The safety of our birds is every owner’s concern. We all wish to give our pets the best. Starting from bird food to bird supplies such as cages and enriching toys, we seek quality in everything we buy for them. With such a large range of products available, it can be quite difficult to discern what is truly needed and what is not mandatory. Excitement makes us buy things our pets won’t ever use and that can lead to cluttering and wasted expenses. Avoid spending money on useless things and focus on getting the items your bird needs in high quality.
Here is your guide to 4 of the most essential bird supplies that every bird owner should provide for their pets. We are going to tackle the aspect of bird food, what are the best foods and concerns to be mindful of, we’re going to see if it’s recommended to get your bird a cage or not and other common questions pet owners might have, especially when starting their journey in aviculture.
Top 4 Essential Bird Supplies Every Pet Needs
1. Perches
You might look at perches and think they’re not much. To an untrained eye, they look like simple sticks that a bird uses to sit on, but that is not their only use. Perches are, in fact, extremely important, as they serve as exercise structures for your bird. That’s what makes them some of the essential bird supplies your pet needs, as they impact their health as well.
Providing your bird with perches will help keep its feet healthy and in shape. When it comes to picking the right kind of perches, there is a large variety pet owners can choose from. These are some of the most popular choices:
- Wooden: some consider this kind the best, as it mimics a bird’s natural environment
- Plastic: these are durable options, but they can chip and, if possible, plastic should be avoided. If you happen to have one already, do not throw it away. Get your pet a wooden one so that the plastic one is not the only available option and all should be good.
- Rope: these are perfect as additional perches because they are very comfortable. They’re not as sturdy as the other options, but they do last long enough, especially if you have multiple kinds in your home. Due to their dynamic nature and stretch, these ropes are entertaining and provide a fun way for your bird to get its daily dose of movement.
2. Quality Bird Food
Food should, obviously, be among the must-have bird supplies for your pet. However, food alone is not enough. Instead of paying for generic foods that lack the nutritional value your pet needs, invest in high-quality bird food to make sure your bird lives a long and healthy life.
Avoid feeding your bird table scraps. Normal foods such as bread or bacon might be normal for us humans, but they can be fatal for birds. Moreover, birds are lactose-intolerant. Do not, under any circumstance, feed your bird cheese or other aliments rich in lactose.
You might have, accidentally or intentionally (before knowing any better), fed your bird cheese products. If they didn’t react to it, that doesn’t mean they’re immune to it. This is not a green line to keep feeding them cheese. It only means that the amount was either too small or the lactose concentration was not high enough. However, you should definitely refrain from doing it again and you should take extra steps to make sure your bird is not in reach of lactose products.
Circling back to the importance of high-quality food, did you know that certain birds require certain dietary restrictions? Or that some birds need specific food that some other birds might not need. That being said, generic brands and corner-store foods won’t cut it when it comes to providing complete nutritional value.
You should be looking to feed your pet bird food that is specifically formulated for its needs. You might need to try multiple options, as your bird’s palette also comes into play, but once you have that figured out, you won’t have to deal with that issue ever again and can rest assured that your bird has everything it needs in its food to live a long and healthy life.
3. A Big Cage
Cages are your bird’s home; it’s where they live, where they sleep, sometimes where they eat and, overall, the place they spend most of their time in. When it comes to the size of their cage, the golden rule is that the bigger the better. That is because your bird needs space to spread their wings, they need space to move around, fly around and fool around.
It is also important to be mindful of bar spaces. Depending on the size of your pet, these may vary. You do not want them to be large enough that your bird can get through, but you don’t want them to be too small and get your pet caught in them. Consult with a specialist on the best size to choose.
4. Bird Toys
Birds are extremely active by nature and their curious nature needs to be encouraged. One way to do that is, obviously, exercise outside of the cage but as we all know, that is not always possible. To make sure your bird is entertained and to keep their mind and body healthy, you should add toys inside their cages. This is another reason why bigger is better when it comes to the size of the cage.
What’s Next?
The next step is now for you to get up and go get your pet the bird supplies they so desperately need. Or at least, save this list and consult it again when going out. You might already have some of these in your home, that’s great! But if you don’t, you might want to grab them next time you visit a pet shop or the vet. Your bird will thank you.
