Well, my family got this bird last week, a yellow parakeet. But my dad says the bird "smells bad," and wants to give him back. =(
What should I do? I don't want to give him away, so are there any products that make your bird smell good or something?
Please help.
Thanks. =)
2006-10-01 05:25:15 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
Did you put a mini "birdbath" in his cage? If not, do so; about the size of a cat's bowl filled almost to the top with water; they love to clean themselves; maybe he just needs a bath; Try spritzing him with plain water as well; and make sure the papers are changed, food bowls cleaned....
2006-10-01 05:29:25 · answer #1 · answered by sweet ivy lyn 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ignore the comment about Febreeze. Airborne chemicals can kill birds.
Make sure you're changing the paper in the bird's cage at least once a day. If your bird is tame, take him in the shower with you every day for a bath. If not, put a shallow dish of water in the cage so he can bathe on his own. Consider moving the cage to a well ventillated area away from drafts. Ask your Dad what he thinks you can do to improve the smell. Maybe you can keep it in a separate room away from him.
Good luck!
2006-10-02 01:59:53 · answer #2 · answered by zandyandi 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
DON'T USE ANY CHEMICALS. IT COULD KILL YOUR BIRD.
Okay, I have a parakeet, and sometimes he does have an odd smell. But not too bad, as long as I clean his cage correctly, ect. Make sure you change its litter tray daily to every other day, and do a thourough cage cleaning 4-2 times a month.
And no, I don't believe that there are products to make birds smell good, or at least as far as I know. That would be just plain silly, not to mention a waste of money.
I don't mean to be rude, but by buying a pet, your father should realize that almost all pets have a peculiar smell. I mean, come on, humans have a smell, but we just don't realize it because that's what we are.
2006-10-01 17:12:21 · answer #3 · answered by Isabel 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
birds do have a certain odor. Investigate this further with your Dad. Perhaps your bird's cage, or bottom substrate in the cage needs cleaning. Get a fine mist squirt bottle and see if it would like a bath. Is it a hand reared bird? Does it come to you if and when you approach or call it's name? Try the squirt bath, ask Dad what is the smell he's noticed is. Birds make wonderful pets if they are properly trained; trouble is 2 birds of the same sex are better than one. You can spend a fortune on toys, but the best ones in my house are the ones I make myself. (toilet paper rolls, emptied and cut , Soda bottle tops, buttons, straws woven in and out of the cage bars beads from the craft store. I wouldn't advise using any kind of Spray Deodorizer anywhere NEAR A BIRD. A bird's lungs are more sensitive than ours. Bird droppings are, or should be DRY, with no odor. What type of diet are you feeding? How old is your guy? Good luck. let me know how it goes. robyn.lynn0@sbcglobal.net
2006-10-01 13:35:18 · answer #4 · answered by robyn.lynn0@sbcglobal.net 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Is the cage and bowls clean? Is there a layer of poop build up?
I have six companion birds of my own in my house, including two African Grey parrots. I've worked with exotic birds for 30 plus years and the only bird that I've ever thought had a "bad odor" was a dead and decaying bird.
No disrespect to your dad, but I think that he just may have a intense dislike for the bird and is looking for excuses to rid the bird from the house. Or maybe he just has a super charged olfactory system! Does he complain about bad odors often? May I suggest a bit of Vapor Rub placed under your dad's sensitive smeller!
Oh yeah...please do not use wood chips in the bottom of the cage! If you do, you are sure to have a stinking bird of the dead kind! No Febreeze, dryer sheets....no air fresheners either! And anyone who tells you that information is endangering your bird. Nothing is needed in the cage bottom, but newspaper or paper towels.
As far as paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls...the glue used in the manufacture of these rolls contains zinc. Zinc is a heavey metal and it accumulates in the bodies of birds and can caused a slow death from zinc poisoning.
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/zinc.html
Also...I would suspect that the toilet paper rolls have high numbers of a bacteria called E.coli on them (as anything in a bathroom would) and that bacteria is also deadly to your bird.
http://www.yourparrotplace.com/parrot_articles/kiss_of_death.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._coli
You can give the parakeet a bath in tepid water it you'd like...it will not do him any harm.
2006-10-01 13:01:18 · answer #5 · answered by Free Bird 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Is it the bird that smells or the cage? I'd buy a mister spray bottle and fill it with warm water and mist the bird(If he doesn't freak out) If that doesn't work give him a bird bath. You can always hang an air freshner on the outside of the cage(out of his reach!) You can also use wood shaving on the bottom of the cage, they help absord smells. Keep the cage very clean!! Plus your Dad will get use to the way the bird smells!!!
2006-10-01 12:32:27 · answer #6 · answered by pharfly1 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Give him a bowl of cold water to wash himself in, they love doing that every morning. It's the cage that can start to smell, it needs cleaning twice a week.
2006-10-01 12:29:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
birds don't smell. you can give them a spray bath or some water in a bird bathtub if they are dirty.
2006-10-01 18:22:07 · answer #8 · answered by pots 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't use Fabreze near a bird, it is dangerous to them.
2006-10-02 03:54:26 · answer #9 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
clean the cage or give Bird a bath it is his pee and poop
2006-10-01 12:27:57 · answer #10 · answered by Trevy mayne 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋