Understandably, one thing that holds a lot of potential pet owners back is how much mess a pet can create at home.
Many pets need house training and pet birds and parrots are no exception. Although they can be trained, not all pet birds are tidy roommates. If you already own a pet bird, you’ll know this all too well.
So…
Here are a few tips on how to keep your house clean with a pet bird or parrot.
Training
Depending on your parrot, it is possible to train your pet bird to only play with certain things and keep the majority of their mess to their own cage. Just like how you would house train a dog to do their business outside, many birds can be easily trained to use bedding in their cage or around their perch when nature calls.
Of course, successful training will depend on your experience level as a bird owner and the species of bird you have or are looking to adopt. If you want to keep a clean house, look for a pet bird that is easy to train.
Training is pretty easy, you can encourage your pet bird to stick to certain behaviours, like only playing with their own toys instead of chewing up your things, by rewarding them with their favourite snacks and treats when they perform this behaviour. Use food that they like but they don’t get often, like a hard cheese cube, so they know they are doing something right.
Remember training needs constant encouragement so don’t expect to lock in this behaviour straight away and make sure you keep on top of your pet bird so messy behaviour doesn’t reoccur without you noticing.
Purchase A Roomy Cage
Of course, keeping your parrot in their cage at all times is no solution to the problem of a messy home. This will only aggravate your bird making them more unruly. But one way to limit the mess to one space is to make sure that your bird has a nice, large cage where they can do as they wish. There is a wide selection of roomy cages at Bird Cages Now where you can find one that is most suited for every species of bird. Large cages are easier to clean and your parrot will feel more comfortable going into their cage when they want to make a mess as they won’t feel so trapped inside.
Make sure you provide plenty of toys so that your parrot enjoys their time in their cage and doesn’t see it as a punishment. This means they’ll be willing to spend more time in their cage and less time messing up your house.
Lots of parrots particularly enjoy toys and materials they can shred up so filling their cage with some paper or other material will give them a good outlet for their messier side.
Keep Your Parrot Clean
One thing you might not think about when trying to keep your home clean is that your pet bird might want to feel clean too!
Some parrot species love baths and others just need occasional grooming like having the claws clipped. Make sure you read up on parrot care before adopting a bird so you know just how often they need grooming.
If you don’t have a birdbath in your home, you can always fill your sink up with water to encourage your parrot to take a nice bath. If they feel clean and comfortable, they are less likely to feather pick and create a mess.
You will also need to regularly clean your parrot’s cage and toys to stop them from spreading a mess around and leaving a smell in your home.
Outdoor Aviary
If you have the outdoor space, one solution is to create an outdoor aviary. Some bird species are able to live outdoors all year round and this will keep your home completely free of bird-related mess.
What’s more, pet birds will really appreciate the extra space to fly around. Although you can keep pet birds in a range of different sized cages, depending on the size of the bird, they will always appreciate more room.
If you don’t have the outdoor space for an aviary, you will need to make sure that you let your pet bird out of their cage for a few hours every day to stretch their wings. Inevitably, this will mean a little more mess around your house but it will also mean your bird is much happier.
Clean Regularly
If you are not a big fan of cleaning, you might have to get your head around the idea that adding another member to your family means upping your cleaning. As many pet birds can be super inquisitive, it is important to use cleaning products that are bird safe or keep your bird in its cage while you are cleaning with heavier chemicals.
Always store your cleaning products out of reach, preferably locked away where they can’t claw their way into them. For anyone who really hates cleaning, buying a new gadget which will make cleaning your home easier is a good way to encourage yourself to keep on top of the mess. Steam mops, for example, are a great way to clean up a sudden mess quickly and effectively without having to stick your bird back in their cage while you wait for the floor to dry.
Conclusion
Compared to other pets, a parrot isn’t the messiest creature you can adopt, but they certainly aren’t the tidiest either.
When it comes to adopting any pet, the happiness of your new family member should always be your first priority. Having said that, there are plenty of ways to make sure the mess is under control, from diligent training to handy cleaning products.
Anyway, a little mess is a small price to pay for such a loving and affectionate pet so we think a pet bird is certainly worth the extra cleaning time.