Pre-Pet Planning> How to Choose a Pet Bird

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Bringing a pet home should be one of the most planned decisions taking every member of the family’s opinion into consideration. Remember, lack of care, attention and love can be detrimental to your pet’s health – be it a dog, cat, fish or bird. Birds are delicate pets, and you have to be extra careful before picking one. Here are some handy tips –

Time
As always, time is a very important factor for choosing a pet bird. You need time while selecting a bird (no hasty decisions), so do your research well by speaking to friends, the internet, and the vet – whatever you can, before you take the final decision.

Cost
Keep in mind, that the more exotic a breed, not only the initial cost will be high, your bird care and maintenance could be high as well.

Care
Your family members and you have got to decide before hand the maintenance and care for your bird. Maintain your bird’s health record in a file. You have to know every detail and keep every possible record, with regard to health certificates, prescriptions, diet chart and the breed of the bird. So, when you are travelling or on a holiday, if you leave your pet with a friend/ neighbour or carry the bird with you, you are well prepared.

Noise
Remember that birds are going to make noise and you cannot stop that, and if you try to, then having a pet bird is not such a good idea – then go for a fish bowl. For instance, birds like macaws and parrots are loud birds. If you are very sensitive to sound, even smaller breeds like lovebirds or budgies can be noisy for you. A better bet – doves, canaries or even finches should do.

Cage
Don’t be miserly with the size of a bird cage. Your bird should get some space to move around, so pick a cage accordingly. Larger the bird, bigger the size of a cage, but that doesn’t mean when you get a pair of lovebirds, you give them a tiny cage.

Exercise
Some birds need to be kept out of their cage for some exercise. In such cases, ensure that your windows are shut (so your feathered friend will not escape), if you have ceiling fans, ensure they are switched off. You need to give your bird some space to spread its wings.

Food habits
Birds are messy eaters, and you have to accept the fact. Your bird’s diet will consist of seeds, sprouts, grains and fruits. Parrots like chewing on bits of fruits, especially guava and a green chilli.

Bathing
In a small bucket of water, add one to two teaspoon of turmeric powder. Pour it over the birdcage and bathe your bird through that. Turmeric is an anti-septic and it is a natural way of keeping your bird clean and healthy. While bathing your bird inside cage, keep the cage in a bathroom or a garden, where it will be easy for you to clean the cage. Take a long brush and clean the base of the cage, while your pet bird may keep wandering around trying to dry itself in the cage.

Kids and pet bird
If you have small children, teach them not to trouble the bird too much. Ensure your kids don’t put their hands inside the cage, chances are if the bird is taunted enough he can nip.