I hear ya. Or see if he likes & uses it first anyway. I buy baskets in thrift stores usually- very cheap, lots of selection, & if you find one you like but it has a handle, it's easy to just cut it off anyway. The color & texture of woven baskets looks natural too, & you could easily attach some fake foliage, if you wanted.
(And it doesn't hurt anything to spray-disinfect used baskets & let them air dry- I use chlorhexidine, as I use to clean cages.)