Providing Top-Notch Care For Your Pet Parrot

Whether in homes, pet stores, breeding facilities or rescue shelters, care is often times not up to the proper level of excellence needed for happy, healthy parrots. Often times, attention, cage care, nutrition, and grooming care are not up to proper standards. Parrots with potential, but without suitable care, are frequently abandoned because of a lack of commitment on the part of the owner. Behavioral problems (which are the main reason for abandonment) can be remedied when proper care, love, attention, and time are spent with even the most troubled bird.

Whether choosing a bird from a store, breeder or shelter, it is important that potential owners research and educate themselves about the specific breed of parrot they are choosing. Many owners compare caring for a parrot to that of caring for a small child. Parrots require constant care, love, and attention. They can be quite demanding and frustrating at times. For this reason, it is essential that new owners know and understand the responsibilities they are taking on. Understanding the responsibilities required for proper care will lessen the chances of poorly cared for or abandoned parrots in the future.

Cage care is an important aspect of parrot ownership. Because the cage is the main area in which a parrot pet will be spending a majority of its time, it is essential that the cage be the proper size and sanitary. Parrots are larger birds and need plenty of room to move, climb, and stretch their wings.  A cage that is too small may cause stress and upset to your pet. Again, researching ahead of time what the proper sized cage for a specific breed and having open communication with a parrot’s breeder, will aid in making a parrot as happy as possible. Parrot’s cages should be wiped down, daily, and they should be taken apart and washed thoroughly, monthly.

Proper care also includes a varied, well-balanced diet. Because parrots use their beaks to explore the world around them, an excellent way to provide nutritional care as well as entertainment is to integrate a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet. Giving parrots large chunks of raw vegetables or pieces of wood to gnaw on also helps to keep the sharp edges of their beaks rounded.  Without proper trimming care of their beak and claws, they can become quite sharp and can become a danger to themselves or their owners. Proper grooming care includes the frequent bathing, feather clipping, and beak and claw trimming of a parrot friend.

Research and education are the best ways to prevent the abandonment or surrender of parrots that will have to result in future adoptions.  By learning the most that they can about parrots and the care they will require before the purchase time, owners can know they are doing all they can to properly care for and love their new lifelong friend!