Cattle

Archive for November 7th, 2009

If you are seriously considering buying a parrot, taking the time to read this article will be very beneficial. The key thing to think about before you go ahead and buy a parrot is – are you willing to devote the required amount of time to properly care for a pet parrot? Parrot care should be taken very seriously, because it is very important for the health and well-being of your pet, and it requires a lot of time to do properly.

Parrots have been popular pets for centuries now, and it is easy to see why – they come in a variety of colours; they have great personalities; they are very bright and intelligent; and they are reasonably easy to train. However, these pros often cause people to overlook the negative points associated with having a pet parrot, and they rush out and buy a parrot without properly considering how much time and effort is required to properly look after one. Very sadly, this results in lots of parrots acquiring behavioural problems.

Although there are over 350 species of parrot, and each species has slightly different parrot care needs, there are certain common ‘parrot care’ factors that are important to all of them:

Cages – Nothing has more of an impact on a parrot’s mental health than the size of its cage. The cage needs to be easily big enough to enable your parrot to fully spread out and flap its wings. There also needs to be enough room in the cage for five large parrot toys, without the parrot being cramped. Frequently check the cage for damage that could harm your bird (e.g. sharp metal edges caused by your parrot chewing the cage).

Socialization – When parrots are left on their own, they often experience mental health problems. Therefore, it is very important that they get lots of social interaction with you and your family – treat him like a member of your family, and he will act like one! The best way to ensure this happens is to place the cage in a location in your home where you and your family spend the majority of your time. Note: Don’t put the cage in your kitchen, because cooking often gives off chemicals that are toxic to parrots.

Food – Even though diets vary slightly from species to species, there are many common foods that are good for all types of parrots. Every parrot’s diet should include the following foods: fresh water, parrot seed (vitamin enriched), fresh fruits and vegetables, and parrot pellets.

Cage Cleanliness – Clean the cage every dayeach day, but only use water and mild soap. You should always wash your hands before you handle a parrot, or prepare his food, because it is very easy to give a parrot a bacterial infection. For example, human saliva contains bacteria which is very harmful to parrots.

Parrot Grooming – Parrots require a lot of grooming. Their beaks and nails don’t stop growing, and require clipping approximately every 4 or 5 weeks. This is essential, because long beaks and nails can easily result in your parrot getting snagged on various bits of his cage, which can cause an injury. You also need to provide water baths or water sprays every day to keep your parrots’ feathers in really good condition.

In conclusion, if you are prepared to provide the proper parrot care, owning a parrot is really enjoyable and rewarding. Parrots thrive in normal household environments, and they make fantastic pets and companions. However, please remember that adopting a parrot is a long-term commitment, because parrots can live anywhere between 15 and 80 years.