Birds have a sensitive respiratory system, so it's best to avoid spraying most common household cleaners in their air space. And moving furniture, sweeping, or vacuuming can certainly send some birds into panic mode.
Many standard household cleaners contain very harsh chemicals and are potentially deadly to our birds. Birds are very sensitive to chemicals and fumes, therefore, it is very important to relocate your bird to another part of the house when using chemical cleaners.
Birds don't hate vacuums. If your Grey is flapping and fluffing his feathers and carrying on like a nut, he's neither afraid of the vacuum, nor does he hate it. For some reason the sound of a vacuum seems to send parrots into a bathing frenzy, which, if my description above is correct, is what your Grey is doing.
Try to avoid touching your parrot on the back, wings or tail. Most parrots prefer to be touched on the head. This is similar to how many parrots interact with each other in the wild. Because parrots can't reach to preen the feathers on their own heads, they often appreciate the help of a friend for this job.
Parrots are prey animals and can startle easily by new large objects, loud noises, and sudden movements. Keep your parrots away from the sight and sounds of predatory animals.
Sources: Gasses like carbon monoxide, smoke from tobacco products, and fumes from new carpets and furniture, air fresheners, scented candles, paints, glues, household cleaning products, mothballs, hair spray, and nail polish can all be harmful when they are in close proximity to birds.
This will be unpleasant for your bird and birds should never be allowed to become dependent on a human (or anything else) to that degree. Even if there were no physically dangerous aspects to sharing your bed with your bird, you run the risk creating a poorly adjusted and mentally insecure parrot.
Positive reinforcement is the best way to discipline a bird and you can do it by rewarding your bird's positive actions with his favorite snack or treats. You may also shower him with praise and attention when he's behaving well so he'll realize how he should act.
Yet, just like some household cleaners can be irritants to pet birds, so can some carpet cleaners. The fix: The safest way to go is to clean carpet with a steam cleaner that uses hot water only, as in totally chemical-free. And for good caution, locate your bird to another area of the home while the carpet dries.
White distilled vinegar and water: I use a cup or two per gallon of water. This cleans everything from cages to mirrors. I use this solution and soapy water, as above, as my main general house cleaners. Steam: If you have a bird that manages to get food into toy and cage crevices, this is a great method of cleaning.
In addition to toxins found in the kitchen, birds should never be subjected to things like perfumes, air freshener, potpourri, hairspray, cigarette smoke, oven cleaner, oil-based paint, spray on deodorant, flea bombs, stain remover, scented candles, nail polish, bleach insecticides, carpet freshener, furnisher polish, ...
A simple solution of baking soda and hot water will do the trick. In a 32-ounce spray bottle, mix a quart of warm or hot water with 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Shake and squirt the solution on any dry bird poop stain, allowing it to soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, rinse with a hose.
BISSELL Formulas are water based products which are not harmful to humans or pets when used as directed. Because birds have very sensitive respiratory systems, as a precaution they should be removed from any room in which you will be carpet cleaning.
A hand-tamed parakeet will be able to fly free while you clean his cage, or can easily be placed in a spare cage. Younger, untamed birds may have to stay put in the top part of the cage (placed on the floor) while you sort out the tray.
As long as a dark, quiet and somewhat secluded area is provided for a bird to sleep in, most will be fine without being covered at night. Remember, however, that sleep is vital to a bird's well-being. If you are in doubt about your pet's reaction to being uncovered, play it safe and resume covering the cage at night.
Trying to stroke or cuddle your bird when they're not in the mood is likely to annoy them or even provoke an aggressive reaction, so it's important to read your bird's body language carefully to ensure they will welcome your touch.
The strong smell of peppermint is enough to repel birds on its own. Peppers. With most peppers being spicy, their smell often creates a burning sensation. Specific types of pepper that can deter birds include chili peppers and cayenne pepper.
In general, birds do not create a smell. However, sometimes what you feed them can create unpleasant odors. We recommend you change your birds bedding a minimum of weekly if you are using a manufactured bedding (check with us to make sure the bedding you are using is safe).
When you're trying to calm your parrot down, make it a special point to always generously reward desired, calm behavior. Toss a treat in his dish as a reward. Or, stop and talk to your bird, whistle and dance with it. Jingle a toy or play directly with the bird.
Other studies have supported that parrots can be choosy as to the type of music they prefer. Some seem to prefer calm and complex classical music, some calm Pop, while others appreciate louder, more raucous tunes. But it was determined that most, if not all, of the birds disliked the popular electronic dance music.
The most common colors that birds hate are white, red, blue, and metallic colors as they signify that danger is in the area. Birds have seemed to adapt their behaviors to avoid colors that have proved to be problematic for their species.