Most people can clearly state which animal is their favourite pet.

Some people love cats, others love dogs and yet others love parrots. If you have gone ahead and bought yourself a parrot there are a number of things that you will have to keep in mind in order that your pet stays clean, happy and healthy.

The first thing you will need to have is the right cage.

Birds are naturally free and as such, you might not enjoy having them around if they are always flying around the house.

Further, they are susceptible to injuries due to the many barriers present within the house.

One other important reason for having a cage is that you might have more than one pet in the house and as such, a cage will be able to protect the parrot from other pets in the house.

The cage you choose must be wide enough to allow the parrot to move from one position to the other. No living thing likes to be or feel confined.

The cage must also be strong enough to withstand the weather changes or the frequent falls that may arise.

The bars to the cage must not be too wide that the bird can escape through or too wide that other predators can get through.

Again, birds love to perch on items and for that reason, the parrot must have at least one perch in the cage.

Further, the cage must make it easy for the parrot to get access to its food and drink.

A parrot’s diet must always be given due consideration. Like most birds, it is accustomed to and is well able to fend for itself in the wild.

Further, the kind of food it is able to get from the wild is highly nutritious.

Due to this, it is important that you provide the parrot with the necessary quality and quantity of food.

Feed it on nuts, seeds or other organic foods available in the market.

However, parrots can eat almost everything that we humans eat and so if you love your parrot but are not able to get it any of those sophisticated foods, feel free to share your meals.

Also, make sure that it has enough water in its cage and change the food daily.

Since the parrot is not in its natural habitat where it can clean itself regularly, it is important that you give it a bath every now and then.

To do this all you will require is a shallow bowl filled with water. Warm water is most preferable because parrots get cold too.

For larger parrots, you can opt to squeeze them into your bath every evening since most of them love taking baths with their owners.

If your parrot hates the water and is small enough to fit in your hand, use a spray bottle to splash water on them. Let them dry off at a warm and dry place.

Every living thing loves to play and parrots are no exception.

To make their life colourful, place some toys in its cage and let it have fun on its own.

Once in a while, make a point of initiating some physical contact between the two of you by cuddling and touching the parrot. It makes them feel loved and appreciated.

If you have adopted a parrot, whether it is a juvenile that you have adopted from a breeder or it is an older bird, you will find that it is your responsibility to take care it.

Ideally, before anything goes wrong, you will have found an exotic veterinarian in your area who takes care of parrots.

Most veterinarians only deal with dogs and cats, so take some time, and make sure that you know of a vet who has experience on parrots.

If your parrot looks ill or listless, it is important to make sure that you know what vet can take care of him.

One thing that often surprises new bird owners is how fast their parrots can take a turn for the worse.

The truth of the matter is that parrots, like many other birds, need to look as healthy and as strong as they can for as long as they are able in the wild.

This helps them fend off predators who might think of them as easy prey.

Make sure that you keep an eye on your parrot and if he or she suddenly seems to act strange or look sick, you need to take action as quickly as you can.

If you have a sick parrot, and if you have already been to the vet, you will find that convalescence is something that is fairly easy for your parrot.

The most important thing that you can do is to keep your parrot warm.

Your parrot will be most comfortable in an environment that is between 78 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and constructing a hospital cage might be the best way to do this.

All you need to do is to create a box from plywood with a clear acrylic front and a false bottom.

After you punch in some air holes, you can add two or three light bulbs for heating purposes.

If the light bulbs are not doing the trick, a heating pad laid against the side of the cage can help.

Some parrots seem more prone to respiratory illnesses and you will find that one thing that you can do to make your parrot’s breathing easier is to keep a vaporizer in the room.

A humidifier can be the best way to keep the air more pleasant in your parrots room, but if you want to ease your parrot’s breathing immediately and you do not have access to a humidifier, bringing your parrot into the bathroom and running hot water can produce the steam that you need.

If your parrot is dehydrated, you might need to feed him from a syringe or a spoon for some time.

Even a healthy parrot can starve to death within two to three days.

Ideally, your parrot will be able to feed himself, so keep food and water close on hand. If your parrot is feeling poorly, make sure that you remove the perches from his cage so that he does not fall and hurt himself.

Keep the room dark and remove any toys; this will encourage the inactivity that your parrot needs to heal himself.

Taking good care of your parrot while he is ill is not difficult, but you do need to know what to do, so these are just some of the things to keep in mind.

When you are in a place where you are thinking about adopting a parrot, there are many things that might be on your mind.

You need to be able to find a healthy and well socialized bird and you need to look into how you can prepare your home for the new arrival.

When you are considering your home, you need to look into the kind of parrot cage that is going to be best for your bird, and as you do this, there are going to be a few things that you need to keep in mind.

The first thing that you need to remember when you are looking for a parrot cage is that bigger is always better.

The larger a cage you can get for your parrot, they happier they are going to be.

Parrots that are too cramped are going to be unhealthy and extremely stressed and this can lead to both behavioral and physical problems down the line.

Some people do not purchase a cage at all and end up converting a full room for their parrot’s use.

When you are looking at a parrot cage, there are a few things that can help you make the right decision.

When you are looking at a metal cage, make sure that you examine it to make sure that it is free of sharp edges and that the coating on the metal, if there is any, is non-toxic.

Your cage needs to have sturdy bars because parrots do love to climb.

Look for bar spacing on the cage that is at least 1 1/4 inches wide.

Beware of using cages that have small spacing between the bars as your parrot can get his claws trapped between the bars and injure themselves.

A parrot cage should be comfortable for your parrot, so make sure that there are perches made of soft wood, as these are going to be the best for your parrot’s claws.

Also, the doors on the cage should be large enough that you can comfortably reach in.

You should be able to easily take hold of your parrot and you should have plenty of access that will allow you to clean the cage and to refill the food and the water cups.

To reach the bottom of the cage more easily, where most of the debris and droppings will fall, a removable drawer or tray will be ideal.

When you go to buy a parrot cage, you need something that will last a lifetime.

Parrots have very powerful beaks, and they can go through a cage designed for a smaller bird in no time at all.

Remember that your cage should be placed away from high traffic areas in your home, and that direct sunshine and drafts can affect your bird’s health.

A corner is a great place to stick a large parrot cage, so look around, and consider where a large one can be placed.

Take some time and make sure that you purchase a parrot cage that will make your parrot a healthy and happy bird!

Parrots can make great companions for all types of people. They are interactive and live a long life devoted to their owner.

However although they are fun, they also require much time and attention.

To give your parrot a high quality life, it is important to educate yourself on the desires and needs of a parrot.

No matter which type of feathered friend you own, it is essential that you learn about its proper feeding habits.

This includes everything from the type of healthy foods that it is needs to grow, to how it likes to feed, to the best times to feed the parrot.

Feeding a parrot is a bit more complicated than driving to the pet store and buying a bag of bird feed.

While there are a variety of bagged parrot feeds at the pet shop that provide nutrients parrots need to stay healthy, this should not be the bird’s only source of diet.

Like people, parrots enjoy variety in their diet.

They want different flavors and textures of food. When a parrot becomes bored with his feeding, he often becomes noisy and try to demand something different. This can be a stressful time for both the pet and the owner.

In order to keep your parrot both happy and healthy, it is a wise idea to give him a combination of pellet foods and fresh foods.

Parrots enjoy fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, cooked grains, seeds, and nuts.

These foods are the same foods that many people enjoy.

Make it a habit to prepare a portion of these foods for your parrot while you are preparing foods for yourself and family.

The fresh foods purchased for your parrot can be the same foods that you buy in a produce section at a grocery store.

Look for special fruits and vegetables when they are in season.

Choose combinations that your family enjoys for a snack. Some great suggestions that are safe for parrot feeding are:

• sweet potatoes,

• carrots,

• bell peppers,

• corn,

• bananas,

• grapes,

• kiwi,

• melons, and

• oranges.

However before throwing in all types of table foods to your bird, be certain that you have researched to ensure that they are safe for your pet.

Fruit seeds, avocado, mushrooms, and any foods containing caffeine, cocoa, alcohol or chocolate should never be fed to parrots.

Some pet bird owners find that their pet develops a particular taste and avoids some foods while devouring others.

Feeding your parrot a variety of foods may take some trial and error to discover exactly what it is that he likes or dislikes.

The most important issue in feeding your feathered friend is healthy and safe foods.

Once you have a good understanding of the foods that are and are not appropriate for parrot feeding, the next step is to create variety in your bird’s diet.

Keep in mind that a good meal to people and to birds is very much alike.

Include different colors, textures, and taste when serving up your parrot’s dinner.

However, making sure that they get the right one for their species will help them live longer and be better pets.

Unfortunately, most people feed their parrots the wrong things.

A diet composed mostly of seeds is not what a parrot needs to survive.

Instead, it needs all kinds of fruits and vegetables, as well as other foods, in order to keep it healthy and happy.

Parrots sometimes seem to do well on a seed based diet.

This isn’t because this is the appropriate diet for them, but because parrots are relatively hardy birds.

Seeds don’t provide enough calcium and vitamin A and are too high in fat. This can result in a bird that is overweight and suffering from vitamin deficiencies.

Large parrots should have only about ten percent of their diet made up of seeds, while cockatiels and budgies, which naturally eat more seeds, can tolerate up to a quarter of the diet in nuts and seeds.

Pellet foods are a better choice than seed mixes for owners who want a convenient, balanced diet for their birds.

These are nutritious and easy to offer. They’re made up of all the important components of the wild parrot diet, combined according to species.

However, they can get boring – after all, parrots crave stimulus.

That’s why it’s a good idea to supplement a pellet diet for your parrot with other foods, too.

Consider making the pellet diet about half to two thirds of the parrot’s total diet, and filling in the rest with other food.

Offer fresh fruits and vegetables, either chopped or in large chunks.

You can even hang them on the side of the cage to encourage problem solving.

Good parrot vegetables include squash like cucumber and zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, eggplant, corn right on the cob, green beans, cauliflower and sweet peppers.

Choice fruits include melon, pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya, cherries, apples, grapes, bananas, oranges, pomegranates and peaches. Remove all seeds to prevent poisoning.

Never feed your parrot avocado, chocolate or chocolate products, caffeine or alcohol, or any fungi. These can be toxic to your bird.

Offer only foods that have natural colorings and no preservatives, and avoid food with too much salt, sugar or fat.

Whole grain breads, cereals and pasta are a good idea for many birds, as well.

Remember – many behavioral problems with your parrot are actually because it’s malnourished and feeling ill.

A responsible parrot owner will learn to take care of their bird properly, so it’ll live a long and healthy life.

The only issue is that sometimes they get out of hand and can behave badly. Interestingly, the solution can be to teach them tricks!

The truth of the matter is that parrots are intelligent and they get bored if they are not stimulated on a regular basis.

The challenge of learning new tricks will keep them mentally occupied and it will help them bond more tightly to you.

Take some time and consider how you can learn more about teaching your parrot some fun and exciting tricks!

One of the most common and simple tricks that you can get your parrot to do is to step up.

Essentially, this just means getting your parrot to willingly step on to the surface that is in front of him.

This can be very handy when you want to easily move the bird and it can be a good way to get him used to tricks in general.

To get started with teaching your parrot to step up, you can use your forearm or a platform of some type.

Tell your parrot to step up in a calm and soothing voice while using a piece of food to tempt him into place. The food can act as a reward and your parrot will soon get the idea.

Also remember that your parrot is going to be vocal.

Parrots in the wild will use a whole range of whistles and screeches to communicate with their flock, and as their human flock, they are going to try to communicate with you in the same way.

Remember that your parrot is simply trying to talk to you, but the screeches can be quite frustrating. So you need to replace the screeches with something else?

This is why many people teach their parrots to talk!

In some cases, your parrot will simply start to imitate you. In others, you can simply repeat certain words to your parrot until your parrot starts to repeat it back to you.

The younger that your parrot starts this, the better he is going to be at it and the more comfortable that he will be with it as well.

Start with simple words and don’t be surprised when your parrot answers back in a voice that sounds like your own!

When you are teaching your parrot tricks, remember that they are going to be distracted very easily.

This is why you should make sure to keep your sessions short; this will keep them interested. It will allow them to remember what you are trying to teach them a little more effectively and it will make them more interested in training in the future.

Remember, being a parrot owner is a big responsibility.

You should be willing to keep your parrot entertained and mentally healthy as well as physically healthy; good training can lead to a more sociable, friendly bird, so start today.