Should I Get A Pet Bird

The question: should I get a pet bird? More and more people are choosing to become pet owners, including birds. According to bird owner surveys, most prominent in the United States where 53% of bird owners answered “yes” when asked if they really enjoy having a pet in their homes. Across the pond, in the United Kingdom, 1 in 4 survey respondents expressed the same interest. The statistics show that birds make good pets, but it all comes down to one thing: do birds make good pets for you?

Do you want a new pet bird? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. It really depends on your personality and lifestyle. Birds are fun to be around and can be quite amazing creatures. However, taking care of a bird is a 24/7 responsibility which not everyone is ready for. If you do decide to get a bird make sure you value your time, money and energy.

Should I Get A Pet Bird?

Whether or not you should get a pet bird depends on what kind of person you are, and how much time you have. Birds are social creatures and need to be around people. If you’re going to be away from home for long periods of time, a bird is probably not the best choice for a pet.

Birds also require lots of care and maintenance. They need regular cleaning, food, and water every day. They also need their wings clipped so they don’t fly away and get lost! And if they’re kept in an outside cage, they will only be able to fly as far as their wings will take them—meaning that if there’s no place within their reach where they can safely land, then they’ll just keep flying until they fall out of the sky or get eaten by predators! So keeping a bird means taking on all these responsibilities—and doing so every single day!

If you’re thinking about getting a pet bird, there are a few things you should consider.

First, some birds like the parakeet or cockatiel may not be right for your lifestyle. If you’re looking for something more exotic and intelligent, like an African Grey parrot or macaw, then these birds can be very rewarding pets. However, they require a lot of attention and care—they’re not like cats or dogs, who will spend most of their time sleeping while you’re at work.

Some people who have experience with birds recommend getting them when they’re babies so that you can train them yourself instead of having to deal with an adult bird who has already formed its own personality. On the other hand, some people say that it’s better to get a bird when it’s an adult because it will be more likely to bond with its new owner during that bonding period than if you bring home a baby bird from the store!

Should I Get A Pet Bird

Estimates say that more than 5 million households in the U.S. have pet birds. Birds come in an amazing variety of shapes, colors, and personalities. It is important to find the right bird that fits your personality and lifestyle. Some birds need a vast amount of attention and work, especially larger parrots, but even some smaller birds need a lot of love and handling in order to be happy and friendly.

There are many things you need to consider before you settle on a species, including the lifespan of the bird, the size of the cage it needs, foods it will require, the noise level of the bird, and the time and attention the species needs.

Birds That Require More Work

Many people are drawn to parrots such as Amazons, African greys, cockatoos, and macaws as they are gorgeous birds that are very trainable. Greys and Amazons are coveted for their talking abilities. These very trainable birds are also the most challenging and most demanding as pets. If you are interested in a parrot, it is extremely important to examine your motivation for getting a pet bird, along with your ability to commit to hard work needed to successfully live with one of these demanding birds over the long haul (some can live up to 60 years).

Good Beginner Species to Consider

Beginners who do not have a lot of time to spend with a pet bird should consider species such as canaries or finches. If you have a bit more time and have an interest in parrots, then you could consider parakeets (budgies) or cockatiels, which are smaller members of the parrot family and are friendly, relatively quiet, and easy to tame if you get a young bird.

Other members of the parrot family that you might want to consider as a first-time bird owner would be lovebirds, pionus parrots, poicephalus parrots, parrotlets, Quaker parrots, and grey-cheeked parakeets. And while doves and pigeons are often overlooked as pets, they can make good companions as they are quiet and sociable.

Care Considerations

There are things around the home that are considered hazardous to birds. Things you probably wouldn’t think of like your cookware, scented candles, and deodorizers. The respiratory systems of birds are delicate. If you are a smoker, then a bird might not be the right fit for you. Some plants are perfectly safe, while others are potentially fatal to birds. It is important to know about all the household hazards that can harm a bird.

Some birds require stimulation and need to keep their brains busy in order to curb less-than-appealing behaviors like excessive noise or destroying their cage. Much like children, if you give parrots toys to keep them entertained, these positive activities can go a long way. There are many kinds of toys you can provide for them. There are foot toys, hanging toys, and vertical toys that are hung on the inside wall of a cage that acts as a play board, and there are puzzles.

You might want to invest some time in training your pet bird. Training helps strengthen the bond you have with your parrot. Most birds look forward to the one-on-one attention involved in training sessions. With successful training usually comes lots of praise and attention and their favorite treats. In addition, teaching some simple commands will make handling your parrot easier.

Keep your bird healthy and wash your hands every time after you handle your bird. Birds can carry germs that make people sick. These bird-borne illnesses are rare in the United States, but you will still need to be vigilant about handwashing. Psittacosis, or “parrot fever,” is a potentially serious disease of pet birds, and it can be transmitted to humans. The risks are not great, but it is best to be aware of them.