Line the cage floor with thick paper and tape it down to make cleaning easier. Because of the amount of feather dust that can circulate in the air, the cage should not be placed in the bedroom of an allergic person. Since so much time is spent in the bedroom, that area should be as allergen free as possible. You should also make sure that any cats or dogs in the house cannot thrust their paws or noses into the cage or otherwise gain access to it and injure the bird. Remember, too, that the area around the cage will become soiled by food and droppings.
Many birds are also very sloppy when they bathe and splash drops of water outside the cage.
You can protect your carpets to a great extent by standing the cage on a sheet of plastic. The major bird allergen is derived from the powdery-like feather dust which collects in and around the cage, and which also circulates throughout the house. Feather dust, especially from Cockatoos and Cockatiels, builds up very rapidly in the room that contains the bird cage. Droppings that have dried in the bottom of the cage are another source of dust. Birds digest their food quickly and create a great deal of waste matter.