.png)
Living with a Parrot
Parrots are the most rehomed pet and a large part of the reason they are so frequently rehomed is due to a lack of understanding about proper parrot care and what it takes to share our homes with them.
Diet
Diet is the most important thing you need to get right. It is going to make the biggest difference in your bird’s behavior, health and overall well-being.
Parrots need a whole food diet of raw veggies, grains, sprouts and cooked legumes. Pellets should only make up less than 50% of a parrots diet, if at all and not all pellets are created equal.
Birds do need seeds & nuts but only a small amount as treats for training or foraging.
Safety
Birds have a much more advanced respiratory system which means they are much more sensitive to toxins than humans or even other animals.
Before bringing home a bird, you will need to make changes to many aspects of your household to make it safe for a bird.
_edited.jpg)
Cage
Your bird's cage is equivalent to your own home. It's where your bird will relax, play, groom themselves, eat their meals, and spend most of its life. This means that making it big and safe is EXTREMELY important!
What size should you get? Bigger than you think: The bigger, the better.
Birds should be able to fully extend its wings, turn around and even fly short distances in its cage OR be allowed frequent opportunities to fly outside of its cage in your home.
Choose a safe material: Regular paint will chip and is NOT SAFE for your bird. Powdered-coated steel or iron is most common but not long-lasting. Aluminum is safe and less expensive than stainless steel. Stainless steel is the safest, lowest maintenance, longest lasting, but most expensive by far.
⚠️ Avoid galvanized steel is widely available and cheap but has a zinc coating - zinc is extremely toxic to birds.
Mind the bar spacing: If the space between bars is wide enough that your bird can squeeze its head through, it can be deadly! Ensure the cage you get has the appropriate bar spacing for the species you are getting.
Behavior
Screaming, Biting, Hormones, Sleep
More information coming soon...
Enrichment
More information coming soon...
Flight
More information coming soon...
For those living in the Houston, TX area we highly recommend Dr. Stephen Fronefield, DVM, DABVP at ABC Animal & Bird Clinic in Sugar Land, TX.
Vet Care
Birds should receive a yearly wellness exam and bloodwork should be done every 1 - 2 years.
Birds require specialized veterinary care from an experienced avian veterinarian - a regular dog & cat vet is not going to be knowledgeable enough to care for a parrot.
Birds, being prey animals, hide their illnesses extremely well. In the wild, their lives depend on looking healthy because sick birds get hunted first.
Weighing birds regularly, understanding what a sick bird looks like, and regular checkups with an avian vet help to catch symptoms as early as possible. Even then, we often see symptoms only when the disease has progressed and the bird is critical.
Cost of Bird Ownership
Aside from the initial cost of acquiring a parrot, either via adoption, rehoming or purchasing from a breeder, parrots are one of the most expensive pets to maintain IF YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT.
Parrots need specialty food, natural toys and perching, and specialty veterinary care among other things.
Please take cost into account before committing to a bird (or another bird).
Your Health
Because parrots produce considerable amounts of dander (some species more than others) they often cause allergies or exasperate respiratory-related illnesses, like COPD and Asthma.
For both your parrot’s health and your own health, it is recommended to use an air purifier where your parrot spends most of its time.