Introduction
Birds are easily stressed, especially when they’re caged. Keep these tips in mind to help keep them calm and happy.
Skip the spray
The most common product used to calm anxious birds is an aerosol spray. While it may be tempting to use one of these products in order to help your pet feel less nervous, it’s actually not a good idea.
Keep your bird’s cage covered for a full 12 hours at night
The best way to ensure your bird gets a good night’s sleep is to keep its cage covered for 12 hours at night. Research shows that birds need 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep per day, and they can’t do this if they’re being woken up by noises or bright lights. This is why it’s important that you keep the light in your bird’s room dimmed for the first few hours after sunrise, so it can wake up when its internal clock tells it to wake up naturally instead of getting caught off guard by sudden changes in light levels or being woken up by an alarm clock blasting through the house.
Your bird also needs consistency when it comes to going to bed and waking up at his usual times every morning and evening—and he’ll become anxious if these times change too much!
If you must clip your pet’s wings, leave flight feathers intact
Clip your pet’s wings at the shoulder and leave his flight feathers intact. If you must clip your pet’s wings, this is the best way to do it. Leave a quarter of an inch of flight feathers at each end of the wing (a total of one inch). Cutting off more than this will make it difficult or impossible for your bird to fly. Remember that clipping flight feathers can be dangerous and cause bleeding that could lead to infection or even death.
Be careful when soothing a bird with your voice
If you’re trying to comfort your bird and he’s not responding, avoid soothing him with your voice unless they’re comfortable around you already. Birds are not comforted by the voices of strangers and will only calm down if being soothed by someone they know and trust. In fact, they may be frightened by the sound of our voices and may become more anxious as a result.
Instead of talking to the bird, find ways to make him feel safe that don’t involve human interaction. This can include playing soothing music or switching on the television. Of course, if you have a rapport with your bird already and they trust you, then talking to them is an effective way of lowering anxiety.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks for calming an anxious pet bird. Remember that every bird is different, so what works for one of them may not work for another. However, these methods are a good place to start when it comes to keeping your feathered friends relaxed and happy!
If you’re looking to eliminate pet stress in your pet bird, take a look at our selection of natural calming solutions at Pet Remedy, or contact us if you have any questions.
