Parrot Care
About Parrot Care
Parrots are amazing pets, and can live for decades, often outliving their owner. Without the proper care, a parrot’s lifespan can shorten dramatically. If you want a long lasting relationship with a healthy and fun pet, you must care for your parrot properly. This care can take quite a bit more effort than caring for other pets, though there are certainly some similarities. Here’s the kind of care your parrot will require:
Nutrition
In nature, the parrot’s diet consists of seeds, fruit, nectar, pollen, bugs, and sometimes insects. While seeds are a very important part of a pet parrot’s diet, they should not be the only food given. A balanced diet does not mean pet store seed mixes, though these can certainly be used as part of a healthy diet.
Different types of parrots have different dietary requirements. Most parrots need a good mix of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to the seed mix. Great foods for parrots include bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, pineapple, cabbage, spinach, and celery. Like people, parrots will get bored if fed the same thing day after day. Provide fresh food and water for your parrot every day. You may also want to add specially formulated bird vitamins and supplements to the food or water to make sure your parrot is receiving the proper nutrition.
Grooming
Parrots require minimal grooming since birds clean themselves by preening. Still, it is advisable to give your parrot a bath every week. Some parrots enjoy bathing under the shower or sprinkler, mimicking their natural showers in the rainforest. Others like to bathe in a bowl.
Also, your parrot’s beak and claws can become too sharp if not cared for properly. Trim them on a routine basis. Some people recommend trimming parrots’ wings to ensure that they do not accidentally fly away. Wing trimming is best done by an experienced avian veterinarian.
Cage Maintenance
The parrot cage requires routine care, too. Fresh newspaper should be placed in the bottom of the cage every day. Wipe the cage down and remove any droppings daily. Examine toy condition and rotate toys weekly. Once per month, disassemble the cage and wipe down every surface using mild soapy water. Avoid the use of harsh cleaning products on any part of your parrot’s home.
Interaction
Taking care of your parrot also requires frequent interaction. Parrots are social creatures, and they will become lonely if isolated. Parrots like to be in busy rooms, like the living room, but with at least one side of the cage against a wall so that nothing can “sneak up” on them. To keep your parrot from becoming bored or stress, personally devote at least one to two hours per day to interacting with your bird.
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