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The dangers of cotton and fabric toys to birds

We ourselves have had a budgie that died due to a rope spiral, The spiral was only a month old so not something that had been already frayed. This is the reason we have removed almost all toys that contain cotton or fabric. Hammock’s get frayed fairly easy causing a danger to catching claws and the bird unable to free itself..

Cotton is a material that we commonly use in our daily lives – from the fabric of the clothes we wear to the bed linens that we sleep on every night. As bird owners, we can easily find cotton perches, cotton bird toys, cotton hammocks and furry sleeping huts for our birds as well.

But did you know that although cotton perches, toys, hammocks and huts are marketed for birds, they are actually unsafe for birds because of the ways birds interact with the material?

Because parrots love to shred, chew, preen using their beaks, cotton and fabric poses significant risks of chemical poisoning, strangulation, entanglement and developing a gastrointestinal blockage.

What can make such a soft and seemingly harmless material dangerous for our birds?

Risk of chemical poisoning
Many mass manufacturers of bird toys use unsafe and unregulated dyes, bleaches in the production of cotton toys to lower costs. Also, cotton is a very pesticide-intensive crop and many unsafe chemicals are used in growing cotton. Studies have shown that cotton production is very harmful for workers and wildlife.

Since birds love to chew their toys, they will occasionally ingest some fibers or pieces of cotton based material and are at a risk of chemical poisoning. A bird owner shared that her bird developed a tumor in its crop which could possibly have caused by these chemicals.

Risk of strangulation and entanglement
When a piece of cotton rope or fabric gets chewed and broken down, it frays and unravels into smaller threads. These thin threads easily tangle around birds’ feet or neck, resulting in injury or in countless cases even death.

Risk of developing a gastrointestinal blockage
When small cotton fibres are ingested, it is accumulated in their crop (a pocket-like tract in their lower throat), stomachs or intestines over months and years leading to an eventual obstruction and a swift death. Vets have also mentioned that many times, the cause can only be diagnosed in a post mortem autopsy. 

Symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction:

  1. Vomiting
  2. Difficulty pooping, differences in droppings
  3. Suddenly drinking a lot of water
  4. Reduction in appetite
  5. Yeast in crop
  6. Lethargy
  7. Constant vomiting
  8. Feather destructive behaviors

But…

Myth 1: My birds have cotton toys for a long time and there are no signs of them being sick, it should be safe right?

Gastrointestinal obstruction takes months to years of small cotton fibres accumulating in the crop, stomachs or intestines, leading to an eventual obstruction and a swift death. Birds can behave normally even while the fibres are building up over the months and years. When symptoms finally start to show, birds are close to death. Most of the time, bird owners only discover the fibre blockages of the bowel and stomach on post mortem examination.

Myth 2: I’ve never seen my birds chew on their cotton rope perch and toys, so it should be safe in my case right?

Parrots won’t necessarily chew these items in front of you and often the changes that occur to these items are very subtle as individual cotton fibres are quite small. Cotton rope perches can still fray over time and trap your bird’s claws.

Myth 3: My bird loves his/her fabric snuggle hut and hammock so it should be safe for them right?

Lots of parrots love fabric huts, tents and hammocks for the same reasons why we humans love our beds – because they are comfortable, soft and alluring. However, despite how much parrots like them, fabric snuggle huts, hammocks and tents are NOT safe for parrots because of how they interact with them. Birds love fabric because it’s soft and pliable. In a bird’s mind, chewing on fabric makes it fluffy and plump – which increases the dangers.

Myth 4: If I make sure I continually trim the loose threads and frayed cotton, it should be safe for my birds right?

No, because of 3 reasons:

  1. You cannot control what happens when your birds are in their cage unsupervised. Dangerous fraying can occur in a single afternoon while you are away.
  2. Birds usually chew their snuggle huts and tents from the inside, making small and unnoticeable holes in the lining where the stitches are where they can get entangled between the threads on the fabric.
  3. Loose threads and frayed cotton means that the birds have been chewing and ingesting the cotton fibres – the risks of chemical poisoning and gastrointestinal obstruction from cotton fibre are still significant.

Myth 5: Since many bird toy manufacturers use cotton rope and fabric to make toys and many bird owners also use them for their birds, it should be safe right?

Many bird toy manufacturers use cotton rope to make toys and perches because they are easily obtainable, cheap and makes “durable” bird toys. The threads of cotton rope are extremely strong and difficult to chew through, which is exactly why cotton rope poses serious entanglement and strangulation risks to birds.

Unfortunately, although these products are marketed for birds, it does not mean that they are safe for birds. There are many commercially produced toys that are poorly constructed, unsafe and inappropriate for birds. According to Currumbin Valley Vets in Queensland, Australia, they have had many birds presented suffering from fibre impaction as a result of chewing on tasselly, rope toys and woven rope perches that have been sold as “bird friendly”.

Myth 6: If I supervise my birds, I can quickly cut them free if they get entangled in cotton threads and it should be fine right?

Birds have died instantly by strangulation when they get their necks tangled. There have been cases of birds separating the strands on braided ropes, inserting their heads, and strangling themselves as a result. Some birds have even died of heart attacks due to anxiety.

Birds can also chew a hole inside the lining of fabric huts and end up becoming trapped inside the lining and suffocate.

What can you do?

  1. Remove all the sources of cotton fibre from your bird’s cage. This means rope toys, perches, boings, hammocks, happy huts and snuggle tents.
  2. Don’t buy any toys with cotton rope, chord or tassels
  3. Do not allow your bird to chew on or pick at carpets, curtains, upholstery and clothes
  4. Avoid using towels or cloths with loose threads as cage covers
  5. Provide plenty of healthy, natural alternatives for your bird to chew
  • Perches and boings: Use natural wood perches, perches and boings wrapped with natural bird-safe rope such as sisal, hemp and jute rope. Make sure that these ropes are oil and pesticide free.
  • Bird toys: If the toy comes threaded with cotton rope, cut away and replace the cotton rope with natural bird-safe rope such as sisal, hemp, jute and vegetable tanned leather. If the toy comes with fabric strips or cotton threads marketed as a preening toy, cut away the fabric strips and cotton parts.
  • Hammocks, happy huts and snuggle tents: We would generally recommend to remove sleeping huts and cover the cage with a black-out cage cover instead because sleeping huts encourage hormonal and nesty behaviour especially among female birds. If you choose to give your bird a sleeping hut or hammock, choose natural materials such as seagrass and vegetable tanned leather.

Is cotton rope safe for birds?

We don’t recommend cotton rope for birds. That includes cotton rope perches, boings, swings and rope toys. Chewed or preened cotton frays into long, soft threads that can loop around toes, feet or a neck, and swallowed fibres can build up in the crop or gut over time. New cotton rope is not risk-free either: the budgie we lost was caught on a rope spiral that was only a month old.

  • Fraying: cotton fluffs up quickly. Loose threads and loops are the main entanglement risk, and they can appear in a single afternoon.
  • Cleaning: cotton soaks up water, droppings and food and is slow to dry, so it can hold bacteria and mould. Washing also loosens the weave.
  • When to replace: we’d swap cotton rope for a wood or natural-branch perch now rather than waiting for it to fray. If you do keep it for now, check it daily and remove it at the first loose thread, loop or thin patch.

Is hemp rope safe for birds?

Hemp is safer than cotton, but no rope is completely risk-free. It is coarser and stronger than cotton, so it usually frays more slowly, but it can still unravel, form loops and be swallowed, so choose natural, undyed, untreated hemp sold for birds and check it every day. See how hemp compares with sisal, jute and synthetic rope in our bird-safe rope guide.

Is sisal rope safe for birds?

Natural, untreated sisal is a common alternative to cotton, but it still needs regular checks. It is stiff and coarse, so it is less likely to unravel into fine threads, but it can be harsh on feet if it is the only perch, and you should only use sisal sold for birds. Our bird-safe rope guide compares sisal with the other ropes.

Is jute rope safe for birds?

Jute can be used for birds if it is untreated and sold for birds, but it frays and holds moisture more than sisal. Avoid oil-processed jute from hardware or craft shops, and expect to replace it more often than hemp or sisal. Our bird-safe rope guide has a full comparison and a daily inspection checklist.

For a side-by-side comparison of cotton, hemp, sisal, jute and synthetic rope such as nylon and polypropylene, including which to choose and when to replace it, see our bird-safe rope guide.

Are rope perches safe for budgies and cockatiels?

Natural-fibre rope perches can be part of a budgie or cockatiel cage, but use them as one perch among several, never the only one, and check them every day. Small toes catch easily in loose loops, so cotton rope is best avoided and any rope perch should come out as soon as it starts to unravel.

How do I clean rope perches?

Take the perch out, brush off droppings, scrub it in hot water with a bird-safe cage cleaner, rinse thoroughly, then let it dry completely before refitting. Damp rope can grow mould, so it helps to have a spare perch to swap in while one dries.

Always follow the maker’s care instructions. If a rope perch is still stained, smells musty or shows mould after cleaning, replace it rather than cleaning it again.

What makes a bird toy safe? A quick checklist

A safe bird toy is made from bird-safe materials, sized for your bird, has no loose threads, loops or small parts that can trap or be swallowed, and is checked and replaced as it wears. No toy is safe for every bird, so supervise new toys at first.

Safer signs

  • Untreated wood, natural branches, card or paper, and leather (supervise leather and replace it if frayed).
  • Undyed, or coloured with dyes the maker states are bird-safe.
  • Sized for your bird: chunky enough that a large parrot can’t snap off pieces to swallow, with no gaps a small bird could get its head or foot through.
  • Fixings that close fully, such as stainless-steel quick links.
  • Easy to inspect, and cheap enough to replace when worn.

Warning signs of an unsafe bird toy

  • Cotton or fabric: rope toys, tassels, fluffy strips, hammocks, huts and snuggle tents.
  • Long loose strings or chains, or loops big enough for a toe, foot or head.
  • Small parts your bird could swallow, or bells with narrow slots that can trap a toe or beak.
  • Split rings, key rings or clips that could catch a beak or toe.
  • Flaking paint, unknown metal coatings, glues or strong chemical smells.
  • Any toy that is frayed, cracked, splintered or has sharp edges.

Wood and leather toys we stock include the Wild Wood Fun toy, the Leather Stick Toy and the Leather Heart. You can browse the full range in bird toys, and check every toy against this list whatever you buy.

When should I replace a rope perch or toy?

Replace any rope perch or toy as soon as strands separate, loops form, it gets thin or misshapen, or it stays dirty, musty or mouldy after cleaning. Check it daily rather than on a fixed schedule, because a busy chewer can ruin rope in an afternoon while a gentle bird may make it last for months.

Safer enrichment and related cage guides

After reading about cotton and fabric risks, these real Everyday Pet Cages hubs and products help you choose a cage and safer enrichment (wood and leather over fraying fabric or unsupervised rope):

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