There are many species of birds that can swim, for example we see ducks swimming. In fact, there is an old saying, “He took to it like a duck takes to swimming”. In Germany as well as many other places you can see beautiful white swans swimming in the lake. Penguins can swim. So it seems only natural that people would think that birds can swim.

If you own a pet parrot you will undoubtedly realize how much your bird loves water. Many pet parrot owners will bring their large parrots as well as small parrots into the shower with them and the birds seem to love this. There are actually special perches that can be purchased which will stick to the shower wall in order for your pet parrots to shower with you. I would advise buying these as it is much safer than having a pet parrot such as an african gray parrot or blue and gold macaw sitting on your shoulder. We never advise that any parrot be allowed to sit on your shoulder for reasons dealing with dominance issues. It can be extremely serious if your beloved pet parrot becomes frightened or angry and decides to rip out your eye or take a chunk out of your cheek. Never let a pet parrot rest above your eye level.

It is true that birds do love water and bathing is essential for them to keep themselves clean and healthy. Pet Parrot care is not complete without making sure that your pet can easily bathe him/herself.

Pet Parrots should not be allowed in water which is above their belly. The more shallow, the better. They can do quite a good job of cleaning themselves without too much water.

Pet parrots cannot swim. Their feet are designed differently from ducks and swans. They are not webbed so they cannot paddle themselves through water like their cousins can, therefore please do not allow your pet birds near water deeper than their underbelly and watch them closely. Good grooming is necessary for pet parrot care, so water is necessary, but just be careful and follow the advice above.

Below is a video I found that you will probably find useful regarding bathing your pet parrots:

Technorati Tags: large parrots, Parrot Care, parrot dominance, Pet Parrots, small parrots

Many pet owners are anxious about the possibility of their pets contracting the H1N1 Flu Virus. Today we want to deal specifically with Pet Parrots and H1N1.

Apparently there have been some pets which have been diagnosed as having the H1N1 Flu Virus. These have been bought to our attention via the American Vetrinary Medical Association. The pets which were diagnosed were not Pet Parrots but we can see by the evidence provided that it is not impossible for the H1N1 Flu Virus to pass from humans to animals.

It has been reported that at least 3 pet ferrets and 1 cat have been bought to their veterinarians and were diagnosed as positive for the H1N1 virus. It was clear by the report that the animals did not pass the virus to the humans but that the humans had flu like symptoms and then a week or so later the pets became ill with the virus. They all recovered from the illness.

No matter which pets we own, pet parrots or dogs or cats etc. we should be following the same precautions we would with the rest of the population. This means that we must be sure to wash our hands before handling our pet parrots and if we, or someone in the family appears to be sick or getting sick, that their time with our pet parrots should be limited to what is necessary. By that I mean that if you are the only person who can attend to your pet parrots then make sure that you have washed your hands and if you have to sneeze or cough, be sure to sneeze or cough into your arm rather than into your hand. Deflect the germs into your arm rather than having the mucous spray into the air where it can become air borne and affect your pet parrots and those around you.

If there are others in the family who do not appear to be ill then it would be a good precaution to have them, rather than you, take care of the pet parrots care until you are better. Try to isolate yourself as best you can from your pet parrots until you know that you are well. Generally it is a good idea to keep yourself away from your pets until 24 hours after your fever has gone.

Pet parrots are generally very healthy but no one knows for sure yet what the outcome would be if you were to pass H1N1 onto them. Seeing as the H1N1 virus tends to attack the respiratory system we can only imagine that it would not be a very good thing if your pet parrots were to pick the virus up. Pet Parrots need immediate attention if they appear to be sick or suffering from any respiratory infection. Whether this be from H1N1 virus or any other virus that may be contacted.

With this said, be sure to take your pet parrots to a specialized avian vet if you notice any symptoms of ill health in your bird.

For more information on the H1N1 Flu Virus and Your Pets Click the Link

http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus/new_flu_virus_faq_pet_owners.asp

Technorati Tags: Flu Virus, H1N1, Pet Parrot Care, Pet Parrots

To summarize we said:

1. Make Sure that the Parrot Cages are Big Enough
2. Dont Let Your Parrot on top of the Cage to Play
3. Don’t buy Round or Cylindrical Cages for your Pet Parrots

Today we want to talk about perches for your parrot cages as well as whether we should have the grid at the bottom of the cage.

First, let’s talk about perches for the parrot cage. These perches come in a variety of styles and sizes and it is generally best to consider buying at least two different types of perches. One of course would be the regular wooden perch which should fit the width of your parrot cage. When choosing wooden perches make sure that they are thick enough for your pet parrots to stand on easily. You don’t want a thin perch if you have a large parrot. The thinner perches are fine for small parrots such as lovebirds or budgies, but you will need a larger perch for African Gray Parrots or Macaws etc.

Be sure to place the main perch along the width of the cage and make sure that they are not directly above the food dishes. There is nothing more unsanitary than having your pet parrots drop their excrement into their food or water dishes. Also, make sure that the perch is placed far enough away from the edge so that your bird will not be rubbing it’s feathers against the bars of the cage when sitting relaxed on the perch.

Besides the plain wooden perches it would be a good idea to get a branch like perches also. These are comfortable for your pet parrots because the width of the perch varies giving your bird a bit of relief from their feet always being in the same position all the time.

I do not recommend that you buy the concrete perches. These are sandy like perches and can be very irritating on the feet of your pet parrots. Stay away from them. Even though the pet store owners may tell you that it is good for keeping your pet parrots nails trimmed, it is not worth the problem of having sore feet. You can always get the avian vet to clip your pet parrots nails once in awhile if you are worried about doing it yourself.

Just a word of caution about nail trimming. Do NOT try and trim the nails yourself if you are not sure what you are doing. If you trim them wrongly, you may end up having your bird bleed to death. Get  your avian vet to show you how to do it correctly if you plan on doing this yourself.

I also want to talk about the grid that comes with some parrot cages. There is a bit of a debate over whether we should use them or not. I personally find them to be a pain in the butt because when the bird defecates it ends up getting stuck on the grids. I tend to take these out when I purchase a cage and just line the bottom of the cage. Then when the bird defecates I can just remove the liner on the bottom and presto! Clean cage bottom

Lastly, I want to talk about parrot toys. Just be sure not to buy a mirror when purchasing your parrot toys. WHY? Because your pet parrots may fall in love and bond with the bird in the mirror not realizing that it is actually him in there. The bird in the mirror is a perfect companion as far as he/she is concerned. He/she does everthing that your pet parrots do. Ahhhhhhh, wouldn’t life be lovely if our companions did exactly what we wanted them to do…….oh, I’m dreaming now…lol

So, I hope these tips will help you when you finally decide to purchase a pet parrot and your parrot cages.

Technorati Tags: african gray parrots, parrot cages, Parrot Toys, Pet Parrots, small parrots

Pet parrot care can become very expensive if we do not learn the proper way to care for our pet parrots correctly.

One of the main areas that will keep costs down in the long run is in choosing the proper parrot cages. Many people do not put too much concern about this particular purchase because they assume that any parrot cage will do if it is not too small for the pet parrots. This is a very wrong assumption. If you choose the wrong parrots cage you will run into many problems down the road.

Many people will rely on the advice of the pet shop from where parrot cages are usually sold. Please bear in mind, that not all people who work at a pet shop are experts in the care of pet parrots. Many work on commission basis and will try and sell you something that gives them a good commission so do your own research before buying your pet parrots.

There are a few things that I think we should discuss here before you run out and buy your parrots cage.

1. Make sure it is big enough! Remember your pet parrots will be spending much of their time in their cages so be sure that the cage is big enough to give them room to roam around a bit. If the parrots cage is too small you will end up with the pet parrots feathers all bent and messy looking. This will upset your bird because pet parrots love to preen themselves and if they find their feathers are all amuck they will try picking them out. Pet parrots are notorious for feather picking anyways so you do not want to give them an excuse to do it or inadvertantly get a bad habit started.

2. Don’t get a cage that opens up on the top so that a little play gym can be added up on top of the cage. Here is an example below:

Althought this is a very nice parrot cage, we don’t want our pet parrots to climb around on top of the cage. Why? I will let you know a little secret that many people will not tell you. You will notice that when you get your pet parrots they will go to the highest spot that they can fly to whenever they get the chance. This is very normal behavior for parrots because in the wild this is the spot with the best vantage point. They can  easily see their predators from this view. I am sure you have heard the expression “wanting to get a birds eye view of a situation”, well this is what that is. Parrots want to get to the highest spot they can and then they feel secure knowing that they have a good eye on the situation.

Why wouldn’t we want our pet parrots to have this advantage? It seems strange that I would say in one breath that this is what they love and makes them feel secure and then in the next breath tell you not to allow them to get up high. The reason we dont’ want our pet parrots high, especially on the parrot cages is because when they feel secure, they feel in control.

In order to train your pet parrots properly we should never give them the upper hand like this. So, because of this reason we don’t buy cages with play gyms on top, or ones that open up at top like this example below:

The best cages for pet parrots are wide or long and high. Pet Parrots need lots of room to move around in their cages or they can get stir crazy. (not really, that is an old saying, but they will get bored more easily).

Also be careful never to buy a round bird cage for any bird, even a budgie or finch. Birds need to spread their wings and fly and they can’t fly vertically, they need the horizontal area to fly on so please don’t buy cylindrical cages like this example below:

I’m going to stop here for now and pick it up in the next post where we will discuss perches and grating on the bottom of the cage.

Till next time Adieu

Technorati Tags: bird cage, cage, how to choose, parrot cages, Parrot Care, Pet Parrots, round bird cages

In the Marin Independent Journal today, I found another news article about Pet Parrots. If you have been reading my blog you will realize that although I adore pet parrots I am also quite unrelenting in my advocacy of learning all you can about pet parrots before you go out and buy one. Too many people see the sign “Pet Parrots for Sale” and don’t do the due diligence to find out all that they can about Pet Parrot Care and what it entails.

According to the article in the news story, Pet parrots are the 4th most popular pet being outranked by cats, dogs and fish. Sadly it goes on to tell us that the pet rescue missions are finding more and more pet parrots that are given up by their owners or let loose in the open because pet parrot owners get fed up with them. What a sad state to be in. These poor pet parrots didn’t ask to come into our lives, how can people be so heartless as to let them loose to fend for themselves? Obviously the ones that are let loose, very seldom make it in such a drastic environment. Please read this story and read our blog posts so that you are educated about pet parrots and pet parrot care before you decide to buy one.

The news article can be found here: http://www.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_13424518

Technorati Tags: Pet Parrot Care, Pet Parrots

Sadly, many people think that owning pet parrots is one of the easier choices to make for a family pet rather than say, a dog or cat. They erringly think that parrot care is not as time consuming as if they owned a pet dog, but surprise! Pet Parrots generally require more parrot care than a pet dog would need.

Let’s just take a moment to think about the comparisons here.

Dog Care vs. Parrot Care which is easier?

Dogs need to be walked a few times per day

Parrots need to be let out of their cages a few times per day

Dogs need to be brushed and bathed

Parrot Care involves bathing your pet parrots a few times a week

Dogs need to run

Pet Parrots need time outside their cage to exercise and fly (if their wings are not clipped)

Dogs eat out of their food dishes

Pet Parrots love to throw their food around. It’s a foraging instinct that they have. Be sure that you will be picking up a lot of food from the floor if you own pet parrots.

Pet Parrot Care involves a lot of diversity in the parrots diet also. It’s not enough to just give you pet parrots bird seed. They need fruits and vegetables and some pet parrots may even need more specialized food such as suet. Parrot Care is a lot more involved when it comes to feeding than it is with a pet dog.

Pet Parrot Care may involve wing clipping. This is something you should discuss with your avian vet. Many people prefer to clip their pet parrots wings in order to ensure the safety of their pet parrots. This is something you can learn to do yourself, but it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Only certain feathers will need to be cut from your pet parrots wings and you must take care not to cut any blood feathers.  You will definitely need to know what to look for when doing this so you must take great care not to injure your pet parrots.

If you decide to get this done at the avian vets then it will cost you money. This will need to be done at least twice a year, along with nail trimming. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do for Pet Parrot Care.

Pet Parrots can get caught in drafts and or get sick from toxins in the home very easily. Once the bird appears sick then it is a good chance that it is too late to even save the bird.  You will have to get to the avian vet as quickly as possible. Pet Parrots are much more delicate than pet dogs and therefore Parrot Care is a little more demanding and more expensive.

Avian veterinarians are specialist in Parrot Care and usually charge more than a regular animal veterinarian will cost.

Pet Parrots are also very intelligent creatures and need constant stimulation to keep them occupied. This means lots of time socializing with family and plenty of time playing with parrot toys. You will need to keep the cost of parrot toys in your Parrot care budget because they go through toys very quickly because of their strong beaks. They will rip apart anything made with wood and this is to be encouraged. They are used to doing this in the wild and so it should not be stopped just because they are now a family pet. Pet parrots need lots of parrot toys and these should be changed about regularly to keep up the interest in them by your pet parrot. Introducing new pet parrots toys will be discussed in another post as it needs to be done with care.

These are just a few things to think about when considering parrot care. If you don’t think you have time for all that is involved then perhaps you should consider getting a cat instead.

Technorati Tags: Parrot Care, parrot diet, Parrot Toys, Pet Parrots, wing clipping

Pet parrots definitely come in a variety of sizes to meet every fancy. I don’t know about you, but many people are curious to know the size of particular parrots and their age expectancy before deciding on which pet parrots to think about.

Some pet parrots are very large but if you live in an apartment and want a smaller parrot then it is best to find out which pet parrots are better for apartment dwellers.

I have made up a list that will help you if you are deciding on which pet parrots to look into based on size and life expectancy.

Pet Parrots Based on Size: Largest to Smallest

(The Canary is not part of the parrot family but I have added it so you can get an idea of the size of the Pacific Parrotlet)

If you plan on buying a pet parrot then I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with proper pet parrot care. The Parrot Training Videos below will help you to learn to handle all types of parrot behavior. Please consider purchasing these DVD’s as part of your pet parrot care.

Technorati Tags: large parrots, Parrot Care, Pet Parrots, small parrots

Many people see pet parrots which are owned by others or on videos, such as YouTube.com and immediately start to get ideas in their head about how much they too would love to have such a sweet companion in their own home.

Pet Parrots are truly adorable and they do make great companions, but….and a big but….what you see in your friend’s home or on videos is not exactly what you will get when you purchase your pet parrots.

The majority of persons who have purchased pet parrots in the past can tell you that they require a lot of time and attention devoted to them. In many instances, you will need to train your pet parrots (see our recommendation on the right of this blog post) if you wish them to become a loving member of your family. Sadly, it is a very common thing to see pet parrots purchased and then left by them-selves in some basement covered up to help deter their screaming. Here are just a few things you should be aware of before purchasing your pet parrots.

• The Larger they are, the more time is required with them.
• It is imperative that you spend a scheduled time each day with your new pet. Pet Parrots love schedule. They need to know what is going to happen when, in most instances.
• Ask Yourself “Are you a scheduled type person?” if you are more of the laid back type, you may end up with a bird that is confused and lonely.
• Screaming can truly become a big problem if you don’t know how to train your bird properly. Pet Parrots are loud to start off with, especially the Large Parrots.
• All Birds love to greet the day and give their adieus to the evening sun. Be prepared for the noise. They cannot help this, it is in their genes and punishing them in any way for this is not being realistic.
• If your pet parrots are not getting enough quality time with you they may start to pluck their feathers. Feather plucking can get very obsessive and so you will need to be sure that your pet parrots have lots of social time and plenty of parrot toys to play with.
• Be prepared to be buying plenty of parrot toys as they chew through them very quickly.
• Most pet parrots are very intelligent. Especially known for their great intelligence are the African Gray Parrots. They are known to have very great vocabularies and a very high I.Q. The more advanced pet parrots like these will require much more from you as they will get bored very easily if not stimulated. This can cause a very great demand on your time.
• A smaller bird may be more suitable if you are looking at pet parrots but don’t have the time necessary to give as much attention to. Male budgies for example can very often be taught to talk and are not as noisy as their larger parrot counterparts. Because of this, they may be the best choice especially if you live in an apartment.
• Bearing in mind the volume that pet parrots can reach, it is always best to keep in mind that the larger parrots are not suitable for apartment dwelling. You will definitely need a house if you plan on buying pet parrots such as the African Gray Parrot, the Cockatoo, or the Macaw, for example.
• Pet Parrots like to bite. The bigger their beak the more damage they can cause. If you get the proper training with pet parrots before you purchase them, then this training will help to dissipate the likelihood of a major problem.
• Most Pet Parrots like to bond with one person. They may change their allegiance from time to time but generally they bond with only one person in the household. This person may not be the one who is actually doing all the work for the bird. Just because you are there everyday, talking to your pet parrots, feeding them and playing with them, this is not a guarantee that they will choose you as their favorite. To help inhibit the over bonding of your pet parrots to any one particular person in the household it is important that all individuals of the family spend time with your new pet parrot daily.