Holiday Safety for Your Companion Bird
Holiday Hazards to Parrots and Softbills - Part One
Now that Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving are past it's time to start thinking about the holidays. There is plenty to look forward to!
Holidays mean fun, friends, social gatherings, festivities and, for our feathered friends, hazards.
The increased activities around the Holidays can be stressful for our feathered friends. Be very aware of how your birds react to guests and how guests react to your fids, (feathered kids).
Things to be very aware of with Guests and Visitors:
- Make sure all guests and friends of guests know to not feed your birds unless you are in the room - this lets you be in control of what and how much is being given to your bird as a snack.
- Observe each bird's reaction to and behavior with newcomers and visa versa. If a bird shows signs of distress with certain individuals, it's best to move the bird to a quiet room where it will not be bothered by people and is away from people noise. Also be aware that not everyone is comfortable near birds, especially larger ones with big voices and birds who take flight suddenly.
- If you can't supervise your guests around your bird, it may be best to move your bird to another room away from the noise, confusion and potentially dangerous interactions.
- Always be in attendance when the children of guests are around your bird. Sudden movements, loud noises, and attempts to touch or handle can bring on defensive behavior and potential for injury to both bird and child.
- Having strangers handle your bird can be a very valuable socializing tool and exciting for your guests. But interaction with strangers can also be a stressful experience. To avoid a bad experience for your bird and your guests, allow your bird to be handled only when you are present and after appropriate instruction has been given to the novice handler.
Birds are adaptable creatures and don't need to be totally sheltered from the flow of daily life which includes unfamiliar people visiting. Just keep an eye on the situation and don't let the higher traffic in your home during the holidays overwhelm your birds.
Have a great Holiday Season!
View Part Two.