Dear Cathy,
I was very interested in your answer to Michelle from Naugatuck, Connecticut, about painting the house with birds in the home. I took my birds to my daughter’s house to avoid fumes from roof coating. It was so stressful for them. I will never do it again. But my house needs painting. If there is a 100% safe paint product, I would love to know what it is.
– Michelle, Oro Valley, Arizona
Dear Michelle,
Sadly, there is no 100% safe paint product for birds. The Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and no VOC paints mentioned in the previous column are your best options. If you can’t take your bird someplace else while you paint, then use only these paints and move your bird to a room in the home not being painted that day. Close the door, close the air vent, and open a window in that room to keep fresh air circulating for your bird. Move your bird back into the painted room only after the paint thoroughly dries. These paints are not supposed to release VOCs once they’re dried.
Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, children’s author, syndicated pet columnist, and pet expert with more than 30 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to moc.tidnuptep@yhtac. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal