So you’ve decided to care for a feathered companion: a parrot, no less! Did you know that parrots can live for an astoundingly long time? One of the issues many pet owners face is the heartbreak that comes with the relatively short life span of some pets, such as dogs and cats (especially gerbils and hamsters).
However, parrots can live up to 80 years old, so you’ve got a companion for life, provided you’re willing to care for them and keep them happy and healthy. This little guide is all about prepping you to ensure you take good care of your first parrot.
1. Starting with a nutritious, healthy diet
Of course, you’ll want to plan how you intend to feed your parrot since that’s the foundation of their health. One thing to keep in mind is that you can always get the advice of a vet, and you should always seek a second opinion anyway. After all, you’ve got the life of your pet parrot in your hands, so it’s a good idea to get things right the first time. You must look into the ideal types of food based on the type of parrot you have. For example, choose nutritious quaker parrot food for the spunky, lively quaker parrot variety.
Of course, you’ve also got to figure out how often you feed your parrot. Once again, you’ll want to consult a vet, but the typical feeding is once a day. Keep in mind that birds (parrots especially) tend to have a very sensitive tummy. Be careful about how often you feed them, and ensure that your kids (if you have any) don’t accidentally overfeed your parrot or feed it something strange.
2. Using toys to keep your parrot happy
One of the cute things about parrots is they’re quite intelligent, which means they’ll get bored easily. As a result, you’re going to want to treat them like an actual child and get them toys to play with. Typically, toys for parrots are chewable in nature since parrots love chewing on various things (you’ll know the extent of their pluckiness when you accidentally let them out of their cage). Speaking of cages:
3. Making sure their habitat is as clean as possible
If you want a happy and healthy parrot, you have to make sure that they’re in a clean environment. As such, you’ll want to ensure that the cage is clean. Typically, parrot cages make it easy for pet owners to clear the litter without fear of the parrot coming into contact with the bacteria buildup under the cage.
If you’re curious about how often you should clean the cage, once every two days is a good bet. Of course, once every three or even four days is also fine, but it’s a better idea to be diligent and clean often.
There’s no denying that parrots make for remarkable pets. They also have a habit of mimicking what they hear, so you can even teach them various phrases. With enough time, they’ll be holding up their side of a conversation, which can be as funny as it is incredible.
