How to Care for a New Pet Parrot

It is a very exciting time bringing home a new pet parrot. Often an owner has to wait for the new parrot to be old enough to be removed from the breeder so the excitement can have been building for weeks. A new, young pet parrot does need some extra care to ensure its safety in the new environment. Planning his new home should be given some consideration and there should be some knowledge of how to care for him. Let's discuss how to care for the new addition to the family.

The first few days in his new home.

Whether an older parrot or a young parrot he does not know any of his new family so it is understandable that he will be scared. A critical time for a new parrot pet, whether young or not, is in the first few days as they become accustomed to their new environment. There will be new noises which will scare him, new colors to adjust to and different activities going on that he is not used to.

The whole family, especially if there are young children, need to be aware that the parrot is likely to be very temperamental at this time. He will want to be left in his cage with a minimum of attention with just the usual feeding and watering. Before opening his cage, make sure that all the windows and doors are closed and also when he is first let out of his cage for a walk.

Avoiding problems.

If there are other parrots at the house, the bird needs to be separated for some time and only introduced to the other parrots slowly. Even then, the introduction needs to be done under supervision so that the new parrot does not get attacked.

Bring a new parrot home in the morning so that he has time to see his new surroundings for a few hours and get used to some of the new noises.

Also find out from the breeder or shop what the parrot likes to eat and make sure his favorite foods are on hand.

Clipping his wings.

Make sure that his first 3 flying feathers are clipped slightly so that he cannot take flight out the door or into the kitchen where he might have an accident.

His sleeping conditions.

Cover the parrot at nightfall and keep him covered until sun up. Parrots are used to sleeping at night and covering a parrot cage is the best way to ensure enough sleep for his good health.

Parrots get lonely.

When introducing a parrot into the family, make sure there are some toys in his new cage so that as he starts to relax he can play with those and keep himself occupied. Toys need to be checked to ensure that they are safe for the parrot and that he cannot bite pieces off or get his beak or claws stuck in them.

Although parrots are flock birds it is advisable only to talk to him through the cage for the first few days and not handle him a lot until he gets used to the family. A frequently handled parrot can become a very dependent parrot and that is not good if he is going to be left on his own at all because he will squawk and carry on to attract attention.

Parrot care by an owner does rely on the parrot also being happy when the owner is not there. It is best to take steps to encourage the parrot to entertain himself during the day when there is no-one around.

Have lots of fun with your parrot as you teach him new parrot tricks and at Pet Parrot Secrets you will also learn how to take great care of him so he is around for many years to come. Come and join up to my FREE mini-course '10 Secrets to Caring for a Pet Parrot'.