Choosing A Pet Bird

A pet bird can be a wonderful and exciting addition to any family. However, it's important to realize that pet birds are a very big commitment. It's important to think long and hard about whether or not you are ready and willing to bring a pet bird into your home. Take as long as you need because, as the saying goes, "Most cats have nine lives, but most parrots have nine homes." This is sad, but very very true. Many pet birds land in bird rescues around the country because their owners didn't fully understand that bird ownership is a lifelong commitment. Here are 12 things you need to take into consideration before choosing a pet bird: How much money do you have in your budget for caring for a bird? Birds cost money, even if you get a pet bird for free. You need to consider not only the cost of the bird, but the cost of a cage, food, toys, veterinary care, nail trimming and wing clipping procedures, and whatever else your bird needs. Some of these costs come up on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis. You also need to keep in mind that you may need to replace toys more often than you think. Some of the larger parrots can go through a $20 toy in a few hours. How much time do you have to devote to caring for a bird? Everyday, birds need their cages cleaned and their food prepared as well as time spent with you (they are naturally "flock" animals). A single pet bird will need about 15 minutes in the morning and evening for food preparation (at the least). You also need to spend about 30 minutes in the morning and at least 30 minutes to an hour in the evening providing your bird with play and cuddle time outside of his cage. Add to this about 15 minutes of cleaning the water and food bowls and changing out the cage paper. Every week, you'll also need to spend about 30 minutes to an hour cleaning and disinfecting your bird's cage. The time it takes depends on the size of your bird's cage. Yes, birds do require a very high time commitment. This is a bit easier if you work from home, but if not, you will need to be prepared to spend a lot of your time at home caring for and spending time with your pet bird. Time commitment becomes even more serious with birds such as Cockatoos. They would love to be surgically attached to you and if they don't receive the care and time with you that they need, screaming and feather plucking is almost inevitable. How much time do you spend away from home every day? If you spend a lot of time away from home, then a parrot might not be the right pet for you. They need daily interaction and the proper amount of care. Do you go on a lot of vacations? Without even thinking about the amount of time your bird will be without you, have you thought about who will take care of your bird when you leave? You can't just leave enough food or water--they may be knocked over and your bird may die a horribly slow death from starvation. If you do have someone to care for you bird, are they comfortable handling him? Even though you're gone, your bird still needs his necessary daily interaction. Do you have children or other pets? Birds can fit into a home with children and other pets, but there is some planning involved before choosing a pet bird. There needs to be enough room for their cage and playstand in the busiest part of your home (birds need to be a part of the action). Birds also rely on instinct and may bit. Young children can hurt some of the smaller birds while larger birds can do a lot of damage to children with their large beaks. Children need to be taught to respect the pets in the household and also need to be supervised whenever a parrot is around. Older children can be great with pet birds; just don't rely on them to take proper care of the bird. You also need to take other pets into consideration. Even a small bite from a dog or cat can be deadly to a bird. You need to be prepared to supervise.