Bird Care

HOLIDAY DANGERS

With the holiday season rapidly approaching I thought I would take the time to remind everyone that your birds are part of your family as well. They appreciate presents just as much as a child does.

 My birds all look forward to opening their gifts. I wrap them so nicely for them only to watch them being ripped open in record time. Sometimes I don’t know what they enjoy more, the gift itself or the joy of ripping open the present.

When giving any toy to your birds, make sure you check them out to be sure that they are safe for your bird. Check to see how they are to be hung up and that it is safe. Make sure that any toy you buy is appropriate for that particular species. You can include your birds in the celebration and the joy of opening gifts, just make sure that you keep them safe.

 Remember to include your birds in some family activities, but don’t go overboard. Some birds don’t like the commotion of the holidays and you must go slowly with them. Some birds are nervous around lots of people while others love the attention. Make sure that their wings are clipped otherwise with company coming in and out, they could always accidentally escape.

 For those birds that are more nervous around large crowds, if they don’t mind being moved into a quieter corner of the house, then move them. If moving them makes them nervous make sure you keep them in the cage. If they have a favorite toy or food, give them that to help relax them. Make sure your guests don’t bother them.

 For those birds that love the attention make sure your guests knows the rules you have regarding your bird. Let them know not to feed the bird anything or give the bird anything without asking your first. Many guests are trying to be helpful and think they are doing a good thing when they give your bird all kinds of treats. They don’t know that they could really be harming them. Also some birds will bite people they don’t know very well. This could ruin any party. Tell your guests not to bother they bird and that they are endanger of being bitten.

 There are some other holiday dangers you should be aware of. Many birds love exploring. The Christmas lights, tinsel and ornaments can be very attractive to them. Some birds will even go out of their way to get these things. Many birds this time of year are electrocuted because they decided to eat the Christmas lights. The tinsel if eaten could cause crop impactions. Some Christmas ornaments have been handed down from one generation to the next. These family heirlooms could contain lead, and if eaten will kill your bird. One lady told me that her umbrella was killed when he flew into her small tree and it ended up falling on top of the bird. She had some very fragile ornaments that broke and contributed to killing the bird. Make sure that any tree you get is very stable. Better still, make sure that your bird can’t get to the tree. One lady I know told me that she has an outdoor tree just to make sure that her birds can’t get them. She has cockatoos that love the escape and explore throughout the house and they could pick any lock she has put on the cage. She knows that if she turned her back the cockatoos would be ripping open all the presents under the tree and then go on to redecorating the tree, cockatoo style. So for her an outdoor tree nicely decorated was the best option.

 One of the beautiful plants of the season is the poinsettia. This plant is toxic to your bird. The bright red and green leaves are very attractive to birds. Please keep it out of their reach.

The artificial trees could also be toxic if eaten. They are made from so many different materials today it is best to err on the side of caution and just keep the bird away from them, This also applies to the natural trees as well. Make sure they haven’t been sprayed with anything and there is no sap. Avoid letting your bird eat these trees.

 What about partying with your bird? They love to have some of the Christmas or Hanukkah dinners but try to watch their salt and sugar intake. This isn’t any better for them then it is you. A little bit here and there is fine, but don’t overdo it. My birds all enjoy their little latkes (potato pancakes) with a little applesauce. My macaw, Tiny starts banging on his toys demanding them. He still doesn’t understand the concept of cooking yet. He looks forward to this special treat. For them I will even shred up some zucchini and carrots and mix it together with the grated potatoes. All of my birds devour this treat and beg for more. It is nice that the latkes can be reheated. I always make extra for them. So over the course of a couple of days they get these treats.

Some people light candles for the holidays. The flickering of the candles can be very attractive to some birds. They are very curious about these lights. Many birds have been seriously injured from these lights so keep your bird away from them.

I don’t know how many people I keep cautioning about giving a bird alcohol. So many people think it is funny watching their birds staggering around drunk. This is abuse! Abuse of any kind is not funny at all. Even a small amount of alcohol is dangerous to your bird.  A sip of two for your bird could be the same as giving a child half a bottle of booze. Nobody would ever do that to a child, and this is how it should be with your bird. The alcohol can destroy their livers very rapidly. If you love your bird, never give them even the tiniest taste of alcohol. A vet told me a story of this man who would share a sip or two of beer with his blue and gold macaw. It was just on the weekend and it was only a small sip. The man never thought he would be killing the bird he loved so much. The bird had to be put to sleep at 3 years old because his liver was so damaged due to the alcohol. The bird was in extreme pain and was slowly starving to death because he couldn’t eat. This poor bird suffered horribly. This is a bird that could live 60 or more years, only to have his life cut short because of alcohol.

The majority of birds make it through the holidays just fine. They are just as happy as they always were, and just as loved and kept safe. By being aware of these dangers you and your bird will have a very happy and safe holiday.

 I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah or a Happy Kwanzaa as well as a healthy and happy New Year. Have fun shopping and partying, but most of all be safe.