Hot answers tagged

37 votes
Accepted

What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?

Whatever your general opinions on free-roaming cats may be, allowing your cat to hunt in a bird sanctuary definitely sounds like a highly irresponsible thing to do. If you'd rather not lock your cat ...
Ilmari Karonen's user avatar
19 votes

What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?

The best situation for any domestic cat is to live indoors; it would have been an easier transition when he was younger, but it can still be done, if you're willing to endure a period of "misery" for ...
Allison C's user avatar
  • 6,134
16 votes
Accepted

Can an owl be tamed and deliver letters?

Short answer: NO Long answer: Delivering anything to a remote place is an extremely difficult task for any animal. Mammals I could find evidence of messenger dogs and the occasional horse used in ...
Elmy's user avatar
  • 32.2k
15 votes

What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?

Most locations have leash laws that apply to all domestic animals, in most areas they are only enforced on dogs. In an area with a bird sanctuary, it may very well be applied to cats as well. The ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
13 votes

What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?

Get a collar with a bell. I'm going to say that the best and easiest way to solve this problem is to get a collar and put a small bell on it. The bell will provide enough warning that the vast ...
Galendo's user avatar
  • 247
9 votes

Are crows good pets?

Probably not Good pet might not be the word for it. While very smart, crows need a lot of space, probably more then you can provide. And smart means they need mental stimulation. Think flying border ...
Flummox - don't be evil SE's user avatar
9 votes

What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?

I would encourage you to keep trying things, even if they don't seem to work or have not worked in the past. As others have suggested, try various things to make indoors more appealing, so he has ...
ap55's user avatar
  • 91
7 votes

How can I safely catch an injured semi-domesticated pigeon?

It is easy to catch it in the dark, as many birds are completely blind at night; it doesn't need to be totally dark. Humans have better night vision than many types of birds, so at night one can ...
trond hansen's user avatar
  • 19.5k
7 votes
Accepted

An exterminator is coming to my apartment. Should I do anything with my bird?

(After calling an avian vet to double check) Yes, the bird should be removed from the premises for at least 24 hours if possible. Upon returning, all surfaces that the bird regularly comes in contact ...
jackwise's user avatar
  • 621
7 votes
Accepted

My budgerigar seems partially paralyzed, is breathing heavily, and is having problems standing. What should I do?

Budgerigars are common enough as pets that even a vet that isn't specialized in birds should have rudimentary knowledge. You should call any vet or pet clinic you find around you, describe the ...
Elmy's user avatar
  • 32.2k
6 votes
Accepted

Cockatiels bowing heads to eachother

They're asking to be preened. Missy (pictured on the left) never gets the message, so Prince (right) pecks Missy after a few seconds, because he wants attention. I've also seen this in my other ...
Mango Princess's user avatar
6 votes

Transport a cockatiel locally in car ride

You've got a few choices. You can do a search on Amazon for "bird carrier." They tend to be a bit pricey but are built specifically for birds. Alternatively, you can go buy a small animal carrier or ...
beta's user avatar
  • 180
6 votes
Accepted

How can I safely catch an injured semi-domesticated pigeon?

If she is too injured to escape the best method to catch her is to use a towel. You do not risk injuring her further as you would with a net - their wings and legs tend to get caught and tangled in ...
Rebecca RVT's user avatar
  • 12.6k
6 votes

Are crows good pets?

If you were to get a crow it would need to be from a breeder that offers crows legal to America. "...the only way that you can legally and ethically acquire a pet raven or crow is by picking a ...
jessicat's user avatar
  • 298
6 votes
Accepted

Is it safe to put a plant in a bird's cage?

Placing plants such as a spider plant into a bird cage would not harm the bird, and it is more likely that the bird will harm it. Leaves on the spider plant that may have been affected by the bird can ...
jessicat's user avatar
  • 298
6 votes
Accepted

How/why is non-stick cookware fatal to birds

By googling "PTFE toxicity to birds" you will get a good number of hits. There seems to be a consensus about the lethality. As in, get those PTFE coated pans out of your house if you love ...
Flummox - don't be evil SE's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Is it safe to give candies to my parrot?

In general, many animals, including parrots, should not be given foods very high in sugar, fat, or sodium. It is not technically toxic, but too much of these things can cause various medical issues. ...
Kai's user avatar
  • 16.2k
6 votes

What to do when moving next to a bird sanctuary with a loosely-domesticated cat?

I see three possible options: Attempt to enclose the garden somehow so that he doesn't have free reign in the bird sanctuary. You'd need pretty tall fences though... Choose a different location. ...
Nick C's user avatar
  • 417
6 votes
Accepted

Hens and no rooster: what happens to hens and their unfertilized eggs?

Each hen is unique (just like people) Each hen has a number or volume of eggs that will make her start sitting. It could be anything from 1 to a dozen. Hens cannot count, there is one and more then ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
6 votes

How can I save this baby bird?

Depending on your country call a vet or a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. They will be able to tell you what to do and where to bring the animal. Taking care of a wild bird is not simple and needs ...
SerenaT's user avatar
  • 2,630
5 votes
Accepted

When is the best age to get a baby parrot?

This is an excellent question, and an area of some controversy right now. I'll stick to the main non-controversial points here, and will offer some personal experience. I won't try to settle the ...
Tom Gaskill's user avatar
5 votes

How do I help to heal a bird that has fallen from its nest?

Unless you are able to put the bird back into its nest, there is very little you can do. It is sad, but true; sometimes the strongest chick in a nest pushes its siblings out of the nest. This is ...
trond hansen's user avatar
  • 19.5k
5 votes
Accepted

Dove not getting domesticated

There is a very essential difference between "domesticated" and "tame". An animal that is "domesticated" was intentionally bred by humans over many generations to ensure ...
Elmy's user avatar
  • 32.2k
4 votes
Accepted

International travel with cockatiels (moving from the US)

I've done this with two quaker parrots (Myiopsitta monachus), first by plane from the US to Europe, and some years later, by ferry from one European country to another one. First of all, you may be ...
Sunny person's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Do pet birds need to bath in water?

That does totally depend on the bird! "pet bird" covers basically everything from macaw over pigeons to zebra finches, all of which have vastly different needs. So, always check the needs of your ...
Layna's user avatar
  • 2,102
4 votes
Accepted

How are homing pigeons trained?

They are not trained. As stated in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_post the homing pigeon was selectively bred to have the ability to figure out ...
Kai's user avatar
  • 16.2k
4 votes

Do pet birds need to bath in water?

A good question, and a good reminder to those who have pet birds. All birds need to bathe in order to maintain their feathers in good order and to discourage parasites. All passerine (often called '...
Tom Gaskill's user avatar
4 votes

What are good substrates for parrot cages?

Looking at the opinions of other keepers and internet consultants the safest and most recommended/used substrate for parrot cages is paper. Newspaper and white or brown butcher paper are mentioned on ...
Renier Delport's user avatar

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible