7 Ways You’re Hurting Your Bird’s Feelings (And Don’t Even Realize It)

Every bird owner wants to be the best owner for its bird, but sometimes we might do things that can hurt our bird's feelings, with or without intention. In this video, we'll find out 7 things that can emotionally hurt your bird. 1. Teasing your bird Petting your bird's back, blowing in its face, scaring it during a deep sleep, and cornering and picking it up against its will, will confuse and agitate your bird. Remember, what's amusing to you is not always fun for your bird. One of the basic needs a bird has is to feel safe and secure in your home. 2. Neglecting your bird Not giving your bird attention and affection or interaction can leave your pet bird depressed. Many people don't realize how important it is for your bird to have you around. Birds benefit from interaction and affection from their human more than anything. 3. Punishing your bird Punishing your bird does show your pet bird that you're angry, but it will not have an idea why. Fear will often make your bird's behavior worse than it already is. Your anger does not teach your bird to behave. It simply teaches it to be afraid of you and rebel against you. 4. A dirty cage Birds are very clean animals, and they devote a large portion of their day towards self-grooming. Cleaning your bird's cage every day will make for a happy and stress-free bird. 5. Pushing your bird away Birds are naturally curious about their environment. This means your bird might be getting in the way of something, so you might feel compelled to push it away. Before you do, imagine if someone pushed you away just for wanting to be a part of something that interested you. Instead of pushing your bird away, try gently redirecting it somewhere else. 6. Not providing stimulation A bored bird means a sad bird. We can do a lot of different things in our daily lives, but your bird is limited to the environment you provide it with. This means that it's up to you to offer your bird things to do. Birds need plenty of mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy. 7. Shouting at your bird Raised voices will terrify your bird. Your bird's ears are extra sensitive to loud and high-pitched noises. Your bird can think of the person that makes these noises as a threat, and will begin to avoid them.