Preparing Your Home for your New Pet
Parrots are known for their constant urge to "customizing their environment" with their beaks. That is what they do in nature; build nests, chew on branches, forage for foods. Knowing that this is natural behavior for parrots, we have no reason to get mad at our parrots and/or to keep him or her locked up.
This being said, leaving this unchecked and not preparing for it will result in damaged furniture or even worse.
Spending some time "bird proofing" your home will reduce or avoid any damage to your home.
These are the things you can do:
- Create the most interesting / create bird play area possible. The more fun it is, the less time your parrot is going to spend on your furniture. Natural, non-toxic branches (with leaves would be great). If you are not into building it yourself, buy a really fun playground - with lots of natural branches and toys or toy hooks. Placing two playgrounds together, or the playground next to the cage and adding ladders and ropes to be able to move over to the next area is a fun way to create a play heaven for your pet.
- Have small bird areas in the spaces that you and your family often hang out in. Birds love your companionship and will seek it. They will follow you around and if they don't have anything to perch on, they will readily accept any of your fine furniture as their personal playground, which you don't want. Having playgyms in the different areas will give them a place to go and chew on toys and branches, as they should. This won't mean that they will not try to chew on your furniture; this is where training comes in. A firm "no" and providing them a toy to chew on will teach them what is theirs and what is yours.
- Use blankets and towels (THICK ones if your pet is a heavy chewer - such as a cockatoo or macaw) and placed them on top of those couches / chairs he likes to sit on. They are easy to wash and you won't worry about your birds ruining your couch.
- Hide all visible electric cords. Parrots usually like to chew on those, creating fire hazards, in addition to potentially electrocuting themselves!). Attaching the cords higher up behind the appliance or covering the cord with plumbers tubes will prevent that from happening. The plastic tubing is available at Home Depot..
- Protect your cupboards / high areas with corrugated plastic siding. The kind people often place on the sides and tops of their aviaries or sheds. These panels are available at any Home Depot and are quite inexpensive. By placing them on top of your cabinets, you will protect them from bird droppings and being chewed on. It can easily be cut to size. I let it hang over the sides a few inches prevent the parrot from being able to reach the wood of the cabinetry. If you choose transparent siding, it's hardly visible. Every few months, you simply take the panels outside and hose it down. And voila -- they are clean and ready to be placed on top of your cabinetry / elevated areas.
In addition to which I have toys EVERYWHERE. I have “finger toys” (his favorites) – bought ones, as well as "freebies," which my parrots love just as much, such as plastic bottle caps and pen tops. You can take old pens apart and provide them to your parrots to play with. My parrot carries them up to his favorite place on top of the kitchen cabinetry). Wherever I tend to hang out, I have toys for him. When he starts chewing on his environment or on me ;-), I tell him a firm “no” and give him a toy to chew on. That keeps him busy for a while until I have time again to snuggle with him.- Foraging for food is an important step in enhancing your bird's life and keeping him or her too busy to chew on your furniture. The following applies to larger parrots only, of course - as small parrots don't have beaks that are strong enough: Offer almonds and other nuts in the shell. Hide them is something he/she can see but will have to dig for. The following applies to any-size birds: Provide him/her healthy treats, like grapes*, berries, apples, carrots -in foraging cups. You can do this by putting a piece of (blank) paper over a cup secured with a thick elastic band. Join the bird channel! Here are some more tips for introducing foraging into your flock.
- *It is recommended not to feed more than one grape to a LARGE parrot a day. Less for smaller birds. Some birds have developed renal failure because of grapes.
- *It is recommended not to feed more than one grape to a LARGE parrot a day. Less for smaller birds. Some birds have developed renal failure because of grapes.
These resources will help you keep your bird entertained & well-adjusted:
Optimal Cage Location & Related Information Environmental Changes .... Foraging stops destructive behaviors ... Also refer to: Redirecting Negative Behaviors in your Petbird for some excellent tips and tricks.
Safety First!
Parrots are just like having a two-year old around; with some additional concerns as far as toxicities are concerned. Their respiratory systems are far more sensitive than our own; and what we can tolerate, can kill them.
Below are tips to keep your pet birds safe:
- Windows: Make sure that all your windows have screens and that they are intact. Birds can escape through open windows or doors. They do like to " enlarge" holes in screens through which they will be able to escape. Therefore, check frequently to make sure that the screens are still intact.
- Electrical Wires: As mentioned above, electric wires should be tucked away. Parrots love to chew on them. Electricity poses a particular hazard.
Scented candles, spray or plug air fresheners: I wouldn't use any of them if I didn't have any pets. They may pose a particular risk to our birds, but sufficient exposure to us and the risk of cancer or other immunodeficiency diseases cannot be dismissed. Artificial scents of any kind should be avoided. I am using Essential oils (aroma therapy) and would never go back to the artificial scents. I choose aromas, like lemon oil for a refreshing scent. Tea Tree oil will disinfect the air -- safely. I love the scent of Patchouli or Peppermint Oil. You can buy little tea candles with a little bowl above the candles - called diffuser lamps - to warm up the oil when lit. I chose one that is pretty deep so that my birds can't get to the fluids.
WARNING: even though I have been using certain Essential oils around my birds with no ill-effects, some Essential oils may be toxic to birds. Discuss with your vet.
Here are the benefits of some of the essential oils:
- Ylang Ylang is relaxing. Eucalyptus aids with respiratory problems;
- peppermint, rosemary and thyme are energizing,
- lemon, tea tree oil* and cedarwood are purifying; ( Note to Bird Owners: *Tea Tree Essential has caused paralysis in birds when the dosage administered was too high. As safe doses have not been established, it's best not to use this essential oil around your birds. )
- peppermint, rosemar and ginger clear your mind;
- lemon helps you concentrate;
- peppermint and spearmint helps with headaches.
- Nutmeg, Patchouli (one of my favorites) and Ylang Ylang increase sensuality. (In addition to which, I love their smell)
- Teflon: Coated or nonstick pans release toxic fumes at high temperatures and can kill a bird very quickly. Normal use probably would not be harmful as the temperature must be very high to emit the fumes, but if a pan were left unattended and the coating started to burn, it could be devastating. This website has more information on this topic.
- Toxic Foods & Household Items.
- Ceiling Fans: A ceiling fan can be very dangerous to a bird in flight. You can imagine what happens when your parrot flies into a fast-moving ceiling fan. Make sure that the ceiling fan is either turned off when the birds are out, or buy a special one that has some sort of protective grid over it.
There are lots of options to disperse the scents of the essential oils. Please visit this website for options.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
- Pet parrots generally present challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.
- Web Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
