Bird Adoption 101: What to Expect

Anyone can go to the pet store and pick out the cutest, most cuddly pet bird to take home. They can pick a well socialized, hand fed and tame one for the whole family to enjoy. They can go to breeders that specialize in hatching and weaning baby birds for sale. Then there are the birds who are looking for a new home. Maybe their owner thought having a bird would be fun, until they discovered all the work that had to be done. Maybe the owners are moving into a place that can't take them. There could be an allergy issue. Maybe the owner just can't give them the attention they deserve. You can find these birds on Craigslist, in the classifieds and even in the traders. Yes, you can find sweet and tame birds through this method, but chances are good you will be rescuing these birds from an unhealthy situation.

Neglected, under socialized and abandoned birds deserve to have a second chance in life. This may not be a task for someone who does not understand the basics of bird care. You need to be able to feed them properly, have the time to clean the cage (or cages) regularly, and have the time to spend with them. They deserve out of cage time, and someone to talk to them. A true bird owner gets to know each bird and their personality. It sounds funny, but over time you should know what music they like and TV shows they watch.

If you do not have the time and resources to do this, you should not get a bird. I work 65-75 hours a week. However, 15-20 of those hours I work from home. If I work from home, I can multitask. I can have the boys out of the cage while I work on my laptop. I have had to pay to re-cage the first two I adopted. The cage they came in contained zinc (toxic to birds). Not to mention it was very small. I also had to buy them a water bottle (one bird used the dish as a toliet/tub), and many toys to keep them entertained. I buy new toys to integrate into both cages, and snacks and treats. The second set I adopted came with a huge cage and tons of toys. I did not have as many expenses with them, but you never know what you are going to get so be prepared

The other thing to remember is that preowned birds may have emotional issues as well as physical ailments and habits that have to be undone. Not all rehomed birds came from abusive situations, but many do. That means you might not get the cute cuddly tame bird that is kid friendly. I have two sets of rescues. The first set were badly neglected and abused in their first home. It took months for them to trust me enough to come out of their cages. I had to wear gloves to handle them for the first six months. They were afraid of hands, so they would bite. Now the boys are much more tame, and I have even been able to train them. The still are not fans of hands, but they have come a long way. When I brought them home, they had never had toys or treats, so it took them a while to adjust to their new surroundings. My second set of rescues we abandoned and most like mishandled, but not abused. Getting them to come out of the cage has been much easier. However, since they were mishandled, training and taming has been a challenge. The four of them are a lot of work, but I could have it much worse. Out of the four I only have one that screams, and he only does it on occasion. None of them pluck their feathers. They all will eat the diet I provide for them. I could have to face some major behavior problems, but luckily I do not.

The biggest reward of rescuing pet birds is knowing you make them happy. They might not be cuddly or affectionate, but you can tell they know they are safe. You can see how happy they are. You can enjoy watching them play with their toys or on the play gym. You can hear their happy songs, and their peaceful beak grinding (a signal that they are content) as they stand on one foot and drift off to sleep. You can find in joy in that they are happy when you come home and a little mouthy with you when you leave.