Pet Parrot Care: Cage, Diet and Enrichment

Parrots are intelligent, emotional birds that love to communicate. Many species can live for decades, and some even outlive their owners. Before bringing a parrot home, you need suitable housing, a balanced diet and enough time to spend with it every day.

Before you get a parrot: origin and commitment

Many parrot species are protected, and their trade is controlled. Only buy a parrot from a legal source with clear paperwork, bred in captivity. Never buy a wild-caught parrot. Check the rules where you live and follow them.

Ask yourself first:

• Can you spend time interacting with a parrot every day?
• Can your household tolerate the noise, especially early in the morning and in the evening?
• Are you ready to care for a parrot for many years, possibly several decades?

Choosing a cage and where to put it

The cage is your parrot's home, so choose the largest cage your space allows.

• Size: as a guide, the cage should be considerably wider than your parrot's wingspan so it can spread and flap its wings without touching the sides. A wide cage is better than a tall, narrow one.
• Bar spacing: matched to the size of the bird. If the bars are too far apart, a small parrot can get its head through and become stuck. Large parrots need thick, sturdy bars because their beaks are very strong.
• Material: choose stainless steel or a bird-safe powder-coated finish. Avoid poor-quality galvanized cages, peeling paint or lead solder, because a parrot chewing on them can suffer heavy metal poisoning.
• Perches: several perches of different sizes and materials, such as safe natural wood branches. Perches that are all the same size can cause sore feet.
• Food and water bowls: place them away from perches so droppings don't fall in.

Where to place the cage

• In a room where the family spends time so your parrot doesn't feel lonely, but with one side against a wall so it feels secure.
• Away from drafts, all-day direct sunlight and air conditioners blowing straight at it.
• Keep it well away from the kitchen. Fumes from PTFE-coated nonstick pans that overheat can kill birds very quickly. Cooking smoke, cigarette smoke, incense and aerosol sprays also harm a parrot's airways.

A balanced diet for your parrot

Feeding only sunflower seeds and millet is a common mistake. Seeds are high in fat but lack many vitamins and minerals. Parrots on a long-term seed diet are prone to obesity, liver disease and vitamin A deficiency.

• Parrot pellets: many recommendations treat these as the foundation of the diet. Choose a type suited to your parrot's size.
• Fresh vegetables: dark leafy greens, bell peppers, carrots, pumpkin and broccoli. Wash well and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Fruit: a moderate amount, such as apple with the seeds removed, papaya and banana.
• Seeds: only a small portion, used as rewards during training.
• Clean water: change it daily and wash the bowls every day.

Switching a parrot from seeds to pellets should be done gradually over several weeks, watching closely to make sure it is still eating enough.

Foods to avoid completely

• Avocado: highly toxic to birds.
• Chocolate, coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol.
• Salty, greasy or fried foods.
• Onion, garlic, and apple, cherry and apricot seeds or pits.

Toys and time out of the cage

A bored parrot may scream constantly, pluck its feathers or become destructive. Play and exercise are needs, not luxuries.

• Toys to chew and shred: made of unpainted wood, paper, cardboard and natural fibers.
• Foraging toys: hide food in paper boxes or small baskets for your parrot to find.
• Rotate toys: swap a few toys every week so there is always something new.
• Time out of the cage: let your parrot out every day in a safe room: close the windows, turn off ceiling fans, put away electrical cords, cover large mirrors and keep cats and dogs out.
• Enough sleep: parrots need about 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night (as a guide) in a dark, quiet place. You can cover the cage with a cloth.

Check toys regularly. Remove any that are frayed or have long strings, open hooks or small pieces that could trap a foot or be swallowed.

When to see a vet

Birds are also very good at hiding illness. Take your parrot to a veterinary clinic experienced with birds if you notice:

• Fluffed-up feathers, sitting still in one spot, sleeping a lot during the day or sitting on the cage floor.
• Loss of appetite, weight loss or a prominent keel bone.
• Difficulty breathing, tail bobbing with each breath, nasal discharge or crusty eyes.
• Clear changes in the color or consistency of droppings, or blood in them.
• Regurgitating food, feather plucking or biting its own skin.
• An abnormally overgrown beak or nails, bleeding or injuries.

Don't medicate your parrot yourself. All medication should be given only as directed by your veterinarian. Have your parrot checked by a vet as soon as you bring it home.