Bird advice

Having a pet bird can be very rewarding.  Birds can bond very closely to their owners but making sure you care for them correctly is very important.  Birds need special care to make sure they are kept happy and healthy. 
These are just some of the things you should consider for your pet bird:

Bathing your bird

Birds need to bathe every day to keep their skin and feathers healthy.  Discover how your bird prefers to take their bath; some will enjoy being gently sprayed with a spray bottle whilst others may just like to splash around in a small amount of water in your kitchen sink.

Your bird’s cage

The bigger cage you can provide for your bird, the better.  Your bird should be able to fly around happily between perches in their cage.
Make sure your bird’s cage is made of a material than you can disinfect and keep clean and line the bottom of it with paper so that any droppings can be easily removed.  Make sure your bird’s head doesn’t fit in between the bars of the cage so that they can’t hurt themself. 
Small apple tree branches make great perches for your bird’s cage. 

Keeping your bird entertained

Your pet bird will appreciate having toys in their cage that they can play with, especially ones that they can nibble or take apart to find food.  Birds often get bored of their toys fairly quickly though, so it is a good idea to rotate them every few days to try and prevent this. 

Depending on the size of your bird and its cage, your bird may need to come out of its cage regularly to fly around and explore.  Make sure all windows and doors are closed before doing this though and close your curtains or blinds to stop your bird flying into the glass and getting hurt.

Feeding your pet bird

The different types of pet birds need different diets to keep them fit and healthy.  Speak to your local Vets4Pets team about your bird to find out what the best feeding regime is for them.

Any bird questions?

The team at your local Vets4Pets practice will be happy to discuss any questions you have on keeping your pet bird happy and healthy, so anything you’re not sure about – just ask away.