As Forest Gump would say, “a best friend is like a best friend.”
We are all busy these days and if your life is anything like mine it can be a hard life to live. So, I don’t know about you, but maybe it’s time for a break. Take some time to hang out with your feathered friend(s) and give them some busy time.
You may have a lot of birds, so don’t think you have to do this with all the birds on the same day. However, you should get in the habit of doing a short version of this regularly. Your feathered friend will love you for it. I know mine does.
Your parrot may not have the social manners that other birds have, but you can make it that way. You could probably also come over to my son’s house and snuggle pick up his African Gray Parrot (Nala) without fear of losing a finger or nose. But no matter what degree of ‘snuggle’ your parrot prefers, you can adjust each step to your parrot’s comfort level.
Offer your parrot some quality one-on-one time.
Like anyone else, when you focus your attention on them, they feel important. Your bird will adopt your mood and connect with you and then you can hang out together. Let your bird help you pick up around the house. Nala likes to help me clean up in the living room while she watches MTV. In fact, she complains if I turn it off.
When we’re done, he paces around on my lap while I’m leaning back on the couch. He perches on my knees and bobs his head up and down to the rhythm of the rap videos. The point is just to hang out. Stay busy by not being busy. Just be together.
Offer your parrot a favorite food.
There is something that creates a connection between two lives that share food. It is a calm that feeds hope. It can end an argument or start a friendship. The point is that it builds trust and feels good for your bird. Therefore, prepare some fruits or vegetables, or any other favorite dish that your bird likes. Share it from the same plate, your bird will feel the love and get closer to you for it. Just don’t share germs.
Enjoy an Interactive Game.
Have you ever played fetch or a tightrope game with a dog? It can be a lot of fun and a good exercise for your pet. Hand toys like weights, a piece of string, a popsicle stick, a towel, and even a crumpled piece of paper can make a really fun interactive bird toy.
The imagination can conjure up hundreds of safe and fun things to play with. My son’s African gray parrot loves to play tightrope with a shoelace. When the games are over and I win (I never let her win), she loves to tear it to pieces. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it just has to be fun!
It’s the life of an African Grey, why not reshape it?
Have you ever been bored with your living space? Rearrange the furniture perhaps? Maybe when it’s really bad you redo the whole place? Well, your bird is also bored with his living space. Reshape it a little or a lot. Move the toys around or replace one or four with something familiar. You must have had a sofa that you wanted to get rid of or at least a piece of furniture that you hated but your spouse liked. Sometimes a bird feels the same. So it’s time to give your parrot something new to do when he hangs out inside the cage! From time to time, take out their current toys and put in some new ones. Rotating and recycling toys prevent a monotonous life and give your parrot a regular change of environment.
Have you ever showered with a platonic friend?
I’ve got. It starts out as a strange feeling, something not right (after all, we’re just friends); once the feeling wears off, it becomes something of a social courtesy between them, a necessary thing to do. More of the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” kind of thing. A family relationship is formed.
Showering with your parrot is more of the same. It’s weird for them at first too. However, overcoming that brings a newfound confidence. Depending on your parrot’s preference, let him splash around in the tub. Spray your parrot with a spray bottle from above as if it were a light rain. Then gradually lead them into the shower, make sure they have their own shower perch. Organize a real pampering session. Whatever they fancy, make it fun!
