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Cuttlebone—that funny, white oblong object shaped like a canoe—is found in bird cages everywhere and can be purchased in the bird aisle of virtually every pet store. But what is it, exactly?  Is a cuttlebone something pet birds actually need?


The Shell of the Cuttlefish
Cuttlebones are not actually bones, but rather the internal shell from the cuttlefish, a member of the cephalopod family of sea creatures. The cuttlefish is actually a mollusk, related to the octopus, squid, and nautilus, and a cuttlebone is an internal shell with gas-filled chambers that keep the cuttlefish buoyant and able to maneuver in the water.

Cuttlebone for Pets
Cuttlebone serves several functions for pet birds, as well as for other pets. Cuttlebone is offered to reptiles, hermit crabs, chinchillas, and turtles, where they offer a good source of additional dietary calcium. A cuttlebone is great for these animals because it floats and doesn't foul the water as other supplements can. And the extra calcium helps increase the density of eggs for those animals that lay them. Cuttlebone has about the same amount of calcium as eggshell by volume. But it is considerably more convenient to offer cuttlebone rather than feeding eggshells, which need to be boiled and disinfected before offering them to pets.

For birds, the value of cuttlebone has several aspects.  If your bird ingests some of it, they benefit from the calcium found in cuttlebone. In addition, the act of playing and nipping at a cuttlebone serves to polish a bird's beak and helps remove outer scaly layers.  Finally, cuttlebones offer an object of play and exercise for birds. Not all birds use cuttlebone, but for those that like them, cuttlebones can be a healthy interactive item for the cage or play gym. A cuttlebone enriches the cage with another object and another texture. Birds are healthiest and happiest when they are presented with choices, and even the little choices are important.