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Paint - Birds can injest flakes of paint. Today, most cage manufacturers use safe paints and powder coating, but do ask questions when buying a cage. If you have a cage with chipping paint, you should get the paint flakes tested for toxicity. If it is toxic, then either strip and repaint the cage or replace it. Be sure to use paints which are both lead and zinc free. Many anti-rust paints contain zinc, so check with someone knowledgable. If you don't want to bother, then replace the cage.

Question: I have some metal birdcages that I would like to repaint for my birds. How should I do this?

Martha Stewart: Birds, like many small pets, are extremely sensitive to toxic materials, and paint containing zinc or lead could prove deadly to them. Never keep a bird in an old cage that is in poor shape or is painted with an unknown product. Even if the cage's paint appears to be intact, it will deteriorate over time, creating a potentially dangerous environment.

Birds, particularly those of the psittacine family (parakeets, cockatiels and other parrots), use their beaks for climbing. As they do this, they can gradually damage the paint and cause it to flake off. When that happens, they are likely to chew on the flakes. Passerine birds (such as canaries and finches) may do less damage, but flaking paint can still fall into their food or water dishes.

An old cage with flaking paint can either be carefully repainted or replaced with a newer cage. Since a paint job can be tricky or costly to do well, you might choose to buy a new cage. When shopping, look for one that is either unpainted or painted with safe products.

If you do decide to paint the cage, make sure you first scrape off all the old paint from the bars using a wire brush. Then choose primer and paint that are nontoxic. According to Marc Morrone, host of the syndicated television show "Petkeeping with Marc Morrone," any paint that is considered safe for children will be free of both lead and zinc and so should also be safe for birds. Avoid any paint formulated to fight rust. Although this might sound like a good idea, these paints are made with zinc and can be very dangerous.

Apply the primer and paint following the manufacturer's instructions. Keep your bird far from the area (in a substitute cage) until the paint is thoroughly dry, so as not to expose him to fumes.

One other alternative to consider is taking the cage to a powder- coating facility. (Some auto-painting shops offer this service.) There, they can sandblast it and apply a durable powder coat. (Be sure to indicate that you want them to use a zinc- and lead-free paint.) Although this is more costly than repainting the cage yourself, the result will last many times longer than an ordinary paint job.