Ways to Get Your Pet Birds to Love You More

Long ago, when I still had two pet birds at home, my buddy, who is a self-proclaimed bird fanatic dropped by my house to ask, “What’s your secret? I have so many birds at home. I feed them on time. I clean their bird cages everyday. I even make it a point to spend time with them. But it appears like they still hate me.”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to say, as I had no idea what he was talking about. Eager to help, I decided to go and visit his flock at home.

As soon as I arrived, I immediately solved a piece of the puzzle. Well, I’m not saying he doesn’t know how to take care of his birds. It’s just that he lacks something.

So how did I help him get the love he deserves from his birds? Here are the things I told him.

1. Share your meals with your pet birds.

For your birds to see that you really care and that you are a part of their flock, you can share your food with them. In the wild, these creatures gather food for each and everyone; hence sharing a meal with them will definitely go a long way.

But then again, you need to take caution when sharing a treat from your plate. Too much salt and seasoning in food might upset their stomachs.

If you think a bird is hesitant about trying the food, put a small portion into his bowl and have a bite of it in front of him. And then, try speaking about how good the food is. You’ll be surprised how effective this trick is.

2. Consider having grooming sessions with him.

For humans, a day at the spa or perhaps a makeover in the salon makes a perfect bonding activity. The same goes to birds. You see, the point here is to get your flock to accept you as a family member, so grooming them might be a good way to making them realize that.

If your pets already allow you to be near them, you can start by gently scratching the back of their head. As soon as you get their trust, you can invest in different bird cage accessories like perches to make their cage life even more comfortable and better.

3. Bribery sometimes does the trick.

Another way to entice your flock to play with you is to bribe them. Try making several bird toys out of what you have at home and then place it in the bird cage.

By the time you notice that they each has his favourite toys, try decorating your shirt with it. And then, stand near the cage’s door. This will allow your flock to see that you are a fun being. Of course, no bird can resist that stunt.

4. Play with music.

Birds have their own ways of communicating. They can either use their voice or use body language. Regardless of their medium, you can use your knowledge to be able to bond more closely with them.

If your birds don’t see you as their friend, try singing your favourite songs to them. To make it appear fun, groove with the music. It may sound silly, but birds can’t refuse participating to that kind of fun.

5. Socialize.

Take note that birds that have been rescued or rehomed are not that used to bonding with humans their whole life. What’s worse is that some of them have had traumatic experiences with people.

If you see yourself caught up in the middle of such situation, help your flock to get accustomed to your presence. If they get nervous whenever you are around, take baby steps and talk with them every 5 to 10 minutes a day. Sit beside their bird cages and make sure you don’t do quick movements that frighten them. Talk with them gently, if possible in a happy way.

As your birds become more comfortable around you, gradually increase the time spent with them. But remember; do not push yourself too hard, okay? Keep things nice and slow.

6. Feed them right.

Providing birds with the right food will definitely bring you closer to them. Aside from that, it will give you an opportunity to marvel at their vivid colours and explore their interesting behaviours at a whole new perspective.

Sad to say, there are certain periods when food shortage arises, particularly in the winter. Thus, preparing for it ahead of time really helps. To give you a better idea of what to prepare, you can download the eBook I wrote below.

Being shunned by somebody special is difficult. But then again, it can be a learning experience, teaching us to be more patient in handling things and to be considerate of others. So when handling your pet birds, you need not to rush things. In the end, you will see that the results are worth it.

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