I keep newspapers (and catalogs) to line the bird cages. I don't actually collect newspapers, I simply take a whole pile of the local free ones when I find them available. I don't read the newspaper. . .it's depressing, mostly.

I get many, many, many, many, many, many (get the idea?) catalogs in the mail and so if I'm out of newspapers I take the staples out of the spines and use them to line the bird cages, but they are slick and don't absorb messes as well. I use them only when necessary.