We are all busy these days and I know it's hard to meet all the demands in your life. But, it's time for a breather. Take an some time with each of your feathered kids and give them the royal treatment. I know some of you out there have multiple birds, so it doesn't have to be all the parrots in the same day! Get into the habit of doing at least a short version of this regularly. Your parrots will thank you!
Some birds are more 'social' than others. Two of mine I can pick up and snuggle with without fear of needing stitches. The other one I have to be really careful with. I use a stick as his main form of transport. No matter what level of 'snuggliness' your parrot prefers, you can adjust each step to your parrot's comfort level.
I hope both you and your feathered kids have a great time. Not only is this a great time for your bird, but you get a relax a bit as well. For an added bonus, turn the phone off!
Spend some quality one-on-one time
Just hang out together. Let them help you pick up around the house. My cockatoo likes to help me fold laundry. One of my African Greys prefers to chat in English back and forth. My other African Grey likes to sit on me and get scratches while I lay on the couch.
He runs up and down me, the couch and sometimes perches on my knee and just sits there. You could put on some rainforest or classical music and just sit quietly together for a little bit. There are no rules, the point is just to give your bird your undivided attention.
Share a meal
Fix up some nice vegetables, fruit, pasta or any other bird-safe dish that pleases your parrot's palate. Share with your bird, heck, eat off the same plate. One bite for you, one little bite for them. Of course, remember to give them their own spoon or fork so you don't give them your icky human germs.
Interactive Play
Hand toys like birdie bagels, barbells or marbella shapes; a piece of rope, a popsicle stick, a towel, even a wadded up piece of paper can be really run interactive bird toys.
There are hundreds of safe and fun things to play with. Lighten up and show your bird a good time. One of my African Greys loves to play catch with a wadded up piece of paper. When catch time is over, he loves to shred it up. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to be fun!
New Toy
Give your parrot something new to do when hanging out in inside the cage! Remodel a little. Rearrange the toys that are in there and purchase a new one. Parrots get board! Why not buy an extra toy or two for later while you are at it. You could rotate the toys when your parrot loses interest in it. I have a birdie toy box that all my toys go into. Periodically, I pull their current toys out and put some from the box in. The others go back into the toy box for later use. If the toys are damaged quite a bit, see if you can use the parts from several toys to make a new toy. Rotating and recycling toys prevents boredom, saves you money and gives your parrot a change of scenery regularly.
Shower
What pampering session would be complete without a nice shower or bath? Depending on your parrot's preference, let them splash around in the sink or tub. Mist your bird with a squirt bottle or for a finer water spray you could use a birdie mister like Mr. Mister. I use a Mr. Mister for all my parrots, in fact they have their own shower perch. Whatever they prefer, make it fun!
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