If you are planning to keep a parrot as a pet, it is very important to prepare the ‘essentials,’ so to say. This should be done even before bringing your bird home. With this in mind, here are 10 important parrots supplies that you would need.
Bird Cage
The very first thing that you will need is a birdcage unless you like seeing your bird freely roaming around your home. In order to decide which cage suits your bird, you may want to ask your breeder, or an expert about the specific bar space recommendations according to the species of your pet. This bar space refers to the distance between the individual bars on the cage. You certainly would not want your pet to get its head stuck in between the bars.
Another consideration is deciding the size of the cage, in relation to your budget and the space you have at home. Some more expensive cages come with a dowel perch and cups, while others are simple, basic ones.
Cage Accessories
Aside from the cage, you also need to prepare the cage accessories. These accessories will help in creating a comfortable environment inside the birdcage. Your selected bird accessories should be appropriately sized, including perches. You may also want to prepare a cage lining to catch the droppings. Most of the time, a newspaper is the best, as it is free and easy to find.
Bird Food
You will also need to prepare bird food, which is highly dependent on the type of pet that you have. Foods and treats are considered as essentials for your birds. If you got your bird from a breeder or a shelter, ask them what they have been feeding the bird. Some may even give a stock of food for a week.
If you are planning to switch to a diet that is recommended by the vet, you may want to learn how to convert your pet to pellets, making the transition a slow one. Prepare some treats for your bird as well. These treats will help in the bonding and rewarding process. With this in mind, being observant is very important, as you also need to know which treats your bird prefers for the purpose of training.
Bird foods should be replenished constantly. Avoid purchasing food in bulk for just one or two bird pets. While it may seem that you are saving money by purchasing in bulk, but all seed and grain-based products are quite prone to pantry moth eggs. It is recommended to secure food that will be consumed by your pets within 4 to 6 weeks in order to avoid infestation. Also, until you determine the diet that is preferred by your bird, it is best to purchase the smallest bags.
Bird First Aid Kit
Whether you are a newbie or a veteran parrot owner, preparing a bird, first aid kit should be done. Re-stocking of the kit should also be done at least once a year. Among the items that need to be included in the first aid kit are:
- Clean towel for restraining bird for examination and medical administration
- Heating pad to provide warmth for an injured or sick bird
- Gram scale and chart for weight monitoring
- Hospital cage
- Plastic bin for emergency supplies
- Band-aids
- Waterless hand cleaner
- Betadine
- Cotton balls
- Electrolytes
- Eyewash
- Gauze
- Hand-feeding formula
- Feeding syringe
- Hydrating formula
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Latex gloves
- Rubbing alcohol
- Soother spray
- Scissors and tweezers
- Soother spray
- Q-Tip style cotton tip applicators
- Pen-light
- Metal nail file
- Magnifying glass
- Notepad and pen
Bird Carriers
Bird carriers are also important. Whether you are going out for a visit to the vet, a vacation with family, or an emergency evacuation, these carriers will prove to come in handy. Aside from transportation, these bird carriers can also be used as a sleep cage for your bird, a feeding area, or even a hospital cage. Make sure that it is kept clean and ready to go always.
Perches
The right variety and number of parrot perches are important to the foot health of your bird. Your bird usually spends most of its life standing. A well-chosen perch is important in preventing foot problems. Parrot perches come in different types, sizes and diameters, and they are designed to help exercise your bird’s feet. These perches will also help your pet to navigate his cage, and enjoy in a comfortable place to sleep or just simply hang around.
Note that not all perches work for your bird. There is a recommended diameter for every size of the bird. It is very important to have perches that are of the best size for your bird and perches ones that are a little smaller and a little bigger so that your bird will have a variety of options.
Toys
Parrots are intelligent creatures, and they need the occupation. Since human owners cannot spend all their time with them, toys can fulfill a very important role in keeping these birds happy and less likely to develop nasty behaviors such as screaming, plucking or other repetitive movements.
Toys need to be replaced from time to time since a normal way of parrots to play is chewing on bits of their favorite items, including toys. If you find buying toys expensive, you can also create your own toy projects, constructing those that come from household items and save you money in the long run.
Food and Water Dishes
Food and water dishes specially designed for parrots give them access to nutritious and delicious seeds, as well as healthy and clean water needed for their growth and development. These are also designed to be mounted in the cages, making it easy to feed your pets in your home. Make sure that these dishes are cleaned regularly, as this is also very important to the health of your pet.
Bird Safe Cleaning Supplies
In general, parrots are slobs. They might fling food at the walls, poop on the floors, chew their toys, and throw them everywhere. The dander and dust are enough to make you annoyed. Cleanliness should never be ignored as it may result to having sick birds, and the infestation of other creatures.
When preparing bird safe cleaning supplies, make sure that you use those that are designed primarily for cleaning parrot cages. If you cannot find such products, you may want to use mild dishwashing liquid, white distilled vinegar and water, steam, baking soda, or mild laundry detergent.
Treats
Especially when you are planning to teach your pet some tricks, giving them the right treats will help them feel motivated and get the treats as rewards. There are general treats that are available, such as extra food items. It is often recommended to choose a treat that is not a part of their regular meal so that they can identify that the specific treat is only given to them when they accomplish something that is worth a reward.
Bottomline
In one way or another, your parrots are just like us. We have things that we need, and they have too. While they can definitely survive without some of the things mentioned above, having them will no doubt enhance their life. As a result, you can expect pets at home that are not just happy, but healthy at the same time!
