Negative Effects of Owning a Bird

A beautiful new parrot or macaw may seem like a good idea, but these creatures are far from nice looking ornaments. Even a smaller bird like a budgie will require constant care, including daily cleaning, and you may find you spend as much time cleaning up its mess as you do watching it and talking to it. So before purchasing and becoming attached to your new friend be sure to consider the negative effects of owning a bird.

  1. Cage cleaning

    • Like all animals birds are susceptible to disease, but unlike other pets they will defecate where they live. Generally speaking, if housed in a cage, the bird doesn't have a choice. To avoid diseases, both in the bird and yourself, you need to clear the bottom of the cage daily. The easiest way to do this is to use cage liners that will catch any droppings. A more thorough clean involves removing the bird and everything else in the cage then scrubbing the cage thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Once a month should be fine for small birds but for larger creatures, like parrots, this should be done once a week. The most important thing to remember is that a bird is not an animal you can buy and then ignore.

    Hygiene

    • As well as cleaning the cage, the bird itself will require some occasional intervention while its food supply needs to be kept immaculate. Although they are largely clean animals that will groom themselves, long hours sat stationary on a perch will result in a dust build-up on the bird's feathers. Occasional baths are a good idea, but warm water should be all that is required. It's also important to clean the bird's feeder and water dispenser. For this, hot soapy water should be used.

    Food

    • Feeding your bird is rarely a simple case of hanging a bird feeder and leaving it to its own devices. It is time consuming and, depending on what you choose, quite expensive. Like people, birds require nutrients from the four main food groups: meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables. While bird seed can compose up to 20 percent of its diet, you should also supply it with fresh fruit and small pieces of meat. Be careful not to let anything rot though, as this can harm the bird. The other option is bird pellets, which are more expensive than seed but are composed of every essential nutrient your pet needs.

    Allergies

    • Most people won't know if they are allergic to birds until they own one. Day-to-day, most people will never be that close to a bird, so it is something to look out for. Allergies tend to be a reaction to bird dander, similar to dandruff in humans, and symptoms can include anything from a fever and coughing to breathing difficulties and weight loss. You can buy an air purifier to combat this, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that if you suffer an extreme reaction you may have to get rid of your new bird.