Bringing your Small Bird Home

Birds make great family pets; they are easy to look after and many will become quite tame. However, they are a long term commitment and are more suited to adults than children. If you are unsure as to which type of bird would suit you, read through the below and do some research into your chosen species to ensure you are fully prepared.

Choosing a bird

Cockatiels, budgerigars, canaries and finches are fairly easy to keep. Parrots and parakeets require larger cages and are more difficult to handle.

Housing

All birds need plenty of space to fly around in, so buy the biggest cage you can afford making sure it is suitable for the species you have chosen to keep. Ensure the space between the bars of the cage will not allow your bird to get their head through and that the thickness of the bars should be enough so that the bird cannot bend them i.e. thicker bars for bigger birds. Parakeets and budgies must have some horizontal bars to allow for climbing and round cages or those with purely vertical bars are only suitable for finches and canaries.

The base of the cage needs to be covered with wood based cat litter, sand sheets or bird sand to collect droppings and other mess. This will need to be replaced when soiled and the entire cage should be cleaned weekly using a pet safe disinfectant .

Most cages come with perches to allow your bird to hop or fly between them but it is always worth buying more in variety of thicknesses. Perches provide fun as well as exercise for your bird's feet and can help keep claws worn down too.

Place the cage well out of the way of cats and dogs, where there is plenty of light, preferably up high by a wall. Fresh air is important, but not draughts and direct sunlight is alright provided there is some shade. Birds should be kept in a room where they will get some contact with you during the day or evening but never in the kitchen; as well as possible risks to human health Teflon coated pans and self cleaning ovens can give off fumes if they are overheated which are extremely toxic to birds. Extremes of temperature and particularly draughts must be avoided so conservatories and hall ways can be unsuitable places for them.