Bottom of the cage stuff

Question
QUESTION: I'm a new budgie owner...just a couple of months. I spotted in the store something you can buy for your cage to prevent lice. I have two birds. Should I get this? Does everyone need one?
I put them outside in the cage a few hours Sat/Sun when it's warm outside....other than that they're in the house. I have a dog and two cats also if that matters. They don't have anything suspicious just wondering about this.

ANSWER: Those lice preventer things rarely work, and in some cases can cause problems like liver cancer!  Lice is fairly rare in budgies, so it isn't really necessary.  If they do come down with lice, you can get an inexpensive powder from a vet to kill them.

As long as visits outside the cage are supervised, and you make sure that they are safe from the dog and cats, it should be okay.  I have 2 dogs and 3 cats, and they do fine with my birds.  Just keep an eye on them.

Best of luck!  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me!
-Leah

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I noticed in petco the other day they had this brown stuff (kind of reminded me of hamster something) at the bottom of their budgie display. The birds were all hopping around on the bottom, seemed really happy, and pecking dropped food seed etc. The seed was in a small igloo type feeder on the ground also.

Is this stuff good for them to do? Do you know what it is? I didn't ask. Right now I have newspaper covered by paper towel and change daily.

Answer
The brown thing was either wood or like a rock type thing I'm guessing?  They're kind of like the chew things they give to rodents.  Budgies need things to chew on, otherwise they'll find things like their perches and food dishes to destroy (one of my birds gnawed through a perch while she was sitting on it, and was completely shocked that it fell through and she fell off!).  Cuttlebones are best for this, and you can get them for around a dollar at petco, and even in flavors like grape!

You can buy them all sorts of different food and water dishes.  My favorites are the dispenser type ones because they tend to stay cleaner.  Give things like treats sparingly, and some treats are better for them than others.  Honey treats are good, and very healthy for them.

Toys are a must too.  You can get everything from the very simple to the extremely elaborate.  Things with mirrors and bells will usually keep them entertained for a while.  Another cheap plaything you can give them is empty toilet-paper tubes to shred and hide in.

Do you have perches yet?  I prefer the wood ones to the plastic, because they tend to be more durable and the birds seem to like them better.  

Budgies are very easily amused, and will probably find fun with whatever you give them.  Its also best to get more than one, so they have someone to play with.

Let me know if you have more questions!