5 Things Never To Do Around Your Pet Bird

There are times when your bird should perch elsewhere, even though the majority of conscientious pet bird owners work to make their birds feel like members of the family and provide them with lots of one-on-one time whenever possible. Here are nine things you ought to do without your bird.
Yellow-collared macaws, tiny macaws, and macaw parrots

1. Smoke Second-hand smoke exposure can have negative health impacts on humans and other mammals, but it can also have more apparent effects on pet birds. A smoke-filled environment can result in conjunctivitis, secondary bacterial infections, pneumonia, and even some types of cancer. A curious parrot may find the butts of cigarettes to be highly alluring, which could result in nicotine poisoning. If you smoke, do so outside or in a different location where you and others won’t share the airspace.

2. Cook

Does your bird enjoy food? That is, does your bird monitor you like a hawk whenever you make the slightest movement into the kitchen or is he actually extremely interested in whatever you are eating? When you open the refrigerator, a food-obsessed parrot can screech, or it might lift its foot to be picked up as you walk to the kitchen. If your meal plan calls for turning on the stove, boiling water, or cooking anything on nonstick equipment, I hope your bird is not in the kitchen with you. Your bird may experience a panic attack in response to a loud noise like a phone ringing or a knock at the door. In its hasty attempt to flee, it may fly from your shoulder or perch and fall on a hot stove or pot of boiling water.

Additionally, if you cook with nonstick equipment, exercise particular caution because the chemicals it releases when heated might be lethal to your pet bird. Open windows and turn on the stove top fan whenever you use a frying pan, skillet, or oven to allow any potentially hazardous odors to escape the house.

3. Set your oven to self-clean mode or use cleaners or disinfectants.

Avoid using insecticides, ammonia, bleach, oven cleansers, and other common household cleaners around your bird because they might give them serious health problems.

If you utilize your oven’s self-cleaning option, open windows, and move your bird to a different part of your house while the mode is active. The PTFE (Teflon) used to line self-cleaning ovens has the potential to produce gases that can harm your bird when heated.

4. Throw A Huge Party.

What could possibly go wrong while hosting a sizable gathering, especially if your bird enjoys the limelight? If you’re offering alcohol, keep in mind that after a few drinks, people may not always act responsibly. There’s a higher possibility that a party visitor will try to pet your bird and may not understand your bird’s objections and posturing, leading to a huge, terrible bite. This is particularly awful if the guest is made to let the bird perch on their hand, and when they are nipped or bit, they respond by hurling the bird to the ground.

Another justification to keep party goers away from your bird? A well-intentioned visitor might think it’s amusing to give your bird a bite of what they are eating, but they might not be aware that certain foods, like chocolate, candies, and avocado dip, can be dangerous to birds. If you can ensure attentive monitoring, your attention-seeking parrot is welcome to join the celebration. You are the expert on your bird, so pay attention to its body language. If you notice it becoming overly enthusiastic or acting afraid, give it a break from the commotion by letting it relax in a quiet area. You can also put a sign next to the bird’s cage to warn visitors not to stick their fingers inside.

5. If your bird is nearby, clean up.

While generally speaking, it is a good idea to keep your home and your bird’s environment clean, think about relocating your bird when cleaning in and around the cage. Given that birds’ respiratory systems are delicate, it is preferable to refrain from misting them with the majority of everyday cleaners. Moving furniture, sweeping, or vacuuming might also cause some birds to get frightened. If your bird flies off the perch while you’re cleaning, think about putting him somewhere safe to wait until you’re done.

Stopping and giving your entire attention to your bird is something you should absolutely do. Do whatever else your bird might enjoy, such as giving him a good head scratch, letting him cuddle up next to you as you watch TV or browse the internet, grabbing his foot toys and playing with him on the ground. Consider this encounter as the high point of your bird’s day.