1 comment

The Unnatural Life Is Natural For A Captive Parrot

Cockatoo1

Taking your parrot for a walk is great for him and you.

 

Let me put it right out there: Owning parrots isn’t natural. What else are we supposed to do with parrots who could never survive in the wild, other than place them in loving homes that strive to meet their unique needs? That’s the best place for these amazing animals.

We owners put a lot of time into caring for our babies, and sometimes this involves making choices that would be unnatural for a ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
2 comments

Being Non-Confrontational with New Birds

IMG_3979

Umbrella Cockatoo’s first day out – see his posture, turning away from me? He is feeling uncomfortable.

One of the things we all love as owners is introducing a new bird to the flock. I love that feeling of knowing someone new is there, tucked safely away for now in a separate room. Quarantine serves an important role in health, but it has an added advantage of allowing your bird to hear the rest of the household without having the shock of having to ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
4 comments

Setting Up Obtainable Goals for Rescued Parrots

IMG_2222

Setting up obtainable goals for rescued and re-homed parrots: What is progress, and how do you know if you’ve made it?

 

The question of knowing whether you’ve progressed at all can be surprisingly difficult to tell! With our neurotic pet-shop cockatiel, for instance, we had to decide what was her personality, and what was emotional ‘damage’ from her past. Progress for her came in very tiny steps. It took time for me to get that a super-quiet bird may be that way because it is ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
9 comments

Spoiling your Parrot Vs. Good Quality of Life

 

 

 

DSC00181

How do we tell the difference between spoiling a pet, and giving a good quality of life?

There are two main components for a captive bird’s quality of life:

  1. The basics: Food, water, a decently-sized cage, fresh toys, suitable perches, and a clean, safe environment
  2. Unconditional love: Your understanding, patience, dedication, and empathy

If you’re wondering whether a bird is spoiled, ask if what he has or is being given is really necessary in his life?

Providing a parrot the basics isn’t so basic at all in the eyes of many non-bird people. ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
11 comments

The First Sign Of Hormones In A Young Macaw

IMG_4694

Fid my Blue and Gold Macaw. He can open the fridge door, climb down the door shelves and steal any bottles that have screw top lids. He’s not worried about drinking the contents but all lids are HIS.

 

You know you’re in really serious trouble when you walk into your bird room and all of the birds stop what they’re doing and look at you in that way they do when they want to see if your head is going to explode? There is ...

Continue reading
3 comments

Keeping Your Birds Safe Around Dogs And Cats

IMG_4260

Can dogs, cats and birds live together?

 

Photos and videos of birds with other pets tend to start wars on social media. There are many people that swear their dogs and/or cats are best friends with their birds but there are just as many tragic stories where those friendships end in disaster. It’s a tough topic.

 

There are two main reasons to be concerned about letting your birds interact with your dogs and cats. The first and most obvious is the fact that you’re trying ...

 

Continue reading