroller.
Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.-com, and click on This Week's Pet to see Koukla. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
Dear Heloise: We keep a basket in the den for all of the puppies' toys. We have a 1-year-old miniature pinscher and a 1-year-old Maltese.
This way, their toys are accessible to them, and we have an attractive container for them. Rawhide bones and stuffed toys alike are periodically tossed in the basket for the dogs to drag out again. Sometimes Minnie and Gus think we are playing when we toss the toys in, and they drag them all back out again. Taylor, Via E-mail
We do the same for Cabbie, our mini-schnauzer, and you would think we had a houseful of 2-year-olds with all the toys she has! Heloise
Dear Heloise: If you have a cat that is a messy eater, you can put an old phone book under its bowl. Rip the old layer off, and your pet will have a new place mat every time. This works because you don't have to clean up the floor -- you can just throw away the old, and you have a fresh one! Catherine M., age 10, Annapolis, Md.
Dear Heloise: I wanted to send along a little tidbit for people who have hamsters or gerbils. It is usually best to buy them a metal exercise wheel, because they chew plastic ones up. This will keep you from making a double purchase. Greg from Philadelphia
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
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