When you have limited space and often find yourself alone, pet birds just might be a great fit for you. Birds can be great companions for senior citizens, children, or pet-less households, and they can provide friendship and amusement for many years.
There are many reasons why birds make such great pets. Among these reasons are that they are inexpensive because unlike other pets because they do not require lots of food. Not only are they inexpensive, they are also intelligent and very sociable!
Best Family Birds
There are many great reasons to get a pet bird, but what kind of bird is best for you?
There are many great birds to choose from, such as:
- Parakeet – Parakeets quickly become your family’s best friend with their sweet behavior. With practice, Parakeets can eat out of your hand, whistle in tune, and learn basic commands.
- Cockatiel – The perfect beginner bird, Cockatiels love playing with their owners, and should be given at least one hour of attention a day. Cockatiels love hanging out outside of their cage, so consider purchasing a perch for them to hang out on. This will be great for socializing, even if you’re not actively playing with them.
- Cockatoo – Cockatoos are an attention-loving animal. Cockatoos are quick to bond with their owners and thrive on their relationships. In fact, if they don’t receive enough attention they can become depressed and begin plucking out their feathers as a sign of distress.
- Lovebird – If you’re looking for a companion for life, stop your search now. There’s no bond-breaking when Lovebirds make a relationship with their owner. These creatures love bathing, so give them a bowl of water to wash in two or three times a week.
- Finch – If your family is looking for a bird that doesn’t require much attention, the Finch is the perfect fit. Finches prefer to stay inside their cage, away from human interaction. A cage cover would be great for finches.
Other great birds include conures, parrotlets, doves, pionus’, and Meyer’s parrots.
Pet Birds Require Minimal Grooming
Birds don’t require nearly the amount of close attention that dogs and cats need. You don’t have to walk, house-train, or entertain them. It’s also a lot easier to clean out a bird cage than a litter box.
Birds are naturally healthy animals and cleanse their feathers daily to keep them shiny and clean. Bird owners do not have to deal with shampoos, baths, and expensive haircuts.
Most bird owners can usually maintain their pet’s health and good looks with a quick nail trim and a feather clipping now and then. You may want to arrange having the nail and feather clippings to be done professionally.
For cleaning, a bird only requires a light misting of non-chlorinated water once or twice a week.
For owners who are physically challenged, the ease of bird care is a welcome relief.
Pet Birds Are Inexpensive to Feed
Pet birds eat a very small amount of food per day, even the biggest of birds eat very little.
On top of that, the highest quality bird foods and fresh produce are mainly plant-based foods. These foods are much less expensive the protein packed products required for dogs and cats.
It is important to provide pet birds with a diet of pelleted food, seed foods, and washed fresh produce. They can also benefit tremendously from the human foods that their owners eat.
When serving fresh fruits or vegetables in your home, set a tiny portion aside for your bird so that you can eat together as a flock. In this way, you’ll never over-prepare food your bird might reject and waste.
Your bird will love the end pieces you normally cut off of vegetables and fruits. Put the usually discarded raw pieces to good use in your bird’s dish. The fruits and vegetables will provide nutrients and variety.
Just make sure that the foods you share are safe and not toxic to birds. These toxic food include avocados, apples seeds, onions, chocolate, and mushrooms. These foods are highly toxic to birds.
Pet Birds Are Very Social With Others
Whether it be humans or other birds, most pet birds do very well around others. Birds can be every bit as loving and caring as a cat or dog with proper training.
Some pet birds are inseparable from their owners, even going with them on daily errands. They can also be easily trained to do tasks and tricks for you since they are great at mimicking.
A lot birds will sit on your shoulder to tell you that it’s time for their dinner. Spending more time with your bird outside of it’s cage will generate more creative responses from them when you interact.
If you are going to keep your bird in it’s cage most of the time, it’s need to be social will not be met. So allow them to spend a few hours outside their cage at a time.
Include them in your regular family life. Doing this will make it easier for them to bond with everyone in your household.
However many birds will sometimes bond with only one member of the family. This will lead to the bird being more aggressive to certain others in the house.
It is a good idea to get a second bird if you leave the house often. This way they can have another companion when you are not at home.
It is important to let your current bird have a say in picking out the new bird. Your bird should decide very quickly if they like another bird or not.
Birds Are Very Smart
Birds are very clever little critters. They possess the ability to comprehend and learn things. And whether you believe it or not, there are plenty of studies conducted that prove their intelligence.
They have great problem-solving capabilities and cognitive skills that indicate a high degree of intelligence.
For them to be able to fully develop their intelligence, owners must make their environment as interesting as possible. Provide them with toys or have a scheduled time for talking to your bird.
If your bird does not receive the needed support they can can become depressed or self destructive.
It is true that some birds are smarter than other birds, but really that is true for any animal, even humans. There are those that are very intelligent, and there are those that are on the other end of the intelligence charts.
The unique intellect of birds make them fascinating and intriguing pets. There high intelligence also makes it easy to develop a close bond with it’s owner as well.
Birds Are Very Easy to Care For
It must be stated that any pet, no matter if it’s a cat, dog, hamster, fish, or bird, it is going to require some maintenance. There is no such pet that will not require some care.
If this is what you are searching for, maybe you should rethink getting a pet.
Luckily, birds are one of the easiest pets to care for. Unlike cats and dogs, birds can be kept in a cage the entire day. Even if you need to leave for a while, you don’t have to worry about them destroying your house.
This does not mean you don’t have to do anything. Their cage will still need a cleaning every so often. They also need to be let outside of their cage every once in a while.
Unlike pets such as dogs, birds are much easier to housebreak. And you won’t have to take it outside for walks regularly.
Birds Are Easy to Train
Birds love learning and love attention from their owners, so training them is usually easy and quite enjoyable for the bird and owner. And to be quite honest, they’re easier to train than bigger pets such as dogs.
You can even unintentionally train a bird. Take a parrot’s speech, for example, the parrot may hear random chatter from within the household throughout the day and pick up some words.
So one day you may hear your parrot start shouting a word you’ve never taught it to speak. They can even mimic sounds such as belching or coughing.
It is important to keep in mind that training your bird, is not an activity you only do when you feel like it.
It’s true many birds are easy to train, but if they are not given regular opportunities to interact with you they will become depressed and develop destructive behaviors.
It’s also important to understand that some birds may never learn how to speak, no matter the time and attention they receive.
Birds Are Suitable Stay at Home Pets
Birds are used to having companions at all times. A bird will want to make a friend as much as humans do. Many birds will sing to you, some will talk to you, and play with you. This especially holds true if you spend time together with a bird out of its cage.
Compared to the cats and dogs that typically roam free within their owners’ homes, birds are relatively easy to care for. They can be put inside of their cages when owners are not at home or busy.
Many people prefer the convenience of cleaning a bird cage once daily rather than scooping a litter box or having to take a dog outside every few hours.
Pet Birds Are Eye-Catching and Interesting
Many Birds are covered in beautiful and colorful feather coats. You will find lots of joy just watching your bird prance around in its cage showing off it’s vibrant colors. it is also bound to bring plenty of complements from house guests.
It is also enjoyable and fascinating to observe your bird’s behavior from a distance. Some people claim that watching your bird, or any bird for that matter, can lower one’s stress level.
Just remember that birds should never be treated as cute ornaments or part of a home’s decorations. They cannot be treated the same way as aquarium fish, which some may consider living ornaments since they are extremely low maintenance.
Birds still require a decent amount of time and attention.
Pet Birds Take Up Little Space
Small birds such as canaries are good options for people who live in apartments or condominiums with limited space. Larger pets, such as cats and dogs, need extra room, but a bird cage can easily fit into a tighter living space.
Note that constant enclosure is not healthy for your bird. Small birds have a lot of energy and they need space to spread their wings to burn them off.
Most landlords have fees that have to paid by pet owners, but birds take up such little space, some landlords don’t require fees for birds. You should still read the fine print of your lease to be sure birds don’t require fees.
If no fees have to be paid a bird can be a great economical choice for tenants who wish to get a pet without paying extra fees.
Be aware of the noise level your bird might bring into an apartment complex with nearby neighbors. If the sounds your bird makes during the night disturbs your neighbors, your landlord may ban pet birds from the apartment.
Birds Have Very Long Lifespans
Those who have gone though the heartbreaking experience of losing a beloved pet are often reluctant to get another one.
Luckily with birds, you’re looking at animals that have very long lifespans. So if saying goodbye is usually rough on you and your family, a bird is perfect.
Some birds species can sometimes live beyond 30 years old. So depending on how old you are your bird may outlive you!
If you believe that your bird will indeed outlive you it is important to have someone care for your bird once you are gone.
You Will Be Making A Longtime Close Friend
If you are looking for a close companion and pet which is lower maintenance than most pets, a pet bird definitely fits the billing.
They hold all the characteristics and traits you are looking for in a pet.
You will make a lifelong friend as well!
