Pet parrot: There is nothing sadder than a parrot locked in its cage all day long, without any occupation or games to stimulate it. It is not enough to feed him and clean his cage every day; your feathered companion has tremendous intelligence and abilities, just waiting to be expressed. Otherwise, the inactive and isolated bird risks suffering from various behavioral problems: confinement, pecking, etc.
Your pet parrot, therefore, needs to sing, talk (depending on the species), climb, fly, jump from one obstacle to another, interact with its congeners and with you, hear interesting sounds, look for food, manipulate objects… These behaviors correspond to activities that he would carry out in his natural habitat.
Interact with him
Occupying a pet parrot is first and foremost about interacting with it. You have, indeed, a superb opportunity, that of establishing a privileged relationship with your animal.
Anyone who has or has had parrots will tell you: these beings are marvels of nature. Once tamed and trust established, they will provide you with some of the finest companies the animal kingdom has to offer. And this, by their acrobatics, their testimonies of affection, their songs, or their words.
Do not hesitate to talk to your bird. Give it time to approach you, climb into the palm of your hand, then onto your shoulder. Play with him and show him he’s not alone.
Parrot toys
One of the easiest games to keep your pet parrot occupied is hide treats. He will love flushing them out and feasting on them.
You can, for example, make dumplings from braided willow branches, in which you will hide the ears of the millet. Or just hide the food behind toys and accessories.
In addition to the essential perches, which it is recommended to multiply and vary, but without cluttering the cage, there are many types of playful accessories to occupy your pet parrot. It is possible to buy them commercially, but also to make them yourself from natural materials, such as wood.
These toys range from swings to complex structures or play areas, including rings, ball catchers, ladders, sets of ropes and wood, and bells.
The mirror is also often mentioned. However, it should be noted that opinions are divided on this subject. The mirror can, of course, briefly occupy a pet parrot, but one might think that it “tricks” it into believing that it has another individual in front of it. The best is therefore not to raise a bird alone and to offer it a congener, a partner of the opposite sex.
Intelligent parrots toys
SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet
Parrot cage ( Open the parrot cage)
You know the song of Pierre Perret … Close all the exits of the room and open the cage so that your parrot can benefit from more space and freedom.
Take every precaution to keep your parrot safe in the room. If you have other animals, it is best not to leave them there. Also, remove anything that is likely to pose a danger to your pet parrot: electrical and/or heat-emitting devices (risk of electrocution and burns), toxic plants, objects that can cause injury, etc.
Some perfectly tamed parrots can even be released outside. They return alone or at roll call if they have been trained to do so. This point is addressed in the section below.
Teach parrot tricks
parrots are capable of performing very complex tricks. The numbers of the Englishman Norman Barrett and his parakeets are the perfect illustration of this.
You can teach your winged friend to climb on your shoulder by placing seeds on it or to climb obstacles, such as mini tunnels.
You can also teach your parrot recall. First, start teaching him his name. Repeat it frequently with your pet parrot, every day. As soon as you see that he reacts to his name, you can move on to learning the recall itself.
Install it on the edge of a piece of furniture, stretch your hand towards it without touching it, and pronounce its name several times, encouraging it to climb on your hand. If he does, give him a seed or other treat as a reward. Otherwise, resume later.
This exercise requires a lot of patience .and your bird should not be put under pressure. When he starts to climb on your hand, repeat the operation by very slightly increasing the distance between you and him. Proceed gradually, until you call him from another room.
SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet
Read also:
