Five Advantages of Pet Birds There are many things that make birds different from more traditional pets like cats and dogs, and depending on who you are, those differences are good things. While birds are not everyone’s best pets, bird lovers know that they are their best pets. So what are the specific reasons why birds are more popular pets than cats and dogs?
01. No need to walk birds Anyone who’s ever owned a dog knows that it’s not always convenient to take them out to the bathroom – this has to be done several times a day, sometimes at night, no matter how bad the weather is. Cat owners must scoop their kitten‘s litter box several times a day to keep it clean and to control odors. With pet birds, you never have to worry about this, as they can be trained to use the bathroom in the cage. Of course, you have to deal with cleaning the cage, but you usually only need to worry about it once a day. Sounds much better than scooping out a litter box or taking a dog out on multiple potty trips.
02. Birds can learn to speak As far as science knows, birds are the only animals on Earth that can learn to imitate human language—and that alone is one of the reasons why birds are such great pets. What other types of pets are there when you come home from get off work to ask how your day is going, or to show you their love by telling you they love you when you feed them? While not all birds can talk, those that do have a very close relationship with their owners. While dogs and cats also develop close bonds with their people and communicate in their own way, many bird owners agree that nothing is more important than being able to teach your pet how to talk to you. They can also be trained to do tricks like “strengthening”, “turning over”, “turning around” and more!
03. Many rental properties and communities don’t mind pet birds Anyone who lives in rental properties and has pets knows that finding a place to rent is often more difficult for people with cats and dogs. Sadly, many landlords and apartment communities have restrictions on the pets residents can keep, sometimes limiting them based on size or breed. Even rentals that allow cats and dogs often charge large pet deposits if you want to keep an animal. But many times, birds don’t count as pets under their guidelines. Most apartments consider birds and other caged animals to be exempt from pet fees because they tend not to cause as much damage to apartments as cats or dogs. Unless you own your own home, this is something to consider.
04. Birds take up less space Some dog breeds can grow quite large, and cats need enough territory to roam and wander to be happy. However, birds can meet in a relatively small area compared to other types of pets. Of course, it’s good to have the largest possible cage for your feathered friend, but depending on the amount of space available, you may choose to adopt a smaller bird like a budgerigar or parrot. These types of birds don’t require nearly as much space as larger parrots.
05. Spaying and neutering dogs and cats without neutering/neutering birds is very important to their health and to help curb pet overpopulation. However, for pet birds, surgery is not required to prevent unwanted reproduction. If you happen to have a male and female bird laying a clutch of fertilized eggs, all you need to do is not allow the eggs to hatch, lest the nest be full of babies.
