Everything you need to know before buying a bird

So, you have decided to buy a decorative bird. In fact, you have already taken care of a lot, for example, choosing a name for the future pet, deciding on the location of the cage, looking at a lot of information on the Internet about the type of bird you are interested in. Thus, you may get the impression that you are ready to plunge headlong into the world of poultry. However, don’t be in too much of a hurry. There are many aspects that potential owners can only learn about after they have already acquired a bird. And how sometimes they feel sorry that they didn’t know about it in advance.

Ten things you need to know before buying a decorative bird

If you read the article to the end, you will surely be able to fully understand what you actually need to keep a bird in the house. You may be shocked at how drastically you will have to change your life if you take a feathered friend into the house.

1. You may need to get new cookware. Teflon, widely used as a non-stick coating, can be deadly to birds. At the time of heating, this coating releases toxic substances that can kill a bird in just a minute. This circumstance means that you will have to spend money and replace all Teflon-lined kitchen utensils with pans and pots made of stainless steel or any other safe material.
2. Say goodbye to candles and air fresheners. Scented candles, air fresheners, and scented oils, like Teflon, can pose a health risk to ornamental birds because the respiratory system of feathered friends is extremely sensitive to chemicals. For this reason, it is recommended to refrain from using household chemicals indoors, especially directly in the place where the bird cage is located.
3. Do not smoke in the house. As you already understood, cigarette smoke can harm you and your pet. If you can’t give up cigarettes, then at least smoke outside the poultry house. Also, wash your hands thoroughly before handling your pet.
4. Be prepared to wake up early. Birds wake up with the first rays of the rising sun. They will expect you to do the same. You need to be prepared to adjust your sleep schedule to accommodate your feathered pet. Immediately after waking up, the bird needs to be fed, and you will have to do this every morning.
5. Buy yourself a really good vacuum cleaner. Birds are, to put it mildly, dirty by nature. Be prepared to sweep or vacuum your apartment daily to get rid of the endless stream of husks and other debris that accumulates around your pet’s cage. Make sure you are up to the task before bringing your bird home.
6. You will most likely have to get rid of some indoor plants. Many common houseplants are poisonous to birds. You will have to replace them with others before you get a feathered friend.
7. Take a look at what clothes you wear. Birds are attracted to various shiny objects, such as jewelry or sequins on a dress. Before communicating with a bird, it will be better to remove everything shiny from yourself. This will keep you, your pet and your belongings safe.
8. Birding takes a lot of time. Birds, unlike cats or dogs, cannot be fully called pets. Each bird is tamed individually. If you bought a tame bird that can eat from your hands, then you can be sure that a lot of time and effort has been spent on shaping its character. So that this work is not in vain, you will have to communicate with your pet every day. In addition, even the usual daily cleaning of the cage can take much more time than you think. Before you buy a bird, you need to be sure that you have enough time to devote to your new friend every day.
9. You will have to put up with the increased background noise. Of course, some birds can talk or sing beautifully. However, most of them just scream, chirp, cackle, squeal, chirp, coo and make other unthinkable sounds. Rest assured that your bird will be no exception and will happily make most of these sounds. Moreover, she will choose the time for this exactly when you least want to hear them. If you need a bird, then find a way to deal with all this in advance.
10. Don’t expect a bird to become a full member of your family. Of course, you can purchase a tame bird that will get used to you pretty quickly. However, in relation to other people, your pet will show its disdain. Moreover, this behavior is completely independent of the type of birds, since this is inherent in each of them, especially if only one family member takes care of them. If you are buying a pet for the whole family, it is extremely important that every member of the household takes care of the bird as much as possible. Otherwise, your pet will choose its own owner, and everything else will be content with pecked fingers and a hurt sense of pride.

If you are not afraid of the problems described above, then the bird can become an ideal pet for you. Remember that the more you learn about keeping birds at home before you buy, the better for you and your pet.