by Alfred & Dave Tippy

Birds, like other pets enjoy doing a variety of things, and like most other pets are sensitive and emotional creatures.

Pet birds need a balance in their life between exercise, play time, alone time, sleep, interaction with their owners and/or other birds, and of course, the right nutrition and care.

And too like humans and other pets, they have sexual needs.

An imbalance in a part of their life, can lead to a pet bird being bored, unhappy, stressed out and a host of behavioral problems.

For instance, a bird kept in a dark room for the most of it's life will have problems. A bird who is kept alone and is not allowed interaction with another bird or it's owner will develop problems. If a bird doesn't get the right amount of sleep, it like us can get cranky and contrary.

It's all about providing a pet bird with a good balance and variety in it's life.

Symptoms a Pet Bird Is Bored or Unhappy

• Feather picking and plucking
• Non-stop, repetitive movements
• Aggression beyond normal
• Loss of interest in play and activity
• Quits singing or talking
• Toe chewing
• Screaming
• Self mutilation
• Excessive fears or phobias

What to do if a Pet Bird is Unhappy or Bored

1. Take a good look to determine if the bird is getting the right nutrition
2.  Get a check up at your vet's to rule out any possible illnesses
3. Make sure the bird has a good balance between exercise, playtime and sleep time. Sleep is a very important part of a pet bird's life
4. Provide the bird with a variety of new toys
5. Make sure the cage is not too small for your bird
6. Give a pet bird attention and socialization with it's owner. Some birds require a lot of attention up to 2 or more hours a day, other birds like canaries and finches don't need near that much, but all birds need interaction with their owners. Provide your pet bird with lots of praise gentle behavior
7. If your bird is alone a lot of the time, try keeping some soft music playing, or you can get players that play tropical sounds
8. Some birds need companions and don't do well living by themselves, perhaps your bird needs a mate.
9. Birds are creatures of habit and routine is important to their psychological and physical well-being. When their routine is disrupted, stress sets in
10. Make sure your bird's sleep time is not disrupted by he TV or other loud noises when it's time for him to sleep
11. Make sure the air your bird is not polluted. Fresh pure air is vital to your bird's health and well being

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